The upcoming MASH special reunion will debut a never-before-seen interview with Wayne Rogers — the actor who played Trapper John McIntyre. For the 40th anniversary of its iconic finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” Fox is re-assembling all the surviving cast of the groundbreaking war comedy/drama in a special two-hour broadcast that will air on Fox on January 1. Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) will all join Alan Alda, (Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce) for what’s billed as a “definitive” look back at MASH.
Subsequently, however, it is revealed by executive producer John Scheinfeld on TV Line that the upcoming MASH reunion will also feature Rogers despite the actor’s death in 2015. As it turns out, Rogers recorded an interview before his demise that has never aired. Read his full quote below:
What we did is we shot two days here in L.A., and Wayne and Jamie and Burt and Gene were all here the same day. It was kind of a love-fest, lots of hugging, lots of memories and all of that. And then we shot three in New York — Alan, Loretta and Gary — all in one day, but they all had busy schedules so they came in on time and they did not cross paths
Why Wayne Rogers’ MASH Reunion Appearance Is Important
Debuting as an original cast member, Rogers decided to leave, resulting in an abrupt exit by Trapper in the MASH season 4 premiere. The actor was supposedly unhappy with the way his character was being handled as a second fiddle to Alda’s Pierce, who was the unofficial primary protagonist of the series. Since Rogers exited the series during the off-season, the writers couldn’t stage a proper farewell episode for Trapper, the way they did for Henry Blake and Radar O’Reilly. Regardless of the murmurs about the behind-the-scenes drama. Rogers remained tied to the show, even joining its reunion back in the early 2000s.
All 11 Seasons Of MASH, Ranked
MASH is one of the most groundbreaking shows ever. While it maintained its quality throughout its run, some of its seasons were better than others.
Admittedly, there’s division whether Trapper of BJ was the better partner-in-crime for Hawkeye, but that doesn’t invalidate the importance of Rogers in MASH. While the upcoming MASH reunion will be in celebration of the finale, which aired long after he left, there’s no denying that he was among the pillars of the series. Without him, and the other original cast members that endeared the series to its audience in the first place, it wouldn’t have the legs to run for more than a decade. It’s also great to have some perspective from someone who was only part of MASH in its first three seasons — before it became the juggernaut that it is remembered now.
The addition of Rogers’ interview will separate the upcoming special from the impromptu MASH reunion from 5 years ago. During an episode of Alda’s podcast, Clear+Vivid, all the surviving cast members of the series came together to reminisce on their time working on the comedy-drama. Although insightful and nostalgic, it’s still better to have new content from other actors who were on the show.
