Emmy-nominated actor Mike Farrell, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in the beloved 1970s sitcom M*A*S*H, was spotted looking almost unrecognisable while running errands in Los Angeles this week. The 85-year-old was seen sorting his rubbish bins, wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the message 'Make America normal again'.
Farrell appeared sprightly in a casual outfit of jeans, black trainers and a long-sleeved blue top, with a black belt and a chain hanging from his belt loop. His rare public sighting comes over 40 years after M*A*S*H ended its 11-series run in 1983, with its finale still holding the record for the most-watched TV episode of all time, drawing between 105 and 120 million viewers.
Farrell joined M*A*S*H in 1975, replacing Wayne Rogers as the co-lead. His character, B.J. Hunnicutt, was a talented surgeon and close friend of Alan Alda's Benjamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce. The series, a spin-off of the 1970 film and based on Richard Hooker's novel, was nominated for over 100 Emmys and won 14.
Before his iconic role, Farrell appeared on classic shows like The Monkees and I Dream of Jeannie, and had a 157-episode stint on Days of Our Lives. After M*A*S*H, he became Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild and continued acting, with credits including Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Providence, Desperate Housewives, and Supernatural. His most recent role was a guest stint on NCIS in 2019.
Farrell is also known for his activism, campaigning for animal rights, abolishing the death penalty, and raising awareness of cults. He married actress Shelley Fabares in 1984, who voiced Martha Kent alongside Farrell in Superman: The Animated Series. He has two children from his previous marriage to Judy Hayden.
