M*A*S*H Actors: Who’s Alive, Dead & Every Episode Actor

Few television shows have left a cultural footprint as deep as M*A*S*H. Whether you grew up watching reruns or caught the finale live with 105 million other viewers, the faces of the 4077th are unmistakable.

Main cast members: 11 · Living as of 2025: 5 · Deceased: 6 · Actor in every episode: Alan Alda · Series run: 1972–1983 · Total episodes: 251

Six key facts about the series set the stage for understanding the cast’s place in television history.

How many MASH cast members are still living?

List of living main cast members

• Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) – alive, age 88
• Loretta Swit (Margaret Houlihan) – alive, age 87
• Jamie Farr (Klinger) – alive, age 90
• Mike Farrell (B.J. Hunnicutt) – alive, age 85
• Gary Burghoff (Radar O’Reilly) – alive, age 81

Deceased main cast members and death dates

• McLean Stevenson (Henry Blake) – died 1996 (heart attack)
• Wayne Rogers (Trapper John) – died 2015
• Larry Linville (Frank Burns) – died 2000 (cancer)
• William Christopher (Father Mulcahy) – died 2016 (cancer)
• Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter) – died 2011 (natural causes)
• David Ogden Stiers (Charles Winchester) – died 2018

The implication: Five original members are still with us, meaning any reunion hopes rest on a small, precious group.

Which actor didn’t like Alan Alda on MASH?

Alan Alda’s reported feud with Larry Linville

• Larry Linville was reportedly uncomfortable with Alda’s comedic style and liberal approach
• Linville played the uptight Frank Burns, a character that clashed with Hawkeye’s irreverence, and the actor found the off-screen dynamic similarly strained.

Other cast dynamics: Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson

• Wayne Rogers left the show partly due to creative differences with Alda
• McLean Stevenson also had disagreements over Alda’s increasing control of the show’s direction

One pattern across these conflicts: Alda’s growing role as writer and director shifted the show’s tone, and not every cast member adjusted comfortably.

The pattern: Alda’s creative leadership was a double-edged sword, driving the show’s quality while straining some relationships.

Comparison of cast departures and relationships

Three key actors who left early, one pattern: each cited a different reason, but all involved Alda’s influence.

The trade-off: Alda’s creative leadership made M*A*S*H more substantive but cost the show some of its original ensemble chemistry.

Who was the only actor to appear in every episode of MASH?

Alan Alda: The constant presence

• Alan Alda appeared in all 251 episodes, according to IMDb full cast & crew
• He also wrote or co-wrote 19 episodes and directed 32, becoming the show’s creative anchor

Other actors who came close

• Loretta Swit appeared in 251 episodes per IMDb – the same count as Alda, though some sources note she missed a small number of scenes within those episodes
• Harry Morgan appeared in 251 episodes (joined in season 4 but credited in all thereafter)
• Jamie Farr appeared in 217 episodes, missing several early seasons
• Mike Farrell appeared in 180 episodes (replaced Rogers in season 4)

The pattern: Only three actors – Alda, Swit, and Morgan – can claim the full 251-episode credit, but Alda is the sole original cast member who never missed a single installment.

What did Alan Alda say at Larry Linville’s funeral?

Eulogy content and themes

• Alda spoke warmly of Linville, acknowledging their past friction but praising his talent (TVLine)
• He described Linville as “a wonderful actor and a decent man”

Repairing public tension

• Reportedly, Alda used the eulogy to publicly heal the rift that had been speculated about for years
• The funeral took place in 2000, and those present remarked on the sincerity of Alda’s words

Why this matters: The moment humanized both men, showing that professional disagreements didn’t prevent deep respect.

The implication: Even the most publicized feuds can end in quiet reconciliation.

What was the saddest episode of MASH?

‘Abyssinia, Henry’ (season 3 finale)

• Henry Blake’s death shocked viewers – a comedy series killing off a beloved character was unprecedented
• Widely considered the saddest episode of the series (Wikipedia episode list)

‘The Interview’ (season 4)

• A black-and-white documentary-style episode showing the war’s toll through interviews with the 4077th staff
• Emotionally devastating without a single laugh

‘Goodbye, Farewell and Amen’ (series finale)

• The 2.5-hour finale featured farewells, Hawkeye’s breakdown, and the end of the Korean War
• Watched by 105 million people, it remains the most-watched scripted TV finale in history

The implication: M*A*S*H’s power came from its willingness to break the sitcom mold with genuine tragedy.

M*A*S*H Cast Timeline: Key Milestones

• 1936–1941 – Births of main cast (Alda, Swit, Farr, Farrell, Burghoff)
• 1972 – M*A*S*H premieres on CBS (IMDb)
• 1975 – Wayne Rogers leaves the show
• 1979 – Gary Burghoff leaves after season 4
• 1983 – Series finale airs, watched by 105 million (Wikipedia)
• 1996 – McLean Stevenson dies at 68
• 2000 – Larry Linville dies at 60
• 2011 – Harry Morgan dies at 96
• 2015 – Wayne Rogers dies at 82
• 2016 – William Christopher dies at 84

What this means: Each passing year makes the remaining cast members more precious to fans.

What’s Confirmed and What’s Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Alan Alda appeared in every episode (IMDb)
• McLean Stevenson died in 1996 (IMDb)
• Alan Alda spoke warmly at Larry Linville’s funeral (TVLine)

What’s unclear

• Exact nature of Alan Alda’s dislike for Larry Linville (reported but never fully confirmed by both parties)
• Whether Alan Alda truly disliked Wayne Rogers or just had creative differences
• Loretta Swit’s claim of having no children

The catch: Separating fact from rumor requires relying on primary sources like eulogies and producer statements.

Voices from the Cast

“He was a wonderful actor and a decent man.”

— Alan Alda, eulogy for Larry Linville, 2000 (reported by eyewitnesses, cited in TVLine)

“I never thought there was any serious conflict between Farrell and Alda, or among M*A*S*H cast members generally.”

— Ken Levine, M*A*S*H writer/producer, on his blog (Ken Levine blog)

These two voices – one from inside the cast, one from the writing room – offer a more nuanced picture than tabloid rumors suggest.

For the living members of the M*A*S*H cast, the years since 1983 have brought both loss and lasting recognition. The show’s legacy isn’t just nostalgia – it’s a reminder that the people who made us laugh in the 4077th also faced real-world conflicts, reconciliations, and the passage of time. For Alan Alda, the choice to speak kindly at Larry Linville’s funeral speaks louder than any on-set disagreement — a final act that defined the real M*A*S*H story.

For a broader look at the cast’s military service and recent updates, see these MASH cast updates and survivors.

Frequently asked questions

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