McLean Stevenson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids McLean Stevenson
Stevenson in M*A*S*H (1972)
Born	Edgar McLean Stevenson Jr. (1927-11-14)November 14, 1927 Normal, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 15, 1996(1996-02-15) (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
Other names	Mac
Education	Northwestern University
Occupation	Actor, comedian
Years active	1962–1993
Spouse(s)	Polly Ann Gordon ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1960)​ Louise Herbert ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1971)​ Ginny Fosdick ​ (m. 1980)​
Family	Stevenson

Edgar "Mac" McLean Stevenson Jr. (born November 14, 1927 – died February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the TV show M*A*S*H. This role won him a Golden Globe Award in 1974. Stevenson also appeared on many other TV shows. These included The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Doris Day Show.

Early Life and Acting Start

Stevenson was born in Normal, Illinois. His father was a heart doctor. McLean's middle name came from his grandmother, Lottie McLean.

He went to Bloomington High School. After high school, he joined the United States Navy in 1946. He worked as a medical assistant until 1947. Then he went to Northwestern University. He studied theater arts and earned a degree.

After college, Stevenson worked in different jobs. He worked at a radio station and played a clown on a TV show. He also sold medical supplies and insurance. He even worked for his cousin, Adlai E. Stevenson II, who ran for president.

In 1961, Stevenson decided to try acting. He got a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. His first professional acting job was in The Music Man in 1962. He also performed in summer plays. Before becoming famous, he was a contestant on the TV game show Password. He also acted on Broadway and wrote comedy for TV shows. These included That Was The Week That Was and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

TV Commercials and Early Roles

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Stevenson appeared in TV commercials. He advertised products like Kellogg's cereal and Libby's fruit cocktail. He also had a regular role on The Tim Conway Comedy Hour in 1970.

After guest-starring in That Girl, he joined The Doris Day Show in 1969. He played Michael Nicholson, a magazine editor, until 1971.

Starring in M*A*S*H

The handprints of Stevenson at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park

McLean Stevenson first tried out for the role of Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H. But he was convinced to play Lt. Colonel Henry Blake instead. This role became his biggest success. M*A*S*H quickly became a very popular TV show. It is now known as one of the best sitcoms ever.

Stevenson also helped write some episodes of M*A*S*H. He wrote "The Trial of Henry Blake" and helped with the story for "The Army-Navy Game". This earned him an Emmy nomination.

Leaving M*A*S*H

Even though the show was very popular, Stevenson felt he was not the main star. He wanted to have a bigger role. So, he asked to leave the show during its third season. The writers of M*A*S*H wrote a special exit for his character. In the final episode of the 1974–1975 season, "Abyssinia, Henry", Lt. Colonel Blake was discharged. He boarded a plane that was shot down, and everyone on board died. This sad ending was added to surprise the actors and make their reactions real.

Actress Loretta Swit from M*A*S*H said that Stevenson wanted to be the main star. He felt like he was just one of many actors in the show. He told her, "I know I will not be in anything as good as this show, but I have to leave and be number one."

Stevenson was replaced in M*A*S*H by Harry Morgan. Morgan played Colonel Sherman Potter for the rest of the show's eight seasons.

Later Career and Other Shows

After leaving M*A*S*H, Stevenson's acting career changed. He sometimes filled in as a guest host for The Tonight Show. He also tried to have his own TV shows. These included The McLean Stevenson Show (1976–77), In the Beginning (1978), Hello, Larry (1979–80), and Condo (1983). Most of these shows were not very popular and were canceled quickly. Only Hello, Larry lasted two seasons.

Stevenson also made guest appearances on other popular shows. He played Stan Zbornak's brother Ted in The Golden Girls in 1987. He also appeared on The Love Boat and Diff'rent Strokes. He guest-hosted The Tonight Show 58 times.

In 1988–89, he returned to a supporting role in the TV series Dirty Dancing.

Stevenson later said that leaving M*A*S*H was the biggest mistake of his career. He realized that people loved his character, Henry Blake, more than McLean Stevenson himself. He said, "I've never been able to work with a group that's as talented or scripts that are as good."

He also appeared in the Disney movie The Cat from Outer Space. He was also a co-host of a daytime talk show called America in 1985.

Death

McLean Stevenson was recovering from surgery for bladder cancer. On February 15, 1996, he had a sudden fatal heart attack. He was 68 years old. His ashes are buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

By chance, Roger Bowen, who played Henry Blake in the 1970 movie MASH, died from a heart attack the day after Stevenson.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: McLean Stevenson para niños