After the second season of M*A*S*H, Jamie Farr issued this ultimatum to the show's creators

"My aspiration was to be a television star," said Farr.

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

It's rare to find a M*A*S*H fan that doesn't adore Jamie Farr. The actor brought a levity to M*A*S*H with his character Corporal Max Klinger. His charm and sense of humor brought laughter into the 4077th. Even with his talent for comedy, Farr was more than able to hold his own during more serious M*A*S*H scenes, tugging on our heartstrings.

It was a level of success for which Farr worked hard. He was determined in his endeavor to become a successful television actor, despite his own misgivings. "My aspiration was to be a television star," said Farr during an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader. "I didn't think I was suitable for the big screen. I figured television was my media. I always wanted a television series and I would manage to get into one but it would never hit the public."

After enough rejections and failures, Farr was nearly ready to call it quits - until the opportunity of a lifetime rolled along. "I just figured my time was over and I was too old, tired, and kicked around the town so long that nobody wanted to use me before M*A*S*H came along. But I was wrong. It turned out that those twenty years of serving my apprenticeship - meeting the people, being in shows, having a good reputation - got me this part."

While Farr was used frequently throughout the first two seasons of M*A*S*H, it wasn't until the show reached its third season that he felt confident enough to issue an ultimatum to M*A*S*H producers - one that truly proved his worth. "I ended up doing seven shows that first year and twelve in the second season," said Farr. "In the third season, I told them they would have to put me under contract or I wouldn't do the show anymore because it was interfering with my other jobs."

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13 Comments

Badge714 12 days ago
Met Jamie at a celebrity golf tournament in Palm Desert in the early 2000's ... wow, not a real warm guy.
JHP 14 days ago
"I have had with your traps! I think I just broke two of my knuckles!"

T or F; the quote from that pic. The scene where Frank gets Klinger to bait traps for the rats
cperrynaples 18 days ago
Sorta off topic, but I should mention Harry O is now on MeTV Sunday late nights! This was the last series David Jansen did and for me it's even better than The Fugitive! If you like private eye shows like The Rockford Files, you must check it out!
MichaelPowers 20 days ago
That was an incredibly brave move on Jamie's part. The producers could have simply refused to put him under contract and let him go. He really had no clout at this point in his career to make such a demand. Thank goodness they did sign him up because Klinger became a valuable character in the series.
I also read that originally the producers wanted Jamie to play character in a girlish over-the-top manner when he wore dresses. He convinced them that it would funnier if he played it totally like a man who just happened to be wearing women's apparel without any feminine traits. And he was right.
JHP 20 days ago
"other jobs"? I'd like to know which ones? Radar was getting long in the tooth and it was a natural for Klinger to take over the desk and radio. Klinger morphed well for sure.
Blcakandwhitetvfan 20 days ago
His character was originally intended as a one time, homosexual, transvestite but Farr made the character so likable he got the job full time. Cannot imagine the show without him, or any of the central characters. To be honest, Trapper John is the only character I never really liked.
Adamtwelvia 20 days ago
God bless you, Jamie Farr. You kept the show from deteriorating completely in the last seasons and you kept the comedy in it. For those of us who got SICK of Hawkeye Can't Shut Up Peirce, we are all grateful.
JHP Adamtwelvia 16 days ago
so I guess a central character for 11 years ; should have been Marcel Marceau
Adamtwelvia JHP 16 days ago
You can't tell me you didn't get sick of Hawkeye's constant complaining and ranting after season 8 on.
JHP Adamtwelvia 16 days ago
that season and the ones later got real dark for me - but wasn't just the character's ranting

dreams and a few more that season were not my cup of bourbon,,,but all shows go downhill and this wasn't any different. The humor morphed into dark drama and the writing took the characters down that nasty slope. I do not even have an episode in that season
Adamtwelvia JHP 16 days ago
I have only about three, and they're all Potter-themed ones.
Adamtwelvia JHP 16 days ago
Don't get me started on Dreams. That, Gorilla My Dreams, and Letters were 3 of the worst eps of the show. Letters in particular made me wanna scream, "WILL YOU SHUT UP, HAWKEYE?!"
JHP Adamtwelvia 15 days ago
We are in the same camp and club about those episodes 100% hands down. But again I am 100% sure during that war and others those instances did happen often and so the writers did them for that reason. I do not watch them and my #1 un watchable is Abyssinia Henry (season #3)
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