Many people believe loving your job is little more than a pipe dream, only slightly more attainable than winning the lottery. However, Mike Farrell knew he had hit the jackpot when he was cast as B.J. Hunnicutt on the hit series M*A*S*H.

More importantly, he wasn't afraid to tell everyone he had landed the opportunity of a lifetime. He was doing what he loved at a place he loved just as much.

During an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Farrell confessed that he had been a fan of M*A*S*H long before he joined the cast. After becoming a series regular, he admitted his admiration for the show had only grown.

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"As a viewer, I always appreciated the professionalism of the show, that they said certain things not said on any other comedy," Farrell said.

Farrell also praised the writing, saying the scripts "are far superior material handed us than any I've ever seen before on television."

The actor added that he was especially impressed by "the personal dedication of every individual to the same essential goal by putting forth hard work."

Make no mistake: Farrell may have been having the time of his life, but he was also working incredibly hard while starring in M*A*S*H. 

"In dramatic TV, only keywords and phrases are important," Farrell said. "In M*A*S*H, you have to say all the words as written because they are constructed in a particular order. You do what standup comics do in a structural sense."

Turns out, hitting the jackpot was only the beginning. The real payoff was the work itself.