M*A*S*H actor dies at 82

In 2005, Wayne Rogers was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

The Alabama native’s acting career spanned over 40 years.

The TV series Mash was set in a fictional mobile army hospital during the 1950-53 Korean war.

Wayne Rogers died of complications from pneumonia in Los Angeles.

Actor Wayne Rogers as Trapper John from the premiere of the television program M*A*S*H.

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Rogers appeared in the Paul Newman films “Cool Hand Luke”, “WUSA” and “Pocket Money” and guest-starred on “The FBI” in several roles. He was initially considered for Alda’s character, but preferred Trapper’s sunnier disposition to Hawkeye’s darkly acerbic personality.

The characters were essentially equals when the show began, but it increasingly focused on Alda, which was a factor in Rogers’ departure.

He said the producers wanted to give him a contract that included, among other things, “an old-fashioned morals clause”.

But Rogers never had a problem with his castmates, and he and Alda stayed friends long after he left the show.

‘Well, nobody defined an ‘immoral fashion, ‘ as it were – so it was at the whim of whoever ran the studio’.

Mr. Rogers later played a wisecracking doctor on another CBS sitcom, House Calls, with Lynn Redgrave and later Sharon Gless.

He was survived by his second wife Amy Hirsh, children Bill and Laura from his first marriage to actress Mitzi McWhorter and four grandchildren. A shrewd businessman – he later became a notable real estate developer and investor, with producing credits on several Neil Simon stage hits – he worked on Wall Street as well.