Which Of The M*A*S*H Stars Went On To Become Parents? Get To Know Their Families

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Trigger warning: This article references war, extramarital affairs, learning difficulties, and pediatric cancer.

On September 17, 1972, "M*A*S*H," a war-themed dramedy series, premiered on CBS. Thanks to its overwhelming success, it ran for 11 seasons and nabbed dozens of awards, including 14 Primetime Emmys. Airing on February 28, 1983, the finale actually scored a record-breaking 105 million viewers. Its massive appeal was largely driven by the outstanding performances of the ensemble cast and their characters' silly but relatable antics. Sadly, we've lost many of the "M*A*S*H" actors, but let's take a peek at their personal lives through their real-life relationships and check out the children they welcomed.

This hit series was adapted from a 1970 film starring Donald Sutherland and inspired by Richard Hooker's 1968 book, "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors." It centered on a medical team stationed at the 4077^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea (hence the acronym) during the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953. To survive the horrors they witnessed daily, these compelling characters relied on dark humor, practical jokes, a makeshift distillery, and intimate attachments. As such, the main stars of this show will always be associated with these roles, but off-camera, they were experiencing joys and dramas of their own. Here's what their most significant romances were like, and what we know about their children.

The surviving "M*A*S*H" cast look different today, including Alan Alda, who portrayed surgeon Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce. The latter used sarcasm and flirtatious charm to cope with the absurdity of war; fans appreciated his balance of goofiness and compassion. In reality, Alda didn't fool around as much as Hawkeye. In fact, he's been with the same woman for decades: Arlene Weiss Alda. As if out of a novel, their first meeting was at a party, when they rushed to steal some cake that had been dropped. "We did eat the rum cake off the floor and were inseparable after that," Alan confirmed on Twitter in 2021. "But I was captivated by her even earlier in the meal, when I heard her at the end of the table laughing at my jokes."

The couple wed on March 15, 1957; their tight-knit family includes three children and eight grandchildren. Their daughters are Eve Alda Coffey, born on December 18, 1958; Elizabeth Alda, born on August 20, 1960; and Beatrice Alda, born on August 10, 1961. Eve studied psychology social work and is the mother of award-winning actor and producer Scott Alda Coffey as well as filmmaker Jake Alda Coffey. For her part, Elizabeth dabbled in acting before turning to special education: Her daughter, Elle O'Heaney, struggles with severe dyslexia. As for Beatrice, she was an actor before turning to directing. She and her wife, filmmaker Jennifer Brooke, share four children.

With her expressive blue eyes and glossy blonde hair, Primetime Emmy winner Loretta Swit was cast on "M*A*S*H" as the attractive Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, the head nurse of the mobile hospital. Over the years, the actor advocated tirelessly to transform "Hot Lips," who initially fooled around with the married Major Frank Burns. She's the one who convinced the writers to have her character break up with him and marry somebody else. "So many people have told me they became nurses because of me," she once told Edge Magazine. "Television is so powerful ... You see how that played into my fight to get away from Frank Burns and the relationship, which, in a way, degraded her."

Swit met "Scarface" actor Dennis Holahan in 1983, when he guest starred on the show as Per Johannsen, a Swedish diplomat. They wed on December 21 of that year and divorced in 1995. As she wished, their union didn't produce any children. Other than acting, Swit chose to focus on painting and animal activism, and she died at age 87 on May 30, 2025.

In "M*A*S*H," Primetime Emmy winner Gary Burghoff played Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, an efficient but naïve and socially awkward company clerk. While his character had a knack for running and super-hearing, the actor has quite a few talents of his own, from drumming to painting to inventing a fishing device. In fact, in the late 1960s, he was in a band with "Wonder Woman" icon Lynda Carter called The Relatives.

Burghoff shares three kids with two women: Janet Gayle, whom he wed in 1971 and divorced in 1979 (largely because of his work commitments), and Elizabeth Bostrom, whom he married in 1985 and divorced 20 years later. That first union produced a daughter, Gena Gale Burghoff, on July 20, 1975. She's an actor, and her credits include "Behind the Waterfall" and "A Letter for Joe." Bostrom and Burghoff welcomed two sons: Miles and Jordan. Inspired by his childhood fishing trips with his dad, Miles became a professional bass angler and the co-host of "Sweetwater Fishing TV." He's married to Katie Burghoff, and they share one daughter, Rylee, a young cancer survivor. As for Jordan, he has three sons and a daughter with wife Malia Pearl Burghoff. The pair run a dog-waste removal business.

