Editing Wayne Rogers (section)

=== ''M*A*S*H'' (1972–1975) ===
When Rogers was approached for ''M*A*S*H,'' he planned to audition for the role of Hawkeye Pierce. He found the character too cynical, however, and asked to screen test as Trapper John, whose outlook was brighter. Rogers was told that Trapper and Hawkeye would have equal importance as characters. That changed after [[Alan Alda]], whose acting career and résumé up to that point had outshone that of Rogers, was cast as Hawkeye and proved to be more popular with the audience. Rogers enjoyed working with Alda and the rest of the cast as a whole (Alda and Rogers quickly became close friends), but eventually chafed that the writers were devoting the show's best humorous and dramatic moments to Alda.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}} 

When the writers took the liberty of making Hawkeye a [[thoracic surgery|thoracic surgeon]] in the episode "[[Dear Dad]]" (December 17, 1972), even though Trapper was the unit's only thoracic surgeon in the movie and the novel, Rogers felt Trapper had been stripped of his credentials. He decided to leave the show between production of the third and fourth seasons, making his last on-screen appearance in the episode [[Abyssinia, Henry]], which was also the final episode for fellow cast member [[McLean Stevenson]] who had portrayed Lieutenant Colonel [[Henry Blake (M*A*S*H)|Henry Blake]].{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}} 

On the ''M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion Television Special'' aired by Fox-TV in 2002, Rogers spoke on the differences between the Hawkeye and Trapper characters, saying, "Alan [Alda] and I both used to discuss ways on how to distinguish the differences between the two characters as to where there would be a variance.... My character [Trapper John McIntyre] was a little more impulsive [than Hawkeye]." Rogers considerably reduced his Alabama accent for the character of Trapper.<ref>Comments made by Rogers on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]].''</ref>

He succeeded [[Elliott Gould]], who had played the character in the [[Robert Altman]] movie [[MASH (film)|''MASH'']], and was himself succeeded by [[Pernell Roberts]] on the ''M*A*S*H'' spin-off ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' After three seasons, Rogers left the show after a contract dispute with the producers.