What Ever Happened to the Cast of “M*A*S*H”?

Rachel Flynn, Emily KrauserMon, August 31, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC

0

From left: Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce, Jamie Farr as Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, Loretta Swit as Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter and William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy on ‘M*A*S*H’Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty -

M*A*S*H ran for 11 seasons on CBSfrom 1972 to 1983

Alan Alda, Loretta Swit and Jamie Farr led the ensemble cast

Alda was the only cast member to appear on all 256 episodes, including five hour-long specials, of the Emmy-winning show

Attention all personnel: It’s time to reminisce about the cast of M*A*S*H.

The CBS show, which premiered on Sept. 17, 1972, revolved around a medical staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea. To make their mission abroad bearable, the doctors, nurses, administrators and soldiers of the Korean War turned to humor, especially practical jokes.

Adapted from the 1970 film of the same name, M*A*S*H received 14 Emmy Awards over its 11 seasons. The memorable TV surgeons, like Alan Alda and the late Loretta Swit, stuck with the show from beginning to end. Other cast members, such as Larry Linville and Wayne Rogers, didn’t stay for its entirety but undeniably left a lasting legacy.

“It was really a magnificently written show. ... It’s like a big musical, in that you have moments in it where they’re serious and then you have silly moments,” actor Jamie Farr told PEOPLE in November 2025. “It had all kinds of qualities to it.”

When M*A*S*H wrapped on Feb. 28, 1983, in a 2.5-hour finale episode aptly titled “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” the series broke records as the most-watched TV broadcast, with 106 million viewers in over 60% of U.S. homes, CNN reported. The show has remained the most-watched scripted series finale ever.

So, what ever happened to the cast of M*A*S*H? Here’s what the stars did after the show’s historic series finale.

01 of 10

Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce

From left: Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce on ‘M*A*S*H in 1973; Alan Alda attends ‘AARP The Magazine’ ’s 19th annual Movies for Grownups Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2020Credit: CBS via Getty;Kevin Winter/Getty

Alda (born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo) portrayed Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce on M*A*S*H, starring as the chief surgeon of the 4077th M*A*S*H unit on all 256 episodes of the sitcom’s 11-season run from 1972 to 1983. The six-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner also wrote 19 episodes, including the series finale.

In September 2022, he reflected on the 50th anniversary of M*A*S*H, telling PEOPLE, “It seems more like 100 [years]. It feels like it happened to a totally different person.”

Following his success on M*A*S*H, Alda continued playing a TV doctor on ERin 1999 and six episodes of The Big C, as well as portraying a psychiatrist on Ray Donovan. Alda received his only non-M*A*S*H-related Emmy for his role in NBC’s The West Wing, where he played a senator vying for the presidency.

He also appeared in films such as Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), The Aviator (2004), Tower Heist (2011) and Marriage Story (2019). Notably, Alda received an Oscar nomination in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Aviator.

In 2015, Alda was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but he found a steady workout regimen that included boxing and Tai Chi to help stave off progression.

“My life hasn’t changed much,” he told PEOPLE in January 2019. “I just applied my curiosity to it. I’m constantly reading and trying to figure out the best approaches. So far, it’s really interesting. I think it’s helped me understand a little better that everybody has something they’re coping with.”

The New York City native has continued to work. He launched the Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda podcast in 2018, appeared in 2022’s Ray Donovan: The Movie and guest-starred on The Four Seasons in 2025 and 2026.

Alda has been married to Arlene Alda (née Weiss), whom he met at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend, since March 1957. They share three children, daughters Eve, Elizabeth and Beatrice, whom they raised in New Jersey.

02 of 10

Gary Burghoff as Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly

From left: Gary Burghoff as Corporal Walter Eugene ‘Radar’ O’Reilly on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1977; Gary Burghoff attends the Hollywood Collectors and Celebrities Show in North Hollywood, Calif., on April 7, 2001Credit: CBS via Getty;Newsmakers via Getty

Gary Burghoff played Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly from 1972 to 1979, appearing on 155 episodes. Burghoff was the only actor cast in both the film and TV show.

