William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 December 31, 2015)[1] was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series M*A*S*H and as Dr. Charley Michaels on House Calls (19791982). Out of the characters onM*A*S*H*,the most famous is not Hawkeye Pierce or Maxwell Klinger. Better. RELATED: 12 Most Controversial TV Episodes Ever Aired. The latest movie news, trailers, reviews, and more. By the end of the third season, Rogers was fed up with the fact that Trapper was being treated as a sidekick instead of an equal. He was also the head of Wayne Rogers & Co., a stock trading investment corporation. Incorrectly regarded as a goof in the series is him being shown as a Captain. Birthplace: The show explained John's and Roger's absence as the military having discharged the character. Wayne Rogers, who portrayed Trapper John McIntyre, was in the U.S. Navy, and Mike Farrell, who played B.J. A total of 15 M*A*S*H novels were published between 1968 and 1977, some co-authored by William E. Butterworth. THEN: Serving as star, director, writer, and guiding creative force behind the long-running sitcom over his ten year tenure, Alan Alda became not only the face of M*A*S*H, but of a generation of thoughtful feminist men throughout the 1970s and into the 80s. Trapper John, M.D. Frank's unnatural storyline is because Larry Linville's five-year contract was up. is in a helicopter and forced to cut a rope leading down to a wounded soldier he and the pilot were attempting to rescue from an enemy patrol, effectively abandoning him to capture or death. I PROMISE! M*A*S*H (novels) . Plus, Rogers came into and left MASH when the show was still fresh. Appeared in: didn't have to add one for Mill Valley as San Francisco was already on the signpost. After three seasons, Rogers left the show after a contract dispute with the producers. Hooker was merely their shared pen name. [4] He appeared regularly as a panel member on the Fox Business Network cable TV stocks investment/stocks news program Cashin' In, hosted since 2013 by Fox News anchor Eric Bolling. Radar had tried to reach Hawkeye in Tokyo to alert him of Trapper's departure, but without success. Specifically, he did not like how the Trapper John character began and ended the movie with the same role significance as Hawkeye (e.g., Trapper John was brought into the movie because the unit needed a "chest cutter") but . It was then that Alan Alda and the rest of the writers incorporated it into the story. W*A*L*T*E*R was the pilot for a television series that was not picked up. Hornberger, who was described as a good surgeon with a sense of humor, worked in a VA hospital following the war before opening his own practice. In the TV show MASH, were the character replacements for Henry Blake, Trapper John, and Frank Burns better or worse? Monster M*A*S*H is a FANDOM TV Community. BJ > Trapper Again, Trapper just felt like diet Hawkeye (which is funny because Trapper was the main in the movie). Hunnicutt, a replacement for Wayne Rogers' character "Trapper" John. He won five Emmy Awards for his work on the show, and he has remained a well-known and successful actor to this day. M*A*S*H: 15 Hidden Details You Never Noticed, 10 Sitcoms From The '70s Everyone Forgot About, 12 Most Controversial TV Episodes Ever Aired, 15 Actors Who Regretted Quitting TV Shows And Movies, M*A*S*H Star David Ogden Stiers Passes Away at 75, 20 Mistakes In Iconic Sitcoms Only True Fans Noticed. What kind of motorcycle did BJ have on MASH? Lucille Ball's Daughter Lucie Arnaz Is Honoring Her Mom on 'Will and Grace', The Real Reason Why Frank Burns (Larry Linville) Left 'M*A*S*H'. Klinger was only meant to appear in one episode of the show, and the character wasn't even in the book. It continues to air in syndication to this day, and so many other modern sitcoms are indebted to M*A*S*H. While many of the cast members have sadly passed away, many are still alive well into their eighties. He left the show in 1979, but he returned later that year for a two-part special episode called "Goodbye Radar. He has most recently appeared on Ray Donovan, The Longest Ride, The Blacklist, and Horace and Pete. Hunnicut, served in the Marine Corps. In 1968, surgeon H. Richard Hornbergerusing the nom de plume of Richard Hookercollaborated with writer W.C. Heinz to create the book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, based on his. RELATED: 10 Sitcoms From The '70s Everyone Forgot About. is shown to have a passion for motorcycles; he gets to drive one in The Yalu Brick Road. 