McLean Stevenson
Actor
McLean Stevenson wrote comedy bits for Tommy Smothers and was a minor player on TV sitcoms in the 1960s, but it was his stint as Lt. Col. Henry Blake in the Korean War sitcom M*A*S*H (1972-75) that made him famous. As played by Stevenson, Blake was a goofy, not-too-efficient commanding officer in a lure-covered fishing hat. M*A*S*H was one of TV's top-rated shows for more than a decade, but Stevenson left the CBS series after three seasons to sign a long-term contract with NBC. (The Henry Blake character was then killed in a famous episode of M*A*S*H*.) From 1976 to 1988 Stevenson was in five different TV series, none of which came close to the success of M*A*S*H; the best known was probably Hello, Larry, which aired from 1979-80.Extra credit: After Stevenson left M*A*S*H*, his place was taken by Harry Morgan in the role of Col. Sherman Potter.
Stevenson joins Kind Edward VIII in our loop Quitters!
Blog posts mentioning McLean Stevenson:
Dick Clark and Anne Frank
Four Good Links
Tribute to McLean Stevenson
Biographical tribute to the late actor
Stevenson Obituary from CNN
Brief bit on his career in television
The 4077th Home Page
From Britain, a fan site for the show
Hello, Larry
Detailed information on his post-M*A*S*H outing
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
15 February 1996
(heart attack, age 66)
Best Known As
Lt. Col. Henry Blake on TV's M*A*S*H