His M*A*S*H success earned him six Emmy nominations. He won in 1977, with his M*A*S*H co-star Alda accepting on his behalf. He reprised his roles as Radar on AfterMASH and the unsold pilot W*A*L*T*E*R, which aired as a 1984 TV movie.

The Connecticut native went on to regularly appear on game shows such as Match Game, Hollywood Squares and Showoffs. A wildlife advocate, Burghoff devoted much of his post-M*A*S*H years to the cause and began hosting PBS’ Pets: Part of the Family in 1999.

He also returned to the stage, where he started his career. His last credited on-screen role is in the 2010 faith-based film Daniel’s Lot.

Burghoff was married twice. He and his first wife, Janet Gayle, share one daughter, Gena, while he and his second wife, Elizabeth Bostrom, share two sons, Miles and Jordan.

03 of 10

Loretta Swit as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan

From left: Loretta Swit as Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1975; Loretta Swit attends the Farm Sanctuary Gala at Pier 60 in New York City on Oct. 4, 2018Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty;Getty Images for Farm Sanctuary

Swit got her Hollywood start with guest spots on shows likeHawaii Five-0, Gunsmoke and Mission: Impossible.

In 1972, she was cast in her first recurring role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, the patriotic head nurse who had no friends among the hospital staff and who had an ongoing affair with Major Frank Burns (Linville) during the first four seasons.

As the show went on, Swit’s character adapted. She made new friends among the surgeons and camp crew and married Lt. Colonel Donald Penobscott (Beeson Carroll/Mike Henry) on the season 5 finale.

In the New Jersey native’s final interview before her death in May 2025 at age 87, Swit appeared on The Love Boat Podcast: Exciting & New, where she said of Houlihan:“I took her very seriously. And when I began, I said to [creator and producer Larry] Gelbart in advance, ‘My aim will be to be to be the best goddamn head nurse in Korea. That will be my goal.’ ”

“My character broke a barrier in terms of growth,” she added. “Most of the characters on television in my category, let’s say, stayed the same for as long as they’re on. They never grew. They never changed. That makes it unreal. We change every five minutes.”

Alda and Swit were the only two cast members to appear on both the pilot episode and the finale of M*A*S*H, and she was among only four cast members who stayed the entire 11 seasons. Swit also won two Emmy Awards for her performance.

An animal rights activist, she hosted a 26-part series on the Discovery Channel called Those Incredible Animals in 1992. Swit last appeared on the small screen on the Game Show Network in 2008, and her final film appearance was in 2019’s Play the Flute.

04 of 10

Jamie Farr as Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger

From left: Jamie Farr as Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1972; Jamie Farr attends the 63rd annual Writers Guild Awards at the AXA Equitable Center in N.Y.C. on Feb. 5, 2011Credit: CBS via Getty

Farr — who was born Jameel Joseph Farah and grew up in Ohio — appeared on hit shows such as TheTwilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, I Dream of JeannieandThe Andy Griffith Show before landing the part of Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on M*A*S*H.

Known for attempting to get discharged by wearing women’s clothes, Klinger ultimately became one of the show’s most unforgettable and beloved characters. The only cast member to serve in Korea, Farr wore dog tags on the show from his time in the service. He portrayed Klinger for the series’ entire run.

After M*A*S*H, Farr starred in 1988’s Scrooged alongside Bill Murrayand had guest roles on series like Murder, She Wrote, Port Charles, Diagnosis Murder andMad About You and made numerous cameos as himself on a few shows, including Family Guy. In the 2000s, he was a rotating game show host on the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular in Las Vegas.

In 1992, Farr made his Broadway debut, replacing Nathan Lane as Nathan Detroit in the revival of Guys and Dolls. He continued to work in theater, including touring the U.S. and Canada in The Odd Couple in 1997 and Canada in Tuesdays with Morrie in the early 2010s. The character actor last appeared on the Fox sitcom The Cool Kids throughout 2018 and 2019.

