John Neil McCallum (14 March 1918 – 3 February 2010)[1][2] was an Australian theatre and film actor, highly successful in the United Kingdom.

[5] McCallum was exposed to acting at a young age: his early childhood was full of backstage encounters at the Cremorne with the wide variety of performers who frequented his father's theatre.

Although McCallum and his two younger brothers received their primary school education in the United Kingdom, the family returned to Australia once the Great Depression started.

[citation needed] From there he moved to similar roles at the Old Vic under Harley Granville-Barker in which he appeared in the historic 1939 production of King Lear which featured Jack Hawkins with Peggy Ashcroft, Fay Compton and Cathleen Nesbitt.

McCallum returned to Australia shortly afterwards to join the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) for the duration of World War II, in which he served in New Guinea.

McCallum then made The Calendar (1948); Miranda (1948), a popular comedy with Glynis Johns and Withers; A Boy, a Girl and a Bike (1948), directed by fellow Australian Ralph Smart; The Woman in Question (1950) with Jean Kent and Dirk Bogarde; Valley of Eagles (1951); Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951) from director Frank Launder; The Magic Box (1951), one of many cameos; The Long Memory (1952) with John Mills.

[9][10] McCallum was keen to encourage the casting of talented Australians in leading roles and was instrumental in beginning the starring careers of Kevin Colson, Jill Perryman, Nancye Hayes, Barbara Angell and others.

[13] In 1992 Googie Withers and John McCallum were founding patrons and active supporters of the Tait Memorial Trust in London.

A charity established by Isla Baring, the daughter of Sir Frank Tait of JC Williamson's to support young Australian performing artists in the UK.