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David Ogden Stiers found that Shakespeare helped his performance on M*A*S*H
Forget Hawkeye. Stiers had Shakespeare.
Although many of Shakespeare's works were written more than 400 years ago, his plays remain some of the most celebrated works in the history of theater.
Many people enjoy Shakespeare, but perhaps no one knew his work better than M*A*S*H star David Ogden Stiers.
Ogden Stiers was best known for playing the sophisticated Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H, but acting on television was only one part of his life as a performer. Stiers made a point of seeking out experiences beyond the small screen, particularly on the stage.
"It's not important... it's imperative," Stiers told the Pittsburgh Press. "I feel the need to expose myself to other experiences, writers, actors, and audiences to bring new energy, attitudes, and a heightened awareness of my value to an ongoing project."
And when Stiers wanted to step away from television, he often turned to one of the greatest playwrights of all time: William Shakespeare.
"Shakespeare, of course, is what I enjoy doing most," Stiers said. "Playing his roles fills up in me what TV erodes. It allows me to use my mind, my feelings, and the sum of my experiences... Working in those classic plays touches me most deeply, uses me most deeply."
For Stiers, Shakespeare's work offered something television couldn't always provide.
"How can there be anything more useful than dealing with the basic themes of life which were Shakespeare's concerns?" Stiers said.
But Stiers didn't see the stage and screen as competing worlds. Instead, he found that each helped him become a better actor in the other.
"I bring everything I can to the part of Winchester in M*A*S*H," Stiers said. "The writing isn't what it used to be, but it is still good enough to challenge us. When there is something serious to do in M*A*S*H, having spent time with Shakespeare, I'm better defined as an actor to bring more power and subtlety to bear on the show."
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