Farr married former model Joy Ann Richards in February 1963. They share two children, son Jonas and daughter Yvonne.

05 of 10

Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt

From left: Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1977; Mike Farrell attends the Public Counsel’s Annual William O. Douglas Award Gala Dinner Honoring Jane Fonda at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2025Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty;Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty

Mike Farrell, who grew up in Hollywood, saw his big break as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in 1975. His character was created between the third and fourth seasons, when Rogers left the series. Farrell stayed on through M*A*S*H’s 1983 finale, writing and directing multiple episodes during his time with the show.

While looking back at M*A*S*H in October 2025, Farrell most remembered the collaborative environment, where everyone’s input was valued, and the entire team was “respectful” of “the characters we were creating.”

“The combination of what we were doing, what we were talking about, what we were showing, the blood and guts level of what we were dealing with, and the reality of what was going on around us in the world at the time contributed to a really special mix of emotions and thoughts and principles and people,” he told PEOPLE. “And it just, it stands out in my life’s experience as one of the great periods.”

Advertisement

Farrell continued his acting career on Providence, where he played veterinarian Jim Hansen from 1999 to 2002. He later guest-starred on shows like Desperate Housewives, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,Ghost Whispererand Supernatural.

Seven years after his appearance on NCISin 2019, Farrellreturned to the small screen in 2026 for an episode of 9-1-1. That same year, he appeared in the indie drama The Strawberry.

Beyond acting, Farrell is an activist on political and social issues, writing and publishing two books. In September 2022, Alda and Farrell reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of M*A*S*H, with Alda sharing a photo from their sweet reunion on X.

Farrell shares two children, son Michael and daughter Erin (the same name as Hunnicutt’s daughter on M*A*S*H!) with his first wife, Judy Hayden. He married his second wife, actress Shelley Fabares, in December 1984. Fabares died in August 2026 at the age of 82.

06 of 10

Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns

From left: Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1972; Larry Linville attends the third annual Producers Guild of America Golden Laurel Awards in Los Angeles on March 4, 1992Credit: CBS via Getty;Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Linville had guest-starring roles on shows like Bonanza, Mission: Impossible and Mannix before portraying surgeon Major Frank Burns on M*A*S*H.

In 1972, he picked up a five-year contract as the snobbish surgeon second-in-command. At the end of his contract, production offered to extend his contract another two years, but Linville declined.

The California native co-starred on ABC’s primetime soap opera Paper Dolls in 1984. He later had guest roles on shows such as A Different World, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Nurses, Murder, She Wrote and Fast Track. His last credit was in the 2004 film West from North Goes South.

Linville married five times, leaving behind his wife, Deborah Guydon, when he died from pneumonia in April 2000 at age 60, per The Washington Post. He had one child, daughter Kelly.

07 of 10

Wayne Rogers as Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre

From left: Wayne Rogers as Captain ‘Trapper’ John McIntyre on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1972; Wayne Rogers attends the 63rd Annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony at AXA Equitable Center in N.Y.C. on Feb. 5, 2011Credit: CBS via Getty;Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic

Rogers was already making a name for himself when he joined M*A*S*H, having been on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow and in the 1959 film noir Odds Against Tomorrow, which was nominated for a Golden Globe.

A native of Birmingham, Ala., Rogers auditioned for the role of Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, a thoracic surgeon, because of his brighter outlook on life. However, as storylines changed over the years, Rogers wasn’t thrilled with his character’s development, and he left before season 4.

In 1985, Rogers played Major Tony Nelson opposite Barbara Eden in the televised reunion movie I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later. Then, in the ‘90s, he made guest appearances on shows like Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder.

As an investor and strategist, Rogers had a second career in money management and became a panelist on Fox News Channel’s Cashin’ In.

Rogers and his first wife, Mitzi McWhorter, had two children, son Bill and daughter Laura. He married his second wife, Amy Hirsh, in 1988. They were together until Rogers’ death from pneumonia complications in December 2015. He was 82.

