Mike Farrell Returns to TV After Seven Years
Mike Farrell is back on television for the first time in seven years. At 86 years old, the actor famously known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on “M*A*S*H” made a guest appearance in the 10th episode of season 9 of “9-1-1.”
In the episode that aired Thursday night, Farrell portrayed Bill Schneider, a man en route to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. However, his son Andrew, played by Jason Gray-Stanford, is skeptical and worries that his father might be getting catfished.
Before this recent role, Farrell appeared as Judge Miles Deakin in a couple of episodes of “NCIS” back in 2019. Additionally, he was featured in “Impeachment: American Crime Story” in 2018 and had a part in seven episodes of “Red Road” in 2014 and 2015. Currently, he is preparing to star in an upcoming movie titled “The Strawberries.”
Farrell described this new project as “a really, really well-thought-out movie.” He mentioned, “I’m playing a guy who’s diagnosed with this disease and can’t live with it, and it’s about the process he has to go through with his family. This is a very deeply thought-out script by a man who went through that with his father.”
Reflecting on his time on “M*A*S*H,” which ran for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983, Farrell said, “It stands out as one of the great times in my life experience.” He appreciated how the show tackled important themes while blending humor and reality. “The combination of what we were doing, what we were saying, and the level of blood and guts of what we were dealing with really created a special combination of emotions and principles.”
Farrell joined the “M*A*S*H” cast in the fourth season in 1975, taking over for Wayne Rogers’ character, Trapper John McIntyre. He reminisced about his first day on set, recalling how it felt like paradise when Alan Alda invited him to dinner. “I was able to sit for hours listening to him, asking him questions,” he noted. “It was really great. I was so relieved to know that I was okay with him.”
On that first day, there were, of course, a few nerves. Farrell said, “I don’t know. How am I going to feel?” But once on set, Gary Berghoff was the first to approach him, saying, “Mike, we’re so glad you’re here,” followed by Loretta Swit and others. Their warm welcome helped ease his worries.
Tragically, Loretta Switt passed away in May at the age of 87. During a past interview, she had described her character on “M*A*S*H” as “unique,” despite feeling underappreciated. She elaborated that her character, a head nurse during the Korean War, had ambitions of being the best nurse and faced loneliness while striving to do a great job.
