Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell (born
February 6,
1939) is an
American actor, best known for his role as
Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series
M*A*S*H (1975-83). More recently, Farrell starred on the television series
Providence (1999-2002).
Farrell was born in
St. Paul, Minnesota, one of four children. When he was two years old, his family moved to
Hollywood, California, where his father worked as a movie studio carpenter. Farrell graduated from Hollywood High School, served in the
United States Marine Corps, and worked at various jobs before his acting career. While appearing on
M*A*S*H, he also wrote five episodes and directed four episodes of the series. Besides being a
writer and a
director, he has also been an
executive producer and a producer in both
television and
film.
Even before he was well-known, Farrell has been an activist for many political and social causes. He has worked with
Human Rights Watch, supports long-term efforts to end
homelessness and
hunger, opposes
capital punishment and favors legalized abortion. He has long been deeply involved in
organized labor, particularly as an officer of the
Screen Actors' Guild, and has publicly supported actions including the
Los Angeles grocery workers' union strike of 2003-2004.
He was the voice of
Jonathan Kent on
Superman (
1996) series with
Shelley Fabares, his
wife, playing
Martha Kent. He has guest starred in
Murder, She Wrote,
Justice League,
Matlock,
Mannix, and many others.
He married actress
Judy Farrell in
1963. They were divorced in
1983. They have two children, Michael and Erin.
On
December 31,
1984, he married actress
Shelley Fabares.
On
April 6,
2006 Farrell was scheduled to participate in a play about the
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp in front of members of Congress [
1].
*
Mike Farrell at the
Internet Movie Database*
Retrovisionmag includes quotes of Mike on Gene Roddenberry and on the human condition.
*
Mike Farrell's website*
Critical article on Farrell's involvement in left-wing politics*
Death Penalty Focus*
Audio interview of Mike Farrell by
Stephanie Miller about the Guantanamo Bay play on
The Stephanie Miller Show