08 of 10

William Christopher as Father John Mulcahy

From left: William Christopher as Father John Mulcahy on ‘M*A*S*H’ in 1972; William Christopher attends the seventh annual TV Land Awards in Universal City, Calif., on April 19, 2009Credit: CBS via Getty

In 1972, William Christopher joined the cast of M*A*S*H as Father John Mulcahy, the Catholic priest who serves as the Army chaplain. The role was originally played by George Morgan on the pilot episode.

Christopher brought quirkiness to the character and continued to play Father Mulcahy on the two-season spinoff AfterMASH. He also appeared on shows like Murder, She Wrote, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Diagnosis Murder and Mad About You.

The Illinois native returned to his priestly roots with his last TV appearance as Father Tobias on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.

He married Barbara Christopher in 1957. They welcomed two children via adoption, sons John and Ned, who appeared on a season 4 episode of M*A*S*H titled “Dear Mildred.”

Christopher died from a non-small cell lung carcinoma at his home in Pasadena, Calif., in December 2016. He was 84.

09 of 10

Harry Morgan as Sherman T. Potter

From left: Harry Morgan as Sherman T. Potter on ‘M*A*S*H’; Harry Morgan is photographed at Matteo’s Restaurant in Westwood, Calif., on May 28, 2000Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock; David Keeler/Online USA

Before Harry Morgan replaced McLean Stevens as the compassionate and humorous yet firm Colonel Sherman T. Potter on season 4, he first appeared on season 3, playing Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele on one episode.

The character was beloved, and Morgan won an Emmy for his role in 1980.

“It was the best part I ever had,” Morgan told the Television Academy in 2004. “I absolutely liked every person on that show very dearly, and that came about almost instantly.”

The Michigan native, who began his career in theater, was already well-known when he took on the role of Potter. He had starred on December Bride and its spinoff Pete and Gladys, though he was better known for his next big role as Sgt. Joe Friday’s partner Officer Bill Gannon on the revived 1960s Dragnet series.

Morgan also appeared in Westerns such as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and High Noon (1952), and the courtroom drama Inherit the Wind (1960).

Following the series finale of M*A*S*H,Morgan reprised the role of Potter on AfterMASH. He also brought his Dragnet role to the big screen, though this time as a captain, in the 1987 film adaptation starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.

His other TV credits included The Love Boat, Blacke’s Magic and You Can’t Take It With You. In addition to his recurring role on 3rd Rock from the Sun, he guest-starred on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire and Love & Money.

The actor and his first wife, Eileen Detchon, shared four children. Morgan married his second wife, Barbara Bushman, in 1986, and they were together until Morgan’s death in December 2011 at age 96, per NPR.

10 of 10

David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III

From left: David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on ‘M*A*S*H’; David Ogden Stiers attends the 25th anniversary screening of ‘Beauty and the Beast’: A Marc Davis Celebration of Animation at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 8, 2016Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock;getty

One of the later additions to M*A*S*H, David Ogden Stiers joined the series in 1977 as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, a brilliant but aloof surgeon. He was nominated for two Emmys for the role, in 1981 and 1982.

Stiers, who was born in Illinois and grew up in Oregon, later won an Emmy in 1984 for the NBC miniseries The First Olympics: Athens 1896.

He went on to appear on the ABC miniseries North and South, Showtime’s 1987 movie J. Edgar Hoover and several Perry Mason TV movies, as well as starred on the 2000s series The Dead Zone.

He was also a voice actor with numerous credits under his belt, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast(1991), Pocahontas (1995) and Lilo & Stitch (2002).

Stiers’ later TV guest roles included appearances on Stargate: Atlantis,Leverage and Rizzoli & Isles. His last credit was the 2017 TV movie The Joneses Unplugged.

Though he feared for years that coming out would hurt his career, the actor did so at age 66 in May 2009, saying he was “proud to be so,” according to ABC News.

Stiers died of bladder cancer in March 2018, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was 75.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”