Larry Linville

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Larry Linville (born Lawrence Lavon Linville on September 29, 1939 in Ojai , California , † April 10, 2000 in New York City ) was an American actor . He became internationally known through the role of Major Frank Burns in the American television series M * A * S * H .

life and career

Already fascinated by airplanes as a child, Larry Linville began to study engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder after high school to become an aircraft manufacturer. At the same time he began acting in a theater group called Nomad Players . When the love for acting grew bigger than for flying, he gave up his studies. He became a full-time actor with the Nomad Players.

In 1959, he and 300 other colleagues applied for a scholarship at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art . He prevailed and went to Europe. After graduating, he returned to the United States and appeared in television series.

In the series Room 222 he finally caught the attention of Gene Reynolds , who later hired him for the role of Frank Burns in the series M * A * S * H.

Linville left the series in 1977 because he no longer wanted to constantly play the unpopular character Frank Burns. His fellow actor Harry Morgan admired the way Larry played his role. Everyone on the set liked him very much, but as soon as the cameras buzzed, there wasn't a piece of Larry Linville left in him - then he was the pedantic ferret face Frank Burns. Because of this role, Linville's further engagements were limited to this type of person.

After his television career, Linville remained a busy stage actor. In early 1998, he had to undergo cancer surgery, in which part of his lungs was removed. A little later he reported personally to the English MASH newsgroup and joked about how grateful he was that it was not his alter ego Frank Burns who had operated on him.

Larry Linville was no longer able to conquer his illness. He died on April 10, 2000 at the age of 60. He was married five times, most recently to Deborah Guydon, and had a daughter (Kelly Linville, * 1970) from his first marriage.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary for Larry Linville in The New York Times
personal data
SURNAME Linville, Larry
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH September 29, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Ojai , California
DATE OF DEATH April 10, 2000
Place of death New York City