It was even more poignant than that. He had saved the arm with “only a slight loss of dexterity.” He was so proud of himself up to then, but the look on his face when the soldier told him he was a concert pianist was unforgettable.
The soldier was, BTW, James Stephens, aka “Mr Hart” on Paper Chase.
I thought he was the best actor out of a very talented cast on MASH*. He would manage to amaze you with a blend of pomposity, contrition, eruditeness and empathy, often all on one episode. And I loved his Cogsworth.
Story I read about his death mentioned his ST:TNG credit among others prominently.
Charles Townsend’s assistant Scott Woodville in the pilot for “Charlie’s Angels”. Bosley was his bumbling assistant but got promoted and more competent when it became a series. Tommy Lee Jones was in the pilot too.
Going on MASH* as Winchester was a good cast change as Frank Burns was too silly to take seriously
“For me, music has always been a refuge from this miserable experience… now it will always be a reminder.”
Loved Winchester and his many, many roles on TV and in movies. He voiced at least one character in a Miyazaki movie and was very, very active as an actor.
He improved MASH a lot. I prefer his years on the show to those that came before.
I found it preachy treacle. That was the writing tho, lots of TNG of that timeframe had similar problems, not the actor’s fault.
The second show I thought of after MAS*H was Stargate Atlantis. He played the leader of the Replicators
I also remember the one in which she refused to participate in the Christmas festivities. Instead, he gave candy to the local orphanage, but was furious to find it being sold on the black market. And then the guy running the orphanage explained that the money raised would pay for blankets and other useful stuff for them. I think he told someone, perhaps Klinger, that the family tradition was of anonymous giving.
My bittersweet moment; Winchester teaches a Korean band a classical piece. They play it beautifully and leave camp in a truck.
They get shelled. Winchester weeps and vows to never listen to that piece again.
Powerful moment for a great actor.
RIP David
“Forgive me. It was sadly inappropriate to offer dessert to children who have had no dinner.”
I just watched something else with him in it besides M.A.S.H.
The Michael J Fox “Doc Hollywood” movie. Incredible how he does a American-South drawl so well.
R.I.P. Mr Stiers.
I stood in line right in front of him once. As I left, I was SO tempted to nod at him, and mutter “Loved you as John Jones…”*
Instead, I just smiled, and then told my kids I’d seen Cogsworth.
*He played J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, in the truly horrible Justice League movie (Soap Opera version). They stood him in the shadows the whole time, common wisdom was that it was to hide his girth.
Yep. He nailed that one.
Doc Hollywood: A party? Can I bring a date?
Stiers: I don’t know. Can you?
First thing I remember seeing him in post-MAS*H was this strange Peter O’Toole movie–Creator–where he got flashed by Mariel Hemingway in a football game. Nice work if you can find it.
And he brought the soldier a piece of music that could be played with one hand and urged him to play. We found out the Major’s first love was the piano, but he wasn’t good enough, so he became a surgeon. “I can play the notes, but I can’t make the music.” So of course he’s not going to destroy another man’s music career, since he couldn’t have one.
He came out in 2009 so he could make his romance public. Does anyone know if he is still with this person?
He did everything so well, no matter the role. RIP, Major.
No one has yet commented on his ongoing role as Reverend Gene Purdy on “The Dead Zone”. The character could have been portrayed as a man of deep faith or a con artist, either of which would have been a one dimensional caricature. Stiers played him as a man of deep faith and a con artist, making him far more of a human being than the part would have been in the hands of a lesser actor.
I saw him live in San Diego, playing Falstaff. He was wonderful in the role.
According to Wikipedia, his first role was in George Lucas’ THX-1138, in which he was incorrectly credited as David Ogden Steers.
Alan Alda tweeted:
“David Ogden Stiers. I remember how you skateboarded to work every day down busy LA streets. How, once you glided into Stage 9, you were Winchester to your core. How gentle you were, how kind, except when devising the most vicious practical jokes. We love you, David. Goodbye.”
RIP Mr. Stiers.
I love that movie, silly as it was!! And he was great in it.
Ravel’s “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand.” Maurice wrote it specifically for a WWI veteran who had lost his right arm.