'Trapper' John! [8][9] He died exactly one year before fellow M*A*S*H cast member William Christopher. The two were caught by a conductor, at which point the woman turned against him shouting, "He trapped me! "MASH", in posters for the movie and in the trailer, it was rendered as M*A*S*H. M*A*S*H, a TV adaptation of the film, ran from 1972 to 1983, more than three times as long as the war it chronicled. George Morgan played the role of Father Mulcahy in the pilot episode of M*A*S*H, but when the character next appeared he was played by a new actor William Christopher. At the time, he claimed he didn't want to get typecast into physician roles and wanted to expand his acting reach. M*A*S*H premiered in 1972, and 2022 officially marked the hit sitcom's fiftieth anniversary. View history William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 - December 31, 2015) [1] was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series M*A*S*H and as Dr. Charley Michaels on House Calls (1979-1982). Captains B. J. Hunnicutt and "Trapper" John McIntyre are fictional characters from the television series M*A*S*H. Wayne Rogers, who portrayed "Trapper" in the TV series, was told when he accepted the role that Trapper and Hawkeye would be equally important, almost interchangeable (much like how Hawkeye and Trapper were presented in the MASH film). Captain B. J. Hunnicutt is played by Mike Farrell in the TV show. Morgan, a veteran character actor and former Universal contract player, portrayed Colonel Sherman T. Potter. Rogers left television's M.A.S.H. Despite a guarantee that his character would have a better development arc in this series, as Trapper would then be the show's main character, he decided to decline the offer. In the original novel he, Hawkeye and Duke were all married, while in the film there is no mention of Trapper's marital status, but they all lived a semi-hedonistic lifestyle with their drinking and carousing. In Mail Call, Trapper becomes overwhelmingly homesick. Consequently, unbeknownst to viewers at the time, Abyssinia, Henry would be Trapper John's final M*A*S*H episode as well as Henry's. B.J. He appeared on the Cannon episode "Call Unicorn" in 1971. Richard Hooker wrote MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968), based on his experiences as a surgeon at the 8055th MASH in South Korea. Once Trapper settles in at camp, he becomes the wild one of the group, drinking, carousing, and playing pranks on the others, especially Margaret. The entire script was completed in just three days by writer Larry Gelbart. Anyone who loved the show would have thought that it made a poignant moment and would be just as exciting once the time capsule was found, but the person who discovered it wasn't very impressed, according to actor Alan Alda. in September 1986. He must leave so quickly after hearing the news that he has no time even to leave a note, echoing Trapper's failure to do so at his departure. ", and the nickname "Trapper John" permanently stuck. NOW: Farrell continues to act and produce, while also taking plenty of time for his work as an activist. Both Col. Blake and Major Burns were two dimensional characters. In reality, the show's set on the Fox Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains was devastated during filming of the final episode. Once the cease fire takes effect and all the wounded are tended to and shipped out, and after all of the others say their goodbyes and leave the 4077th for the final time, B.J. By the third season, Rogers had grown weary of playing second banana, and even though Trapper's character was fleshed out more during the latter half of the third season, Rogers decided to depart at season's end, and his character had to be written out of the series. On the other hand, B.J. The rank of Captain is achieved after 7 years of active duty service or a field promotion for officers on the line side (fighting). B.J. premiered, Wayne Rogers returned to TV in House Calls, a sitcom based on the 1978 Walter Matthau film. Both served in the Army. tries to reassure him that they will still get to see one another back home, but with each of them living on an opposite coast, Hawkeye doesn't see how and becomes convinced that once they go home they'll never see one another again; B.J., however, refuses to accept that finality. In 1981, he played the role of an art forger in Roger Vadim's The Hot Touch. Louise referred to as such once on the "M*A*S*H" TV seriesMelanie (depicted on Trapper John, M.D. over a contract dispute. : Eventually, B.J. becomes the second main character (after Klinger, and before Potter and Winchester) to not appear in either the 1968 novel or the 1970 film. They did all they could do with those characters, even Larry Linville (Major Burns) said that they did everything they could with his character. According to ScreenRant, the show was involved in a lawsuit as the M*A*S*H creators claimed the series was a spinoff of their show. Speaking of writing, M*A*S*Halso had an incredible pilot episode turnaround. Major Charles Emerson Winchester III is a surgeon who was chosen by Colonel Potter to replace the departed Frank Burns as the fourth surgeon at the 4077th MASH unit in Season 6 of the M*A*S*H TV series. Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper John, was unceremoniously removed from the cast. The strain and stress of being apart from his family, plus his alcohol addiction, caused Trapper to suffer a severe case of stomach ulcers which almost got him transferred home (Check-Up), but when he finds out that the Army no longer discharges personnel for ulcers, Trapper is offered a transfer to another hospital for treatment, but decides to stay on at the 4077th. Much of the story line of Trapper John, M.D. gets his discharge papers and is overly excited to finally be going home. While angry over missing Trapper, Hawkeye met his replacement in the person of Captain B.J. It starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. Hawkeye unexpectedly ups the ante by claiming Lacy has appendicitis and requires surgery (a trick he and Trapper John once used to put Colonel Flagg temporarily out of commission). In August 2006, Rogers was elected to the board of directors of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.,[5] a Fortune 1000 manufacturer of semiconductors and electronic components. We wouldn't have realizedit at the time. Shelley Long, Leslie Neilson, Laurence Fishburne, Blythe Danner, John Ritter, Ed Begley, Jr., and Rita Wilson all had parts on the show at one point, as did Teri Garr, Andrew Dice Clay, and George Wendt. Hawkeye starts asking him questions, swearing that he has seen him somewhere before. B.J. He's also been on 30 Rock, The West Wing, ER, The Big C and made guest appearances on many other shows. For other uses, see, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M*A*S*H&oldid=1142107561, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 15:05. As a compromise, CBS not only muted the laughs during the operating scenes, but also lowered the volume of the laughter throughout the series, making it less raucous than the normal canned laughs of a comedic series. He guest starred on an episode of the CBS western Johnny Ringo. It also featured Robert Duvall and Tom Skerritt, while Sylvester Stallone also worked as an extra on the film. The comedy remained strong through season 6 and Winchester was definitely a breath of fresh air. series. The series was canceled after two seasons. RELATED: 15 TV Shows That Ended Actors' Careers. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2004 for his role in The Aviator. In Oh, How We Danced, Hawkeye and the others tried to ease B.J. about Trapper, whom he is replacing, and then about Henry and Frank, the latter of whom Hawkeye reveals to B.J. THEN: Wayne Rogers played surgeon Captain John Trapper McIntyre, Hawkeyes partner-in-crime in the shows first three seasons, before leaving to pursue other work. The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on July 17, 1984. Although the show depicted many truths to the war, it also avoided some that painted the troops in an unpatriotic light. His exit is abrupt and, in the show, only explained as Trapper having been "discharged," though viewers are offered no other explanation. The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion of Trapper John, M.D. In the Season 7 episode Lil, when asked what his initials stood for, he answered, "anything you want", but Hawkeye became adamant to know what they actually meant. that followed them. Wayne Rogers, who starred as the irreverently cantankerous Trapper John on TV's M*A*S*H, died Thursday . After he left the series, the producers sued Rogers for violating his contract, but the case was dismissed in his favor when it was revealed that he never signed his contract. is more reasoned and mature. At the beginning of Season 4 he replaced Trapper John at the 4077th, shortly before Henry Blake's replacement, Colonel Potter, arrived as the new commander. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Disobeying Major Burns' order to stay in camp, Hawkeye hitches a ride with Radar (who is on his way to Kimpo) to see Trapper one last time, but missed him by just ten minutes. Hawkeye is convinced that B.J. Fans who paid attention to the show noticed that even when jokes were cracked in the operating room, there was no laugh track while Hawkeye and company were at work. But just in case, I left you a note!". "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre is a fictional character in Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, as well as the film and the two TV series (M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D.) The entire cast received scripts and had to act