Are The McLean Stevenson And Gary Burghoff Feud Rumors True? What The MASH Actors Said

Based on a novel which then became a popular movie, "M*A*S*H" ruled CBS for an impressive 11 seasons and gave the airwaves such indelible characters as the sardonic doctor Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, no-nonsense nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, and Cpl. Max Klinger, who donned dresses in hopes of getting a mental health discharge. Sadly, we've lost many "M*A*S*H" actors over the years, including Wayne Rogers (Trapper John), Loretta Swit (Hot Lips), and Harry Morgan (Col. Potter). But many of the surviving cast members still get together for reunions and share memories of the show. Most of them are fond ones, but one persistent rumor remains about two cast members who reportedly didn't get along.

Onscreen, company clerk Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) was devoted to the hospital's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson). Offscreen, the two actors apparently clashed. In an interview with the Kingston Whig-Standard (via MeTV), Stevenson called Burghoff the most talented of the six lead actors of the series' early seasons. "He's a brilliant actor. But sometimes I was a problem for him, and he sometimes was a problem for me."

Other murmurs have cropped up over Burghoff's supposed attitude problem on-set, but Ken Levine, a former writer for the show, has denied them. In a 2018 entry to his blog, Levine wrote, "No, he was not a nightmare. And take that from a guy who was there. There were times he might have disagreed with a director or questioned something in a script, but most actors do that. And he did it very infrequently. But I found Gary to be always pleasant on the set and always prepared."

Just as soldiers come and go in an actual military unit during wartime, the cast of "M*A*S*H" changed over the course of the show's long run. McLean Stevenson left the show at the end of Season 3 to seek other acting opportunities. His final episode — in which Col. Blake's plane is shot down on his flight home — still makes fans ferklempt. ("M*A*S*H"'s finale is still one of the most devastating TV show endings of all time, of course.)

 Stevenson's own life was almost as tragic. His post-"M*A*S*H" acting efforts were all ratings flops. "The mistake was that I thought everybody in America loved McLean Stevenson," he told The Los Angeles Times (via MeTV). "That was not the case. Everybody loved Henry Blake." Stevenson died of a heart attack in 1996 at the young age of 66. 

Gary Burghoff, who originated the role of Radar in the 1970 movie which spawned the show, stayed on until Season 8, then made his own exit. In a 2006 interview with Canadian radio station JOY 1250 (per ASSIST News Service), Burghoff explained that his career was getting in the way of his personal life. "Family, to me, became the most important thing," he said. "I was not available as a father because of my work." Co-star Jamie Farr (Max Klinger) warned him against the move: "I told Gary his leaving might be bad for the show and bad for him, but I couldn't talk him out of it," Farr told The Gazette (per MeTV). It turned out to be the best move for everyone: Farr's role expanded, "M*A*S*H" continued its ratings success, and the Emmy-winning Burghoff still enjoys a quieter life today.