An affable leading man with a knack for both comedy and
drama, actor Wayne Rogers played “Trapper John” McIntyre for three years
on the acclaimed CBS television series “M*A*S*H” (1972-1983), before
departing the show in a cloud of controversy. Like many of the “M*A*S*H”
actors who quit the show prior to its final episode, Rogers found it
difficult to land substantial acting roles after jumping ship, but
eventually moved away from performing and found considerable success in
different fields.
Born April 7, 1933 in Birmingham, AL, Rogers attended Princeton University
and graduated in 1954 with a degree in History. He then entered the Navy,
and while reports conflict as to when his interest in performing was
launched – some say while he was at Princeton; others while he was in the
service – it was established that he headed to New York following his
discharge, studying with both renowned acting coach Sanford Meisner and
dance legend Martha Graham at the Neighborhood Playhouse. While in New
York, he roomed with another future TV star, Peter Falk, who was
frequently amazed at Rogers’ knowledge of the financial world and his
ability to support himself through smart investments.
Rogers’ acting career was slow to start in the late 1950s – he appeared
off-Broadway in several productions and had a short-lived role on the
daytime soap “The Edge of Night” (CBS/ABC, 1956-1984) as well as small
parts in features like Robert Wise’s gritty noir “Odds Against Tomorrow”
(1959). In 1960, he earned his first starring role in a primetime series,
a Western called “Stagecoach West” (ABC, 1960-61), but the program ended
after one season. For the next decade, Rogers made numerous appearances in
episodic series with occasional forays into feature films, playing a
gambler in “Cool Hand Luke” (1967) and a minor role in “The Glory Guys”
(1965), a Western written by Sam Peckinpah. During this time, Rogers also
bankrolled and co-wrote two exploitation films by eccentric exploitation
director Ted V. Mikels – a surreal nudie film called “Dr. Sex” (1964), for
which he was billed as “Juan Rogero,” and a crude but enjoyable horror
title called “The Astro-Zombies” (1968), starring John Carradine and
Wendell Corey. In both cases, Rogers’ investments returned a profit.
In 1972, Rogers was cast as Trapper John in the TV series, “M*A*S*H,”
enjoying the widest appeal and largest audience of his career.
Unfortunately, it became painfully evident to him that despite sharing
what he thought was top-billing with Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce), both the
show’s viewers and writers preferred Alda’s character to his. No acrimony
occurred between the two performers, but by 1975, he was fed up with his
second-banana status and simply quit the show (Trapper John’s departure
was attributed to his discharge from the service). An ugly legal battle
between Rogers and the show’s producers ensued – to the tune of $2.9
million dollars – but it was eventually dismissed after several years of
wrangling. The producers’ claim that Rogers had breached his contract by
abandoning the show held no water, as it was discovered that Rogers had
refused to sign his contract due to objections over a morality clause in
the fine print.
Years later, Rogers expressed some regret in leaving the show, especially
in hindsight of its lengthy network run. But despite the unpleasantness
surrounding his departure, he participated in several “M*A*S*H”-related
specials produced by CBS and other networks, most notably the 30th
anniversary reunion special in 2002.
After “M*A*S*H,” Rogers kicked around in various made-for-TV movies and
made a handful of attempts to find solo success in a series. The most
ambitious of these was “City of Angels” (NBC, 1976-77), producer Stephen
J. Cannell’s nod to film noir and pulp detective fiction. Rogers fit the
role of a tough and wise-cracking gumshoe, but the series did not last a
full season. More popular was “House Calls” (CBS, 1979-1982), a likable
romantic comedy which partnered Rogers with Lynn Redgrave, as lovers and
co-workers at a major metropolitan hospital. The show enjoyed decent
ratings throughout its run, and garnered Rogers a Golden Globe nomination
in 1981. He also enjoyed a substantial role as a Southern police chief in
the Emmy-nominated miniseries, “Chiefs” in 1983.
For the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s, however, Rogers bided his time
in TV movies and episodic shows, including a five-episode stint on
“Murder, She Wrote” (CBS, 1984-1996). He made sporadic returns to film
during this period as well, including a rare lead in a low-key drama about
a jazz combo called “The Gig” (1985) and a turn as real-life Southern
civil rights advocate Morris Dees in Rob Reiner’s “Ghosts of Mississippi”
(1996). By the late eighties, he began branching out into executive
production for several independent films, plays and TV movies. He also
fell back on his money-making skills, launching his own investment
company, Wayne Rogers & Co. – a company that helped manage the finances of
many of his Hollywood contemporaries, including old friend Peter Falk.
Rogers’ talent for investment made him a sought-after guest on many
financial news programs, most notably “Cashin’ In” (Fox News), where in
2003, his portfolio won the program’s competition for the best
performance. In 2005, Rogers received his star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame, and in 2006, he was named to the board of directors for Vishay
Intertechnology, Inc, a Fortune 1000 electronic manufacturing company.