Golden Globe nominee Wayne Rogers is mostly remembered for playing Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre on "M*A*S*H." He left the show after three seasons over a contract dispute and because he allegedly grew tired of Alan Alda's massive popularity. The actor had two kids from his first marriage, William "Bill" Rogers IV and Laura Rogers, as well as four grandkids: Alexander, Daniel, William, and Anais. He may have had another baby, as he was slapped with a child-support lawsuit by actor Melinda Naud, who was reportedly his lover in the late 1970s and early 1980s and allegedly had a son with him named Luigi. Naud also sued his estate for millions after his death.

Wayne wed TV actor Mitzi McWhorter in 1960, and their divorce was finalized in 1983. Five years later, he tied the knot with TV producer Amy H. Rogers and remained with her until he died of complications from pneumonia at age 82, on December 31, 2015. Speaking with the Princeton Alumni Weekly in 2017, Bill revealed how much he admired his famous dad. "Even as he got older, he would call at all hours to talk about business deals we were working on," he said. "He was a guy who lived every moment to the fullest, relentlessly."

Golden Globe winner McLean Stevenson will be remembered as one of those misguided actors who left cushy gigs for solo stardom and then crashed. He ended his contract with "M*A*S*H" around the same time as Wayne Rogers, having grown tired of portraying Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, the Commander of the mobile surgical hospital. The actor no longer wanted to be part of an ensemble cast — a decision he'd later come to regret.

On the personal front, Stevenson was married three times and fathered a child with each spouse. He met his first wife, Polly Ann Gordon, at university. They tied the knot in 1957 and welcomed a son, Jeff MacGregor, on November 5 of that year. The latter became a special correspondent and an actor; he's mostly known for "Spaceballs." Per the piece he published in The New York Times Magazine in 1996, he didn't even know who his father was until 1975, and their meetings were rather awkward. "It was the very commonality of our character that kept us apart. Humor was our shared weapon against intimacy," he wrote.

Stevenson wed Louise Herbert in 1969. That second union produced daughter Jennifer Stevenson, and the pair split in 1971. Fast forward to 1980, when McLean married talent coordinator Ginny Fosdick and later welcomed a daughter, Lindsey Stevenson, with her. They stayed together until he succumbed to a heart attack on February 15, 1996.

Celebrated as a stage actor, Larry Linville will also be remembered for portraying the annoying surgeon Major Frank Burns on "M*A*S*H," who had an affair with the head nurse. He left the hit show at the end of Season 5 because he felt his arc wasn't being developed enough. As far as his personal life was concerned, he had multiple nuptials and one child, Kelly. First, Linville was married to actor Kate Geer from 1962 to 1975, then to actor Vaughn Taylor from 1977 to 1982. He was also married to Melissa Gallant from 1982 to 1985 and casting director Susan Hagan from 1986 to 1992. His last wife was Deborah Guydon, and they remained together until his death from severe pneumonia in 2000. He had also been battling cancer.

Linville fathered one daughter with Geer: Kelly Leigh Linville. Born on April 29, 1969, she worked as a still photographer on the 1997 documentary "The Energetics of Healing." A redhead with her father's blue eyes, she was photographed with him at the Third Annual Producers Guild of America Golden Laurel Awards in 1992. "He was a wonderful man, a wonderful father, and certainly well prepared for the acting craft," his "M*A*S*H" co-star Jamie Farr told CNN right after his passing.

The "M*A*S*H" character ensemble featured a kind and humorous Roman Catholic chaplain who provided spiritual counseling and administered last rites: Father Francis Mulcahy. He was portrayed by William Christopher. From 1957 (though IMDb says 1958) until his death from non-small cell lung cancer in 2016, the actor was married to Barbara Christopher. She appeared alongside him on the show as Nurse O'Connor in the Season 4 episode "Dear Mildred," where they duetted the song, "When You're All Dressed Up and No Place to Go."

