A TOUGH OLD COLONEL… BUT THE TOAST WAS ENTIRELY REAL
Mike Farrell sat in a small studio chair, the kind they use for these “looking back” specials, and looked over at Loretta Swit. The air was quiet, and…
ALAN ALDA… BUT HIS BATTLE WAS A RUNNING JOKE WITH THE MESS HALL
A young, ambitious actor cornered me in a studio lounge recently, and the question was as fresh as any I’ve had. “Alan, you guys pulled off something incredible…
THE WORLD’S MOST HATED SOLDIER… BUT HIS HEART WAS PURE ART
The world knew him as Frank Burns. They knew the sniveling, the high-pitched whine, and the chinless cowardice of a man who was the perpetual butt of the…
THE SERIOUS SURGEON… BUT THE RUBBER CHICKEN ALWAYS WINS
So there I was, sitting in this high-tech podcast studio with the foam on the walls and those oversized headphones that always make me feel like a radio…
THE SCRIPT WAS KEPT SECRET… BUT THE SILENCE WAS ENTIRELY REAL
Gary Burghoff sat across from William Christopher in a small, dimly lit corner of a quiet restaurant in Los Angeles. It was years after the final “cut” had…
MCLEAN STEVENSON TRIED TO BE SERIOUS… BUT THE FISHING LURE DISAGREED
We are sitting on a stage in Los Angeles, the lights are hot, and the audience is leaning in. It is one of those “evening with the cast”…
THEY SAID GOODBYE ON CAMERA… BUT THE PAIN WAS PRIVATELY HELD
Mike Farrell and Loretta Swit sat in a small, quiet studio lounge, the kind of room that feels far removed from the chaos of a Hollywood set. They…
THE DAY KLINGER’S FRUIT HAT FINALLY BROKE THE CAST
We were sitting on a stage in front of a few hundred people at a cast reunion panel a few years back. The lights were bright, the nostalgia…
THE ARROGANT ARISTOCRAT… BUT HIS TRUE VOICE WAS FOUND IN SILENCE
David Ogden Stiers arrived on the set of MAS*H as a replacement for a beloved character, tasked with being the foil to the madness. He played Major Charles…
THE CORPORAL WHO WORE DRESSES… BUT HIS NECKLACE HID A REAL WAR
The late-night talk show set was comfortably dim, the cameras rolling quietly as the live studio audience settled into a deeply respectful hush. The veteran actor, famous around…