Editing Gary Burghoff (section)

===''M*A*S*H''===
[[File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG|thumb|right|(L to R) [[Larry Linville]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]], Gary Burghoff, and [[McLean Stevenson]]]]
Burghoff made his feature film debut in [[Robert Altman]]'s ''[[M*A*S*H (film)|M*A*S*H]]'' (1970). Although several actors from the original film made guest appearances in the television series ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', Burghoff was the only actor to continue as a regular, in the role of [[Radar O'Reilly]]. Although he played the same character in the series as in the film, Burghoff has cited differences in the portrayal: <blockquote>In the original feature film M*A*S*H, I created Radar as a lone, darker and somewhat sardonic character; kind of a shadowy figure. I continued these qualities for a short time until I realized that the TV M*A*S*H characters were developing in a different direction from the film characters. It became a group of sophisticated, highly educated doctors (and one head nurse) who would rather be anywhere else and who understood the nature of the "hellhole" they were stuck in. With [Larry] [[Larry Gelbart|Gelbart]]'s help, I began to mold Radar into a more innocent, naïve character as contrast to the other characters, so that while the others might deplore the immorality and shame of war (from an intellectual and judgmental viewpoint), Radar could just REACT from a position of total innocence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kenlevine.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/gary-burghoff-explains-radar.html| first= Ken| last= Levine| title= Gary Burghoff explains Radar|work= By Ken Levine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415073732/http://kenlevine.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/gary-burghoff-explains-radar.html|archive-date=15 April 2014| date= 2012-05-30}}</ref></blockquote>

Burghoff was nominated for six [[Emmy Award]]s for ''M*A*S*H'' in the category of [[Primetime Emmy Award|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]] and, of those nominations, he won an Emmy in 1977. Burghoff's co-star [[Alan Alda]] accepted the award on his behalf.

Burghoff left ''M*A*S*H'' in 1979 after the seventh season because of [[Occupational burnout|burnout]] and a desire to spend more time with his family, though he returned the following season to film a special two-part farewell episode, "[[Goodbye Radar]]". He explained, "Family, to me, became the most important thing. I was not available as a father because of my work. That doesn't stop when the work stops. Whenever you go out as a family, you're always torn from family to deal with public recognition."<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2006/s06050004.htm|work=Assist News Service|title=Fighting for family, life after M*A*S*H|date=August 25, 1989|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224024058/http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2006/s06050004.htm|archive-date=February 24, 2014}}</ref> "Goodbye Radar" was supposed to be the final episode of season 7, but at the behest of [[CBS]], it was extended into a double-episode for the [[November sweeps]] the next season. Fellow cast member [[Mike Farrell]] tried to persuade Burghoff to stay on the show, citing the lackluster careers of former ''M*A*S*H'' regulars [[Larry Linville]] and [[McLean Stevenson]] after their departures.

Farrell later said, "Gary Burghoff may well have been the best actor in the company, it's always seemed to me. His focus, his ability to find those little gems of behavior that made everything absolutely true were a marvel to behold."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikefarrell.org/interviews/MASH.html|title=Mike Farrell Online| first= Mike| last= Farrell| work=mikefarrell.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060125013241/http://www.mikefarrell.org/interviews/MASH.html|archive-date=January 25, 2006}}</ref>