Working as an actor allows you an opportunity to live a thousand different lives beyond your own. Performers don’t just step into the shoes of other people; they take on their personality, their likes and dislikes, even their values.

But what happens when an actor plays a role just a little too well? That seemed to be the case for Larry Linville, who M*A*S*H viewers may know better as the bumbling Frank Burns. Burns’s lack of talent and egotistical personality frequently put him at odds with more well-loved characters like Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda.

Although audiences delighted in his misfortune, some viewers were sad to see Linville leave the series in 1977. During an interview with The Hamilton Spectator, Linville confessed that he grew tired of vitriol from viewers who had an issue differentiating between the character and the actor behind him.

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“You know, after a while, it got to be a pain,” said Linville. “I mean, people I’d never met lambasted me, thinking I was a pain-in-the-ass kind of guy. Actually, I think I’m quite nice. You just need to separate Larry from Frank. You need to cut me adrift from the role I was playing.”

Although Linville frequently appeared in many television roles after he left M*A*S*H, he also found a love for performing on the stage. “The thing about the stage is you feel the audience responding to everything. You hear the laughter, feel the energy of the rapid response. It’s exhilarating.”

Despite his misgivings, Linville never regretted accepting the role of Frank Burns when fans interacted with him in an appreciative (and appropriate) manner.

“Wherever I go, it’s Frank they remember. Now, some folks might think that’s a curse. But you know, when people nudge each other on the street and wave to me, I think it’s kinda nice.”