Skip to content

Mike Farrell "M*A*S*H"

April 20, 2026 · 1 h 8 min

Show notes

Mike Farrell joins Still Here Hollywood to talk about his unforgettable role as BJ Hunnicutt on MASH*, one of the most beloved television shows of all time.

From the moment he landed the role to the emotional final episode that still holds the record for most-watched scripted television broadcast, Farrell shares what it was really like behind the scenes.

He opens up about his close bond with Alan Alda, the collaborative culture that made the show so special, and the powerful themes that made MASH* more than just a comedy.

Farrell also reflects on his life beyond Hollywood, including the personal experiences that shaped his activism and worldview.

This is a conversation about legacy, purpose, and what it means to do work that truly matters.

00:00 Intro
00:50 Landing MASH*
04:30 Getting the role
08:30 First day on set
10:00 The MASH* finale legacy
11:00 Creative process on the show
12:15 Why he doesn’t watch it now
14:30 Wayne Rogers story
29:00 Alan Alda and on-set chemistry
33:00 Life-changing personal experience
38:00 War and comedy balance
39:30 Challenging the writers
46:30 The controversial BJ storyline
49:00 Favorite episode
52:00 Final goodbye and male friendship
53:30 Ending the series
57:00 Final episode moment
1:03:00 What brings him joy

Show Credits

Host/Producer: Steve Kmetko

All things technical: Justin Zangerle

Executive Producer: Jim Lichtenstein

Music by: Brian Sanyshyn

https://stillherehollywood.com

http://patreon.com/stillherehollywood

Suggest Guests at: [email protected]

Advertise on Still Here Hollywood: [email protected]

Publicist: Maggie Perlich: [email protected]


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All episodes of Still Here Hollywood

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.