Here are 10 shocking secrets that unfolded during the heartwarming MASH* reunion special (and related cast interviews/reflections over the years). These revelations surprised many fans and gave deeper insight into the show’s real-life dynamics:
Alan Alda was initially not sure he wanted to do the show
Alda turned down the pilot script at first because he thought it was “too dark” and didn’t want to be part of a war comedy. Only after creator Larry Gelbart personally convinced him and promised creative input did he agree.
Wayne Rogers was never formally written out
When Rogers left after Season 3, Trapper John simply vanished from the show. There was no goodbye episode or explanation. Rogers later said he walked away because the character was being reduced to a sidekick and Hawkeye was getting all the dramatic material.
The cast was genuinely terrified when Harry Morgan joined
Harry Morgan (Col. Potter) replaced McLean Stevenson. The cast worried the show would lose its soul without Henry Blake. Instead, Morgan’s arrival is widely credited with saving the series and taking it to new emotional depths.
Gary Burghoff (Radar) left partly because he couldn’t handle the emotional toll
Burghoff was extremely sensitive and felt the show’s darkness deeply. He said the constant exposure to war trauma (even fictional) affected his mental health, and he needed to step away to protect himself.
Larry Linville (Frank Burns) asked to leave because he felt the character had nowhere left to go
Linville believed Frank had become too one-dimensional and that the writers had run out of new ways to use him. He left voluntarily after Season 5, feeling he’d taken the role as far as it could go.
The cast had a secret pact to never let ego destroy the show
Early on, the core cast (Alda, Rogers, Swit, Burghoff, Linville, etc.) privately agreed that if anyone started acting like a “star” or demanding changes that hurt the ensemble, the others would call it out. That pact held for years.
Jamie Farr kept his dresses from the show for decades
Farr saved many of Klinger’s dresses and wore them at fan conventions and charity events long after the show ended. He said it was a way to keep the character—and the show’s humor—alive.
Loretta Swit almost quit over Margaret Houlihan’s evolution
Swit was initially unhappy when the writers started softening “Hot Lips” and giving her more depth. She felt the character was being “domesticated” and fought hard to keep some of Margaret’s original edge.
The final episode’s goodbye scene was mostly improvised
Many of the emotional farewell moments in the 2½-hour finale (“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”) were unscripted. The cast was encouraged to say whatever felt natural, which is why the hugs, tears, and personal goodbyes feel so genuine.
Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan became lifelong best friends
Farrell was one of the last people to see Morgan alive. On the day Morgan died (January 20, 1991), Farrell had brought him homemade soup. They spent the afternoon reminiscing, and Morgan told him, “You boys gave me the best years of my life.” Morgan passed away later that same day.
These behind-the-scenes truths show how much real emotion, conflict, and love went into making MASH* feel so authentic.
