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David Ogden Stiers recalled the moment he knew he had made it on M*A*S*H
A cast that pranks together stays together.
Joining an existing cast as a new character when you're an actor is no easy feat, especially when you're joining a show as insanely popular as M*A*S*H was. David Ogden Stiers was a welcome addition to the cast, and he was nominated two times for an Emmy award. It was a role that he played until the series' conclusion, and a fan favorite, even after all these years.
Stiers spoke to the Associated Press about the moment it became obvious he had achieved a level of stardom and notoriety on M*A*S*H while he was at the People's Choice Awards. He said, "Friends I hadn't seen in a while were braying about how envious they were that I had this role." However before he was cast, Stiers hadn't even seen the show. "I had seen the movie. So I had to brush up on the show." Upon watching, Stiers was able to see the talent that would soon become part of his daily routine. He commented, "I saw that I was moving into illustrious company. It started out nifty and it got better."
But while Stiers was accepted by the public, he also coveted a key memory of when he realized that he had been accepted by his fellow castmates on the series. He explained, "I knew I was accepted by the others the first time somebody threw something at me in the operating room."
The statement feels strange to hear, but someone more familiar with the M*A*S*H cast and crew and their love of pranking might be completely unphased by the comment.
Stiers continued, "We'd just finished an intense scene. I heard the director say 'cut' and I looked up waiting for him to say 'print.' That's when I was hit by three pieces of gauze." It's a moment that inspires laughter, but for Stiers, it's a heartwarming moment that was indicative that he was truly immersed as a member of the group. He concluded, "I had become part of the practical jokes."
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13 Comments
In this case they recycled an old AP story that any informed person can see was basically
filler even when AP first ran it decades ago.
You know, bland stuff.
They know better as they write for a living, so we shouldn't be enablers and accept such pablum.
I won't spend any more time explaining this to you, it's pointless.
And you must have something better to obsess about unless you are married to one of
the MeTV guys who wrote the above.