Larry Linville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry Linville
Linville as Frank Burns
Born	Lawrence Lavon Linville (1939-09-29)September 29, 1939 Ojai, California, U.S.
Died	April 10, 2000(2000-04-10) (aged 60) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–2000
Spouse(s)	Kate Geer ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1975)​ Vana Tribbey ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1982)​ Melissa Gallant ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1985)​ Susan Hagan ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1992)​ Deborah Guydon ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	1

Larry Linville (born September 29, 1939 – died April 10, 2000) was an American actor. He is best known for playing the character Major Frank Burns on the popular TV show M*A*S*H.

Early Life and Education

Larry Linville was born in Ojai, California. His parents were Fay Pauline and Harry Lavon Linville. He grew up in Sacramento, California.

He went to El Camino High School. After high school, he studied engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Later, he earned a scholarship to study acting. This was at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England.

Acting Career Highlights

After finishing his studies, Larry Linville came back to the United States. He started his acting career at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. This theater had shows all year long.

Early TV Roles

Before he became famous on M*A*S*H, Linville appeared in many TV shows. These were popular shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a guest star on shows like Bonanza, Room 222, and Adam-12.

He also played different characters on Mission: Impossible three times. On the show Mannix, he had a regular role. He played Lieutenant George Kramer, a police officer who helped the main character.

Linville also acted in TV movies. He was the coroner in The Night Stalker (1972). He also appeared in an episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. In this episode, he played a young police captain. He also had a small part in the movie Kotch (1971).

Starring in M*A*S*H

Larry Linville (left) with the cast of M*A*S*H (1974)

In 1972, Larry Linville got a big role in the TV series M*A*S*H. He signed a five-year contract to play Major Frank Burns. His character was a surgeon who was often grumpy and not very good at his job. Major Burns was very strict about military rules.

This was a funny contrast to the other doctors on the show. Those doctors, played by Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers, were more skilled and didn't always follow the rules. As the show went on, it became more serious. It started to deal with real issues from the Vietnam War, even though it was set during the Korean War.

After five seasons, Linville decided to leave M*A*S*H. He felt that his character, Frank Burns, had been explored as much as possible. He wanted to try other acting roles.

Later Acting Roles

After leaving M*A*S*H, Larry Linville continued to act in many films and TV shows. He was a guest star on popular series like Murder, She Wrote, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat. He also appeared on Airwolf and The Rockford Files.

He played Randy Bigelow in the Disney series Herbie, the Love Bug (1982). Linville also had roles in movies such as School Spirit (1985) and Earth Girls Are Easy (1988). He also appeared in C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989) and Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever (1991).

In 1991, Linville was part of a TV special called Memories of M*A*S*H. This special celebrated 20 years of the show. In 1997, he joined other M*A*S*H cast members. They attended a special event for the last U.S. MASH unit in Korea.

Family Life

Larry Linville was married five times. He had one daughter, Kelly Linville, with his first wife, Kate Geer. Kelly was his only child. His last marriage was to Deborah Guydon. She was with him when he passed away.

Health and Passing

In February 1998, doctors found a tumor under Larry Linville's sternum. He had surgery to remove part of his lung. He received more medical care, but he continued to have health problems.

Larry Linville died on April 10, 2000, in New York City. He passed away from pneumonia, which was a complication from his cancer surgery. His ashes were scattered at sea near Bodega Bay, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Larry Linville para niños