Linville, Lawrence Labon

▪ 2001

“Larry” 

      American actor (b. Sept. 29, 1939, Ojai, Calif.—d. April 10, 2000, New York, N.Y.), was best known for his portrayal of the hapless, neurotic army surgeon Maj. Frank Burns on the hit television series M*A*S*H. After training (1959–61) at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Linville spent eight years as a stage actor before embarking on a career in television. In the late 1960s and early '70s he appeared in such series as Bonanza; Marcus Welby, M.D.; and Cannon before landing the role of Burns in M*A*S*H in 1972. Linville, whose character hilariously pursued Nurse “Hot Lips” Houlihan and was the constant butt of pranks by his tentmates, helped make M*A*S*H one of the most successful series in television history. He left the show in 1977. In the 1980s Linville had supporting roles in a number of films and made appearances on such television shows as Lou Grant and Murder, She Wrote. He returned to the stage in the Broadway play Travels with My Aunt in 1995.

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