Here’s Why Wayne Rogers WALKED AWAY from ‘M*A*S*H ‘
No doubt about it, by the mid-seventies, M*A*S*H was one of the most popular shows on television, and the reasons why were obvious. First and foremost, Wayne Rogers, Alan Alda, and the rest of the cast, well, they were great. But it was more than just that: the creative team, led by Larry Gelbart, was top-notch, as well. These wonderful ingredients combined to create one of the most successful comedies in the history of television history.
Then, at the end of the third season, McLean Stevenson decided to leave the show. I remember his final episode well, and if you’re a fan of M*A*S*H, you know why. “Abyssinia, Henry,” which aired on March 18, 1975, was a devastating and controversial episode in which Stevenson’s Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake finally gets discharged, but is killed by enemy fire before he can go home. Stevenson’s run on the show ended with a send-off so memorable, fans are still discussing it.
But Rogers’ character, Trapper John? Well, without warning, he just disappeared.
(c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection
Why did he do it? Truth be told, Wayne felt like he’d signed up for M*A*S*H to be a co-star along with Alan Alda. As Hawkeye’s popularity on the show seemed to grow with each passing episode, it felt like Trapper John was turning into more of a sidekick. Week after week, the stories seemed to focus more on Hawkeye instead of Trapper John.
And while Wayne loved working with Alan and there were no hard feelings, he knew that if he stuck around, the dissatisfaction that he was feeling was going to continue to grow and fester. And it was a feeling that he did not like. He wanted to be happy and at peace with the work that he was doing on screen.
In a 1979 interview with journalist Jerry Buck, Wayne said this, “Do I have any regrets leaving the show? I’d have regrets if I hadn’t left.”
(c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection
Wayne was able to leave without giving much notice to anyone because he’d never signed any sort of contract. When he was initially cast for the show, the producers had given him one to sign, but he had expressed reservations about some of the language in the contract. And believe it or not, no one ever followed up, which then allowed him to make a decision that no one saw coming: to leave the show along with McLean Stevenson at the end of season three.
Of course, Wayne went on to have a great career. He starred with Lynn Redgrave in another successful CBS comedy called House Calls — which, like M*A*S*H, was based on a movie. I also fondly remember his appearance in the 1985 TV movie I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later, where he replaced Larry Hagman as Jeannie’s master, astronaut Tony Nelson.
But as time went on, Wayne seemed less and less interested in his acting career, instead focusing on his keen skills in the world of finance. For years, he had his own investment company and could also be found on Fox Business News. For a while, Wayne had his own show, but for an even longer period, he served as a noted expert and guest on other programs. So, with all that said, we know that leaving M*A*S*H wasn’t a mistake for Wayne. He followed his heart, and it paid off handsomely.
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