Roger Bowen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Bowen
Bowen in 1971
Born	Roger Wendell Bowen (1932-05-25)May 25, 1932 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died	February 16, 1996(1996-02-16) (aged 63) Marathon, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Brown University University of Chicago
Occupation	Actor Novelist Co-Founder, The Second City
Years active	1955–1996
Spouse(s)	Ann Bowen
Children	3

Roger Wendell Bowen (born May 25, 1932 – died February 16, 1996) was an American actor and writer. He was famous for playing Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H.

Even though he was a well-known actor, Bowen thought of himself mostly as a writer. He wrote eleven novels, including one called Just Like a Movie. He also wrote short comedy scenes for Broadway shows and television. Roger Bowen was also one of the people who helped start The Second City, a famous comedy group in Chicago.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Roger Bowen was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He studied English at Brown University. Later, he went to graduate school at the University of Chicago. While he was writing reviews about plays for a newspaper called The Chicago Maroon, he was asked to write for a comedy group. This group included actors like Alan Arkin and Mike Nichols.

This comedy group, first called Compass Players, later became the very famous The Second City. In the 1960s, Bowen often played characters who were "preppie" types in many TV and radio commercials.

Becoming a Film and TV Star

Roger Bowen's first movie role was in 1968 in a film called Petulia. But his biggest movie chance came in 1970. He got the part of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in Robert Altman's movie M*A*S*H. It's interesting to know that Bowen had actually served in the U.S. Army in Korea. He was there after the Korean War had ended.

After M*A*S*H, Bowen worked a lot in television. Many fans liked him as Hamilton Majors Jr. in the TV show Arnie (1970–72). He played a kind and supportive boss. Then, he joined the cast of The Brian Keith Show. He also continued to appear in TV commercials and smaller movie roles.

In 1976, Bowen was in a TV comedy movie called Tunnel Vision. In this film, he did a very good impression of Henry Kissinger. People in Hollywood often asked him to do this impression at parties. Bowen also had small parts in movies like Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Main Event (1979), and Zapped! (1982).

Later Career and Hobbies

Roger Bowen was also a skilled chess player. He took part in several chess tournaments in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, Bowen had more regular TV roles. He appeared on shows like House Calls, At Ease, and Maggie Briggs. His last movie role was in the 1991 comedy What About Bob?, which starred Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss.

His Passing

Roger Bowen passed away from a heart attack when he was 63 years old. He was on vacation in Marathon, Florida at the time. His death happened just one day after McLean Stevenson died. McLean Stevenson had played the same character, Henry Blake, in the first three seasons of the M*A*S*H television series.

Film and TV Roles