M*A*S*H: Amazing Facts From The Hugely Popular TV Show

The Secrets That The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital Have Kept From You All These Years

Imagine the frenzy of being an actor on a dark comedy about a United States Army mobile hospital. Now imagine the serenity of painting picturesque landscapes and docile animals in the comfort of your own home. While you can imagine that the first scenario would be pretty hectic and fast paced, the second scenario would be calm, peaceful, and relaxing. But that’s exactly what one actor from M*A*S*H did after the show came to an end, telling The New York Times in 2004, “I’m hoping to make the viewer see the beauty and soul of the animal.”

Sounds quite odd coming from someone who lived for eight seasons on the set of a pretend Army camp. Just who was this actor who went from playing a hardened corporal to being a wildlife painter? It was none other than Gary Burghoff, who played Radar O’Reilly on M*A*S*H. The actor became a self-taught painter after leaving the show, inspired by his childhood love for animals and his commitment to wildlife.

If that bit of trivia came as a surprise to you, then you are in for a real treat—especially if you are a true M*A*S*H superfan. There were a lot of things about the cast that you may not have known, such as the shenanigans they got into while not filming, who hated who, plus all those times their show got canceled! But it was a long time coming before M*A*S*H became the wildly successful television show that it is known as today.

But He Used To Be in a Band with Wonder Woman…

Image Source: Decades

In 1968, prior to his big break on MASH, Burghoff became the drummer for a band called The Relatives. The lead singer for this band just happened to be one Lynda Carter who would later don a patriotic a red, white, and blue costume with a golden lasso to become Wonder Woman! The pair remained friends over the years, and Carter helped Burghoff get a part in the “The Man Who Wouldn’t Tell” episode in 1978. We guess it really is all relative…