The Christophers adopted two boys, John and Ned, and later published a heartfelt book on how they navigated Ned's autism, titled "Mixed Blessings." "You shouldn't give up on anybody, disabled or not, because everyone has strengths and positive things going for them," the actor told Disabled Dealer Magazine in 2007 (via Blind Filmmaker). "Realize your child needs you, so be an advocate," he added. After his dad's passing, John described him to the Los Angeles Times as a "very sensitive man" and a "very thoughtful person."

The eccentric and resourceful Maxwell Klinger on "M*A*S*H," who spared no effort to get discharged, was portrayed by Jamie Farr, a versatile Lebanese-American actor, director, and writer with an enduring career. Farr has been married to former model Joy Ann Richards since 1963, and they share two children: Jonas Samuel Farr and Yvonne Elizabeth-Rose Farr.

Born in 1969, Jonas worked as a production assistant for the movies "Voodoo" and "Two Guys Talkin' About Girl." As for Yvonne, who was born in 1972, she produced segments for the series "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss." According to her LinkedIn profile, she's been her father's personal assistant for many years, and they have hit the red carpet together many times. She has also worked as a voice actor as well as interviewed celebrities for various entertainment outlets, from Stan Lee to Sydney Poitier and the perpetually evolving Drew Barrymore.

Mike Farrell played the grounded Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on "M*A*S*H." Since 1984, he's been married to Primetime Emmy nominee Shelley Fabares, known for portraying Mary Stone on "The Donna Reed Show" and Christine Armstrong on "Coach." Before Fabares, Farrell was married to drama teacher Judy Hayden Farrell from 1963 to 1984. She has writing and acting credits of her own, including the role of Nurse Able on "M*A*S*H." 

This first union produced a son, Michael Farrell, and a daughter, Erin Farrell, who have been photographed with their famous dad at industry events. Both children appeared in the 1982 TV movie "The Kid from Nowhere," which was written by their late mother and starred Loretta Swit and Beau Bridges. Born on March 27, 1963, Erin has also worked as a costume designer. Per her Instagram page, she has a teen daughter named Addison. As for Michael, who is seven years younger than his sister, he played Shapp in the TV movie "Day One."

Hawaiian-born performer and fine artist Kellye Nakahara-Wallett portrayed Lieutenant Nurse Kellye Yamato in all 11 seasons of "M*A*S*H." The actor also appeared in various TV commercials as well as hit films like "Clue" and "Doctor Dolittle," before succumbing to cancer in 2020, at the age of 72.

Nakahara-Wallett tied the knot with high-school teacher David Wallett in 1968 and remained with him until her death. They lived in Pasadena and shared a son, William Wallett, a daughter, Nalani Coleman, and four grandkids. According to The Rafu Shimpo, William is married to Tatia Wallett and Nalani's husband is called Lee Coleman. As for Nakahara-Wallett's grandchildren, they're named Max, William, Grayson, and David. "She was my best friend," Nalani told the Star Advertiser in 2020. "She was so fun and funny and so stylish," she added, explaining that they saw each other on a daily basis.

The charismatic ensemble cast of "M*A*S*H" included Harry Morgan, who replaced McLean Stevenson to play the firm, wise, and compassionate Colonel Sherman Potter. This prolific actor also appeared in the hit Western film "High Noon" and won a Primetime Emmy award. He died following pneumonia complications at age 96, on December 7, 2011. Morgan was married to Eileen Detchon from 1940 until her death in 1985. In 1986, he wed Barbara Bushman, and they remained together until he passed away.

The "M*A*S*H" star's first union produced four sons: the late Daniel Morgan, producer Christopher Morgan, and attorneys Charles Morgan and Paul Morgan. Back in 2011, NBC News also mentioned he eight grandkids and nine great-grandkids. For his part, Christopher has won a Primetime Emmy. He's been married three times, and his three children include actor Jeremy Morgan, known for "Parenthood" and "Star Trek: Picard." As for Charles Morgan, whose acting credits span "The Sopranos" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," he recounted to The New York Times in 2011 that his father was blessed with a photographic memory. "My dad would read a script the way somebody else would read Time magazine and put it down and be on the set the next day," he proudly shared.