Jamie Farr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jamie Farr
Farr at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2012
Born	Jameel Joseph Farah (1934-07-01) July 1, 1934 (age 91) Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian
Years active	1955–present
Known for	Playing Klinger on M*A*S*H
Spouse(s)	Joy Ann Richards ​ (m. 1963)​
Children	2
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Special Services
Years of service	1957–1959

Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah on July 1, 1934) is a famous American actor and comedian. He is most well-known for his role as Corporal Klinger on the TV show M*A*S*H. Klinger was a soldier who often wore women's clothes to try and get sent home from the army.

After M*A*S*H, Jamie Farr continued to play Klinger in another show called AfterMASH. He also appeared in other popular TV shows like The Love Boat and was a host or guest on many game shows. In 1985, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Jamie Farr was born Jameel Joseph Farah on July 1, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. His father owned a grocery store, and his mother was a seamstress. His family came from Lebanon. Jamie grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Toledo.

He started acting at age 11, winning two dollars in a local competition. While in high school, he worked at his father's store and delivered newspapers. After graduating from Woodward High School in 1952, he moved to California. There, he studied acting at Pasadena Playhouse. An MGM talent scout noticed him, and he got a role in the movie Blackboard Jungle (1955). He used his birth name, Jameel Farah, until 1959.

On the game show Stumpers!, 1976

Career Highlights

While training at Pasadena Playhouse, Jamie Farr had small roles in films like The Blackboard Jungle. He also worked odd jobs, like at a chinchilla farm, to earn money. A TV producer named Sherwood Schwartz saw Farr and cast him in The Red Skelton Show in 1955. He became a regular on that show.

In 1957, Farr was drafted into the army. He served for two years in the Special Services, which provided entertainment for soldiers. He worked on training videos and even helped Red Skelton during a USO tour in Japan and Korea. After his active duty, he spent more time in the reserves.

When his father passed away, Farr considered quitting acting to support his mother. However, Red Skelton helped him by hiring him as a writer. Over the next ten years, Farr had small roles in many TV shows and movies.

Becoming Corporal Klinger

In October 1972, Jamie Farr was hired for one day on the show M*A*S*H. He played Corporal Maxwell Klinger. Klinger was a funny character who tried to get out of the army by wearing fancy women's clothes. Farr was just happy to get the $250 paycheck for groceries and rent. He never expected to be asked back.

For several years, the show's producers didn't give him a full contract. Farr thought this was so they wouldn't have to pay him more. Finally, in 1975, he became a regular cast member for M*A*S*H Season 4.

Cast of M*A*S*H (1977)

Just like Jamie Farr, Klinger's character was a Lebanese-American from Toledo. This allowed Farr to add details about his hometown into the show. Klinger often talked about hot dogs from Tony Packo's Cafe and was a fan of the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team.

Later in the series, Klinger was promoted and slowly stopped wearing women's clothes. This showed Klinger's growing maturity. It also happened because Farr didn't want his own children to be teased about their dad wearing dresses on TV. By the end of M*A*S*H, only Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) and Loretta Swit (Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan) had appeared in more episodes than Farr. Jamie Farr was also the only cast member who had actually served in Korea. The dog tags he wore as Klinger were his own from his time in the military.

After M*A*S*H and Beyond

After M*A*S*H ended in 1983, Farr, Harry Morgan, and William Christopher continued their roles in the spinoff show AfterMASH. Jamie Farr also appeared on many game shows, like The Gong Show and The $100,000 Pyramid. He was also in movies like The Cannonball Run films, playing "The Sheik."

In the 1990s, at age 60, Farr made his Broadway debut in Guys and Dolls. He had always wanted to play the role of Nathan Detroit. He also starred with his former M*A*S*H costar William Christopher in The Odd Couple.

Farr in September 2007

From 2007 to 2008, Farr was a rotating host for a game show in Las Vegas. He also hosted a radio travel show. He often provides commentary for M*A*S*H episodes on TV channels like Hallmark Channel and MeTV. In 2022, he hosted M*A*S*H: The Best By Farr to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.

Jamie Farr has written books too. His autobiography, Just Farr Fun, came out in 1994. He also co-wrote a children's book, Hababy's Christmas Eve, with his wife in 2003. In 2018, he decided to retire from stage acting due to health reasons.

Personal Life

Jamie Farr met his wife, Joy Ann Richards, a model, after he finished his military service. They got married in 1963 and have two children, Jonas and Yvonne. Jamie Farr has had rheumatoid arthritis since the early 1990s.

He was very close to Red Skelton, calling him his "hero" and "mentor." Skelton was like a second father to him. When Skelton passed away, his widow asked Farr to be a pallbearer at the funeral.

Legacy and Honors

Jamie Farr has always been very loyal to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. The city has honored him in many ways. In 1977, he received the ceremonial Keys to the City. Scott High School named its performing arts wing after him.

The University of Toledo gave him an honorary doctorate in 1983. In 1998, a park where he played as a child was renamed Jamie Farr Park. He said this was "a highlight of my life and career." Tony Packo's Cafe, a restaurant mentioned on M*A*S*H, displays a signed hot dog bun from Farr. In 2017, Farr and Klinger were the first people added to the Toledo Mud Hens' Celebrity Hall of Fame.

Outside of Ohio, Farr has received many awards. He was nominated for an Emmy for his role on M*A*S*H. He was also inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame. In 1985, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Two of the dresses he wore as Klinger are now owned by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. In 2001, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

The Jamie Farr Toledo Classic

In 1983, a golf tournament organizer asked Jamie Farr to lend his name to a golf event. The next year, the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic began in Sylvania, Ohio. This annual LPGA tour stop raises money for children's charities, like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Farr hosted the event for 28 years until it was renamed in 2012. Today, it is called the Dana Open.

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