Harry Morgan loved his M*A*S*H castmates

The real Col. Potter was everything you hoped he'd be

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America loves a scandal, but we also love it when our stars are "just like us." Unfortunately, though, the former provides more attention-grabbing headlines. "Actor X was actually nice" doesn't sell newspapers. That's why it's so important to take note of kindness when it's there. We have to because there are very few outlets that will report it to us. 

While a majority of the press surrounding M*A*S*H typically examined cast shakeups and the show's critical acclaim, a 1983 article from The Boston Globe really broke the mold. The reporter provides some insight into what it was like behind the scenes, according to the actors. 

At least at the time, Loretta Swit considered Harry Morgan her best friend. David Ogden Stiers reportedly considered Morgan a father figure. Alan Alda, too, praised Harry Morgan, speaking on the actor's "granite dependability." It seems that just like his character Col. Potter marshaled the 4077th, Morgan had a real "locker room leader" role onset. He was modest, too, shrugging off the compliment with embarrassment. "I don't know about that," Morgan told the Globe with a smile.

"People wonder, and I wonder myself, why is M*A*S*H such a success? One thing that occurred to me is that in this business there is, and always has been so much rudeness," said Morgan. "I mean you can turn around and somebody will be rude to you. On M*A*S*H, the instances of intentional rudeness on the part of anybody are non-existent."

The article notes how gentlemanly Morgan presented himself, while also reporting the actor's realness. Words like "affectionate," "playful," and "courteous" abound, providing a fuller picture of the man behind the fatigues. So, in the twilight days of the show's run, what did he think of his castmates?  "Even though there's plenty of horseplay, the whole tone here has been gentle," said Morgan. "I've never been with a finer bunch of people than this gang... Some I deeply love."

In 1983, at the time of the interview, M*A*S*H was winding down, filming its final season. So, what was Morgan's takeaway? Did he expect all his further projects to carry with them that same affable air? "Any kind of working relationship I get into after this show," said Morgan, "will not be M*A*S*H in any way, shape, or form. But the point is, I'm going to run into a lot of rudeness again!" 

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9 Comments

CoreyC 16 months ago
I heard that there was tension between Harry Morgan and Gary Burghoff.
Runeshaper 16 months ago
It was super nice to read how the cast got along. Morgan sounds like a real gem (-:
Coldnorth 16 months ago
When I think of the the cast, it feels like they don’t try to show each other up. The whole cast brought their own spin on their funny lines. I didn’t like Frank, but he brought his best by his facial expressions. MASH was a great show
CoreyC Coldnorth 16 months ago
If you are talking about Larry Linville he was opposite of Frank Burns but he was kind of quiet but the cast respected him and liked him.
Adanor 16 months ago
Sometimes it's a director and sometimes it's an actor who "rally's the troops," to give the actors a stiff upper lip, the impetus to get through a tough scene, or even some comic relief.
LoveMETV22 16 months ago
[image=https://weigel-comments.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/gij60-1684530686-Screenshot 2023-05-19 at 17-09-06 phrase.it.png]
LoveMETV22 LoveMETV22 16 months ago
Excellent story. Thanks MeTV. It sure sounds like the actors on M*A*S*H had a close bond between them, and there was no rudeness between them or their staff, as there might have been on other Series sets.
Pacificsun LoveMETV22 16 months ago
Your fun twist to images always brings a smile to my face!!
LoveMETV22 Pacificsun 16 months ago
It works with some images.... not all...., but I'm glad if you enjoy them.
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