The Chain of Command: Officers and Antagonists
Harry Morgan (Colonel Sherman T. Potter)
When Colonel Potter arrived to take command, he brought a sense of order, decency, and fatherly authority that the 4077th desperately needed. A career military man who was “regular Army,” Harry Morgan’s Potter was firm but fair, a lover of horses and a painter of questionable talent. He was the steady hand that guided the unit through its most trying years. Morgan was already a veteran character actor with a long and storied career before joining MASH, most notably as Officer Bill Gannon in the revival of Dragnet. After the show, he reprised his role as Colonel Potter in the short-lived spinoff AfterMASH. He continued to work in television and film for years, often playing judges, police officers, or other authority figures. A consummate professional, Morgan worked well into his 80s before passing away in 2011 at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy of iconic, salt-of-the-earth characters.
McLean Stevenson (Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake)
As the first commanding officer of the 4077th, McLean Stevenson’s Henry Blake was lovably inept, more interested in fishing than military discipline. His affable, bumbling nature endeared him to audiences, which made his departure at the end of season three all the more shocking. In one of the most daring moments in television history, his character was killed when his plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. Stevenson left the show seeking a bigger starring role, a decision he later admitted to regretting. His post-M*A*S*H career was marked by a series of short-lived sitcoms and guest appearances. Despite never again reaching the heights of his M*A*S*H fame, he remained a popular television personality, known for his quick wit on game shows like Match Game. Stevenson died of a heart attack in 1996, poignantly, just one day before the death of Roger Bowen, the actor who had played Henry Blake in the original film.
Larry Linville (Major Frank Burns)
Every great show needs a great antagonist, and for five seasons, Larry Linville perfectly embodied the sniveling, incompetent, and hypocritical Major Frank “Ferret Face” Burns. His affair with Major Houlihan and his constant clashes with Hawkeye and Trapper were a central source of the show’s early comedy. However, after Margaret’s marriage, the character was left with little room to grow. Linville, a classically trained actor, felt he had taken Frank Burns as far as he could and chose to leave the show. He went on to have a prolific career as a guest star in dozens of television shows, from The Love Boat to Murder, She Wrote, and was very active in regional theater. He always spoke fondly of his time on M*A*S*H but was adamant about moving on from the character. Linville passed away in 2000 from complications of pneumonia after surgery for cancer.
David Ogden Stiers (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III)
Replacing Frank Burns was no easy task, but David Ogden Stiers’ Major Charles Emerson Winchester III was a stroke of genius. He was not a villain but a worthy adversary: a brilliant, Boston-Brahmin surgeon whose arrogance was matched only by his skill. Unlike Frank, Charles was competent, creating a dynamic of professional respect mixed with personal animosity. Stiers brought a theatrical gravitas to the role, revealing Winchester’s hidden humanity in powerful moments, such as his breakdown while listening to Mozart. After M*A*S*H, Stiers had an incredibly diverse and successful career. He was a gifted musician and served as a resident conductor for several orchestras. His rich, distinctive voice made him a go-to for voice acting, most famously as Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and as Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas. He passed away in 2018, leaving a legacy of remarkable range and talent.
