Despite Rogers’ departure from the show, he remained friendly with Alda, who saluted hisRogers in a Twitter message: “He was smart, funny, curious and dedicated”, Alda wrote. “If you don’t agree, tough, goodbye”. But his run on “M*A*S*H” between 1972 – 75 cemented his legacy.
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The Alabama-born performer continued to act after leaving the cult TV series and was hailed for his talent.
Mike Farrell replaced Wayne as Hawkeye’s new buddy, Captain BJ Hunnicut. The MASH character Frank Burns was played by Larry Linville before he was written-off the show in 1977, according to IMDb.
She objects, saying: “I am not looking for a truce with these two shower-tent peekers!”
In one typical crack, Trapper answers a question with: “How should I know?” Rogers also found roles in the waning days of New York-based television anthologies in the late 1950s in “Armstrong Circle Theater”, “Studio One” and “Kraft Television Theatre”.
Before M*A*S*H*, Rogers had small roles in several Off Broadway plays and in the films The Odds Against Tomorrow, The Glory Guys and Cool Hand Luke and on the TV shows Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, The Fugitiveand The Big Valley.
Rogers later launched a successful business career.
He had parts on many short-lived shows before M.A.S.H. and success later in life as a money manager and investor.
Rogers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
His first marriage, to actress Mitzi McWhorter, ended in divorce. After divorcing, he Wednesday producer Amy Hirsh in 1988.
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Rogers is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and four grandchildren.
