If you’re a true MASH fan, then you know that Hawkeye quickly became the main character and chief focus of the show. This only intensified as the seasons went on through the eleventh and final one. You may also know that there is a contingent of Hawkeye haters, or rather Alan Alda haters, on the web. Some people just don’t like the fact that he was the main character, and too much time was spent on him. Others don’t like what they consider his “preachy” behavior, and by extension, Alan Alda’s writing. The question is, why did Hawkeye become the focus of MASH? Did Alan Alda take over the show?
The Great Hawkeye Conspiracy
We live in a time of conspiracy theories. Even the fates of our favorite TV characters become fodder for the conspiracy mill. Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson both left MASH early on, at the end of Season 3. And Gary Burghoff left after the 7th season. Trapper John and Henry Blake were favorite characters for many fans, and Radar was almost universally loved. Why did these actors leave, taking these beloved characters away?
According to many, it was because Hawkeye was becoming the main character, thus either taking screen time away from the other actors or making it difficult for their characters to be developed.
Hawkeye Was Meant to be the Main Character
Here is what you may not know. Hawkeye was always meant to be the lead character. The show creators, Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, had every intention of making Hawkeye the central focus of the show. In fact, he was meant to be the “editorial voice.” Those who blame Alan Alda for McLean Stevenson’s departure are unaware that Stevenson originally auditioned for Hawkeye, well knowing he was going for the lead character!
McLean Stevenson’s Departure From MASH
So, when McLean Stevenson left, he certainly may have had some hard feelings about not getting the lead part. He was initially quite hesitant to take the role of Henry Blake when it was offered. You see, Stevenson always had grand ambitions of being a huge TV star. Taking a supporting role was not something he wanted to do.
But the point is that, once he finally did accept the role, he knew it was a supporting role. While it would be natural for him to hold some resentment for the guy who got the part, it was Stevenson’s belief that the fans were responding to him, and not the character of Col. Henry Blake, that led him to depart. He thought that the American audience would just flock to a new TV show with him as the lead character. Unfortunately, all his endeavors in that area flopped. Stevenson himself admitted all this on more than one occasion.
Alan Alda Was the Last Actor Cast on MASH
However, the role of Henry Blake was filled early on. Alan Alda was the last person cast for the show. The creators had a hard time finding a person who was “intelligent enough and feeling enough” to be, basically, the consciousness of the show. We were meant to view events through the lens of Hawkeye.
Wayne Rogers’ Departure from MASH
Wayne Rogers is known to have had some problems with many of the lines given to his character, Trapper John Mcyntire. He certainly wanted the character to be more developed. Again, many people blame Hawkeye and, thus, Alan Alda for his departure. If only so much attention wasn’t given to Hawkeye, Trapper John could have been more than just a sidekick. Take it from the horse’s mouth, then: Wayne Rogers always maintained that he had no regrets about leaving MASH, but that he missed the cast. And, most of all, he missed his friendship with Alan Alda.
Wayne Rogers did do a screen test for the role of Hawkeye, but he himself decided to go for the role of Trapper, as he liked Trapper’s personality more. Trapper was more outgoing and a bit less cynical than Hawkeye.
As for Gary Burghoff, he had problems that went way beyond a problem with any one person. In fact, his attitude and departure are subjects so negative, and quite frankly, whiny, that I don’t even want to go into detail about it. Suffice it to say that to blame Burghoff’s departure solely on Alan Alda is a vast over-simplification.
Character Development of Hawkeye
But let’s talk about character development. It is a myth that characters are only “developed” by writers. Actors are responsible for seeing to the development, and thus screen time, of their character as well. If you want the camera to pay attention to your character, you have to be a magnet for said camera. Despite the anti-Alda contingent, he was just such a magnet. He not only maintained that focus through the force of his performance and passion, but he also effectively advocated for his own ideas without alienating the powers that be. In fact, he had a close and quite loving relationship with the showrunners!
Larry Gelbart once described how Alda would not only tell you how he thought a scene or dialogue should be changed; he would show you. He would act it out exactly as he saw it in his mind. There is a lot of power in that. Yet, when he didn’t get his way, which was more often than not, he would deliver the lines the writers wrote exactly as they heard them in their own minds, with no complaints.
Alan Alda did not have to be told how to act or what was expected. There was a complete melding of writer and character that no other actor was able to achieve to the extent that Alan Alda achieved it. If you want to know why Alda “took over the show,” you now have two reasons:
1. Alda was doing the job he was hired to do. He was cast to be the lead character and to be the guy always talking…about everything. 2. He was a magnet as an actor. The camera loved him, and he made it easy for the writers to write for him. Along the way, he showed his talent at working with the showrunners, advocating for what he thought his character should be, writing, and directing. Other actors also wrote and directed episodes of the show, but not as many as Alda.
I’ll be the first to admit that some of the more heavily Hawkeye-focused episodes are my least favorite. Odd thing is, most of these were not written and directed by Alda! Those who bash the actor would do well to realize that when he himself wrote an episode, MORE time was given to the other characters, not less!
Hey, I also make videos! You can watch the video based on this article below.
