# Was this MASH actors?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-mash-actors/30714>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 25, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-mash-actors/30714 "2000-08-25T13:48:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-mash-actors/30714/1 "2000-08-25T13:48:57Z")

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I remember a few years ago where 2 actors passed away on the same day. If I recall it was some guys from the TV show MASH where one replaced the other in the series and it was kind of creepy that they would die on the same day. Anyone remember something like this or am I just crazy?

I thought it was MASH but maybe it was a different show.

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**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-mash-actors/30714/2 "2000-08-25T14:51:12Z")

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Well, there’s four pairs of characters/actors that one replaced the other on MASH:

1. Lt. Col. Blake replaced by Col. Potter. Oddly enough considering their relative ages, Harry Morgan (Potter) is alive while McLean Stevenson (Blake) is dead, as of 1996.

2. Capt. “Trapper John” McIntyre replaced by Capt. B.J. Hunnicut. Wayne Rogers (McIntyre) and Mike Farrell (Hunnicut) are both alive.

3. Major Burns replaced by Major Winchester. Larry Linville (Burns) died very recently (this year 2000) but David Odgen Stiers (Winchester) is very much alive.

4. Cpl. Klinger replaced Cpl. “Radar” O’Reilly. Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Gary Burghoff (Radar) are both alive.

Source of information: [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0068098](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0068098)

So if there’s any show where an actor succeeded another actor and they both died the same day, it’s not MASH.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2000, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-mash-actors/30714/3 "2000-08-25T15:17:26Z")

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> [@](#):
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> I remember a few years ago where 2 actors passed away on the same day. If I recall it was some guys from the TV show MASH where one replaced the other in the series and it was kind of creepy that they would die on the same day. Anyone remember something like this or am I just crazy?

Something like that. Maclean Stevenson, who played Col. Henry Blake in the TV show M_A_S_H, died one day before the death of Roger Bowen, who played Col. Henry Blake in the movie M_A_S_H. Stevenson died February 15, 1996; Bowen on February 16. Both died of heart attacks.