Working as an actor gives you the chance to live a thousand different lives beyond your own. Performers don’t just step into someone else’s shoes; they take on their personality, their likes and dislikes, and even their values.

But what happens when an actor plays a role a little too well? For Larry Linville, the answer was plenty of unwanted attention.

M*A*S*H viewers knew him best as the bumbling, egotistical Frank Burns, whose lack of talent and inflated sense of self frequently put him at odds with more beloved characters like Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda.

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During an interview with The Hamilton Spectator, Linville confessed that he had grown tired of the criticism from viewers who had trouble separating the character from the actor who played him.

"You know, after a while, it got to be a pain," Linville said. "I mean, people I’d never met lambasted me, thinking I was a pain-in-the-ass kind of guy. Actually, I think I’m quite nice. You just need to separate Larry from Frank. You need to cut me adrift from the role I was playing."

After leaving M*A*S*H, Linville continued appearing in television roles, but he also found a love for performing onstage.

"The thing about the stage is you feel the audience responding to everything. You hear the laughter, feel the energy of the rapid response. It’s exhilarating," Linville said.

Despite his frustrations, Linville never regretted accepting the role of Frank Burns, especially when fans approached him with appreciation rather than animosity.

"Wherever I go, it’s Frank they remember," Linville said. "Now, some folks might think that’s a curse. But you know, when people nudge each other on the street and wave to me, I think it’s kinda nice."