Wayne Rogers Exited ‘M*A*S*H’ for THIS Reason

We can all agree that M*A*S*H remains one of the greatest shows ever, and even the outstanding ratings prove so. The acclaimed dramedy, developed by Larry Gelbart, premiered on CBS on September 17, 1972, and ended with a laudable finale titled “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” on February 28, 1983, which to date is the most-watched finale of any TV series. Much of the classic’s success can be attributed to the stellar cast ensemble, which originally featured Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Larry Linville, Loretta Swit, McLean Stevenson, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher.

However, over the years, some changes were made to the original M*A*S*H cast, one of which was the replacement of Rogers after his sudden disappearance. He was popularly known for portraying “Trapper” John McIntyre in the show’s first three seasons before Mike Farrell took over as B. J. Hunnicutt. Rogers was one of the lead protagonists alongside Alda’s character, Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce. Sadly, that was not enough for him to stay, and Remind Magazine’s Dave Sundstrom has detailed Rogers’ reason for leaving.

Apparently, the actor felt like he’d signed up for M*A*S*H to be a co-star along with Alda, and as Hawkeye gained more popularity on the show, Trapper John was more or less turning into a sidekick. As weeks went by, the storyline focused more on Hawkeye instead of Trapper John, which began to bother Rogers, even though he loved working with Alda. Moreover, he knew that if he remained on M*A*S*H, that unpleasant feeling would worsen, which he wanted to avoid at all cost.

How Did Wayne Rogers Leave ‘MAS*H’ Without Any Drama?

Rogers ultimately departed from M*A*S*H before Season 4 and was able to do so without any announcement or much notice, all because he’d never signed any contract. Shocking, right?! When the icon was initially cast for the show, the producers gave him one to sign, but he was skeptical about some of the language in the contract. Surprisingly, no one ever followed up, eventually allowing him to leave without any drama. And in a 1979 interview with journalist Jerry Buck, Rogers said of his decision:

“Do I have any regrets leaving the show? I’d have regrets if I hadn’t left.”

At the time of The House Calls alum’s exit from M*A*S*H, McLean Stevenson also left. Stevenson portrayed company commander Henry Blake and last appeared in the controversial episode “Abyssinia, Henry,” which aired on March 18, 1975.

Catch up on all eleven seasons of M*A*S*H, currently streaming on Hulu, and stay tuned to Collider for future updates about TV classics.