out the majority of the episode before they each received a copy of the final page before their end of the season party, which had to be a shocker for the entire cast. THEN: The only star of the original M*A*S*H film to make the jump to the series, Gary Burghoff played the loveable camp mascot Radar OReilly for eight seasons before retiring the role. From his memoirs to his involvement in kids' science events, hosting Scientific American Frontiers to winning multiple Emmys, Golden Globe Awards, and other forms of recognition, Alda has remained a popular actor throughout his lifetime. B.J. Captain B.J. Wiki User. Season 4 was pretty similar to the previous two seasons save the fact that BJ and Potter had replaced Trapper and Henry. M*A*S*H was undoubtedly one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. In the CBS television series M*A*S*H (1972-83) Trapper John is with the group as they say goodbye to Henry Blake at the Season 3 finale. Back when TV shows like M*A*S*H, Cheers, Hill Street Blues, and other beloved hits of the 1970s and '80s first aired, fans didn't have the internet to connect them to the latest news and tidbits about actors, their lives, and behind-the-scenes insider information. 2 daughters, Kathy & Becky (mentioned on M*A*S*H TV series) Dr. John 'J.T.' In 1973, a play by Tim Kelly, based on the book, television show, and film, was published in both one-act and full versions. After the third season, Rogers left the show and was replaced by Mike Farrell as B. J. Hunnicutt. The Actors from M*A*S*H On How M*A*S*H Changed Our Lives, Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Later, at the beginning and the end of Season 5's. But B.J. Simply the Worlds Most Interesting Travel Site. Home: Oct 25, 2017 72. He trapped me! Colonel Blake). Judson), whereas he played . 2016-01-01 16:50:34. 1922 (?) InfoWorld called M*A*S*H "the exception" among the TI 99/4A's generally poor game library.[6]. After 11 seasons sharing life, loss, and laughter with the actors who played their favorite military doctors, fans want to know: Where is the M*A*S*H gang now? During its 11-season run, the staff at the 4077th celebrated theholiday four times. They remained until the armistice was signed in July of 1953. Most of the cast had no idea when Henry Blake was being offed from the show. In the series finale ofM*A*S*H, the staff has to bug out due to an incoming brush fire. Related: Why Julia-Louis Dreyfus Has Never Seen The First Episode Of Seinfeld. Wayne's exit from the show was abrupt and against the wishes of the producers. Farrell later produced the biopic, After his introduction in season 4, there is only one episode in which B.J. stop at Rosie's Bar and get plastered. The character of B.J. That means doctors and nurses at the numerousMobile Army Surgical Hospitals were there for three Christmases. . became more of a straight man to Hawkeye's antics. This was not something added to the original script. Here are the actors from the series who are still alive today. However, that changed radically when Alan Alda was cast as Hawkeye. In fact, the producers gave the TV version of Hawkeye some of the character details of the film version of Trapper (in the MASH film, Trapper John is the 4077th's top chest-cutter and Chief Surgeon; in the TV series, Hawkeye is Chief Surgeon and references are made to him being the camp's top chest-cutter). Even though the latter half of the third season started to flesh Trapper out a bit, Rogers departed, and his character was written out of the series. Rogers appeared on television in both dramas and sitcoms such as The Invaders, The F.B.I., Combat!, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and The Fugitive, and had a small supporting role in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke. When they return to the site, all that remains are the foundations of the wood and metal buildings. He wrote his novel in 1956. They get acquainted over drinks at the Kimpo Officers Club. ", he answers that his parents- his mother Bea and father Jay- gave him his quirky moniker, but Hawkeye refuses to accept B.J. Wayne Rogers: "Trapper" John McIntyre. Running from 1972 to 1983, M*A*S*H lasted three times longer than the war itself, and the series finale, the two-and-a-half hour Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, remains the highest-rated episode in American television history with over 120 million viewers tuning in. Several of these living TV legends continue to work in film and TV to this day, and perhaps they will gather together in September to celebrate the iconic show's special birthday. Honeycutt. The film was directed by Robert Altman and starred Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce and Elliott Gould as Trapper John McIntyre.