The Real Reason Gary Burghoff Left His Role As Radar On MASH
Actor Gary Burghoff has done acting work through the decades, but no role has followed him as closely as Walter "Radar" O'Reilly on "M*A*S*H." After originating the role in the film of the same name in 1970, Burghoff went on to play Radar for 180 episodes of the subsequent TV series. And while he reveled in the part, Burghoff also wanted audiences to see him and not just the bespectacled Midwestern nice guy.
"We all have our identities outside of work," Burghoff told The Courier-Journal (via MeTV). "If the only identity we have is what we do, then we're in big trouble — especially if we lose a job. Then we don't have an identity anymore." He went a step further and told The Chicago Tribune (again via MeTV) that he hated being called Radar instead of his name because he isn't Radar — he's Gary Burghoff.
Still, even after spending seven years playing Radar, he didn't totally say goodbye to the character until after the 1984 TV movie "WALTER," which focused on the character. But what caused Burghoff leave "M*A*S*H" after seven seasons when the show ran for four more?
Burghoff needed space from the work
As simple as it may seem, Burghoff's decision to walk away from his role as Radar on "M*A*S*H" came down to a few things, but burn-out was one of them. In his contribution to author Suzy Kalter's 1984 behind-the-scenes tome "The Complete Book of M*A*S*H," Burghoff pointed squarely at burn-out.
"The disillusionment [of working in a changing world] is so great that you work harder to achieve the things you think you are lacking," Burghoff wrote for the book. "The harder you work, the less you accomplish, so more panic sets in and you spiral downward to burnout, a nearly total depletion of your vital energies." While burn-out was a big factor for Burghoff, there were some other considerations, too.
"M*A*S*H" director Charles S. Dubin spoke to the Television Academy Foundation and mentioned several other challenges the actor was facing at the time. Per Dubin, Burghoff was having marriage issues, he wanted to devote more time to his family, and it seemed he wasn't receiving the response he wanted out of playing Radar. The amalgamation of all of those things led to Burghoff's retirement from the role — or at least, from the long-running series.
Radar's exit had to be reshot
As part of a 2023 TV special entitled "M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television," Gary Burghoff opened up about how difficult it was to film his final scene. Burghoff really wanted Radar to let his emotions overtake him for that final moment, but the director didn't agree.
"I said to myself, what a wonderful moment, I can cry my eyes out and I can do this wonderful dramatic moment, I can just completely fall apart," he said in the special (via Entertainment Weekly). "And the director said, 'If I were you, I would fight the tears.' And I said, 'No, no. Just let me do it, okay?'" He did get to do the scene his way, though after seeing the scene, he asked to do a reshoot, to which the director agreed.
Perhaps it wasn't just the goodbyes to his fictional friends that Burghoff was mourning in the scene that ended up not working. According to an interview with a Canadian radio show "JOY 1250," Burghoff's success on "M*A*S*H" made him unavailable to his children. So maybe those tears he wanted Radar to shed were also for himself, looking back at the trade-offs he had to make for the show he was departing.