Wayne Rogers
Encyclopedia
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (born April 7, 1933) is an American
film
and television
actor
, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S.
television series, M*A*S*H.
He is a regular panel member on the Fox News Channel
stock investment television program Cashin' In
, as a result of having built a highly successful and lucrative second career as an investor, investment strategist and advisor, and money manager.
. He attended Ramsay High School
in Birmingham and is a graduate of The Webb School
in Bell Buckle, Tennessee
. He later graduated from Princeton University
with a history degree in 1954, where he was a member of the Princeton Triangle Club
, the Eating Club Tiger Inn
, and served in the U.S. Navy
before becoming an actor.
Prior to the role of 'Trapper John', Rogers appeared on television in various roles in both dramas and sitcoms such as The Invaders
, The F.B.I., Gunsmoke
, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
, The Fugitive
, and had a small supporting role in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke
. He had also been a co-star with Robert Bray
and Richard Eyer
in the western series Stagecoach West
, a Four Star Television
production on ABC
from 1960–1961. In 1959 he played Slim Davis on the soap opera
Search for Tomorrow
. Rogers also played a role in Odds Against Tomorrow
which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
in 1960 as Best Film Promoting International Understanding.
, 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 did, however, still enjoy working with Alda and the rest of 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.
When the writers took the liberty of making Hawkeye a 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 was stripped of his credentials.
On the M*A*S*H* 30th Anniversary Reunion Television Special aired by Fox-TV in 2002, Rogers once spoke on the differences between the "Hawkeye" and "Trapper" characters, "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.
He succeeded Elliott Gould
, who had played the character in the Robert Altman
movie MASH
, and was himself succeeded by Pernell Roberts
on the M*A*S*H spin-off
Trapper John, M.D.
.
than an equal to Hawkeye, and decided to leave the show (as had McLean Stevenson
, who had played Lt. Colonel Blake).
, and as civil rights
attorney Morris Dees
in 1996's Ghosts of Mississippi
. He also starred in the short-lived but critically lauded 1976 period detective series City of Angels and the 1979–1982 CBS series House Calls
, first with Lynn Redgrave
, and then later with actress Sharon Gless
, who went on to co-star in the CBS-TV crime drama series Cagney and Lacey with actress Tyne Daly
. Rogers also appeared in the 80's miniseries Chiefs (TV miniseries)
.
Rogers then guest-starred five times on CBS's Murder, She Wrote
. He has served as an executive producer
and producer in both television
and film
, a screenwriter
, and a director
. In addition, he has achieved some recognition as an investor, appearing frequently on Fox News Channel
business shows. He also starred in Race Against the Harvest.
He also starred in the movie The Gig (1985), alongside Cleavon Little
, as a jazz musician-hobbyist whose group has an opportunity to play a Catskills resort and must confront failure. Also in 1985 he starred opposite Barbara Eden
in the televised reunion movie I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
based on the 60's television sitcom I Dream of Jeannie
. Rogers took on the role of Major Tony Nelson which was originally portrayed by Larry Hagman
(of the CBS TV series Dallas
fame) in the TV series when Hagman was unavailable to reprise the character he had originated. In 1986, Rogers hosted the short-lived CBS television series High Risk.
cable TV stocks investment/stocks news program Cashin' In
, hosted by Fox News anchor Cheryl Casone
. In August 2006, Rogers was elected to the Board of Directors of Intertechnology, Inc.,
a Fortune 1000
manufacturer of semiconductors and electronic components. He is also the head of Wayne Rogers & Co., a stock trading investment corporation.
His two children are Laura Rogers, and William (Bill) Rogers IV. Both reside in California. Wayne's grandchildren include Laura's children: Xander and Daniel Bienstock, and Bill's children: William V and Anaeis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series, M*A*S*H.
He is a regular panel member on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
stock investment television program Cashin' In
Cashin' In
Cashin' In is an American business analysis program, the fourth and last show of the The Cost of Freedom business block, on Saturdays at 11:30 am ET and Mondays at 5:30 am ET on the Fox News Channel. The show was originally hosted by FNC senior business correspondent Terry Keenan until her...
, as a result of having built a highly successful and lucrative second career as an investor, investment strategist and advisor, and money manager.
Life and career
The son of a Rhodes Scholar, Rogers was born in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He attended Ramsay High School
Ramsay High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
Ramsay Alternative High School is a magnet high school serving about 600 students in the Birmingham City Schools system. It is situated near 12th Avenue South and 20th Street. The school building's site, on a ridge just north of the crest of Red Mountain, near the Five Points South area...
in Birmingham and is a graduate of The Webb School
Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tennessee)
The Webb School is a private coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, founded in 1870. It has been called the oldest, continuously operating boarding school in the South...
in Bell Buckle, Tennessee
Bell Buckle, Tennessee
Bell Buckle is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 500 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bell Buckle is located at ....
. He later graduated from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
with a history degree in 1954, where he was a member of the Princeton Triangle Club
Princeton Triangle Club
The Princeton Triangle Club is a theater troupe at Princeton University. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest touring collegiate musical-comedy troupe in the United States, and the only co-ed collegiate troupe that takes an original student-written musical on a national tour every year...
, the Eating Club Tiger Inn
Tiger Inn
The Tiger Inn is one of the ten active eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Tiger Inn was founded in 1890 and is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton .. Tiger Inn is the third oldest Eating Club...
, and served in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
before becoming an actor.
Prior to the role of 'Trapper John', Rogers appeared on television in various roles in both dramas and sitcoms such as The Invaders
The Invaders
The Invaders, a Quinn Martin Production , is an ABC science fiction television program created by Larry Cohen that ran in the United States for two seasons, from January 10, 1967 to March 26, 1968...
, The F.B.I., Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
, and had a small supporting role in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman. The screenplay was adapted by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson from Pearce's 1965 novel of the same name. The film features George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D...
. He had also been a co-star with Robert Bray
Robert Bray
Robert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
and Richard Eyer
Richard Eyer
Richard Ross Eyer is a former American child actor during the 1950s and 1960s who taught elementary school in the eastern Sierra city of Bishop in Inyo County until he retired in 2006. He is the older brother of Robert Eyer Richard Ross Eyer (born May 6, 1945, Santa Monica, California) is a former...
in the western series Stagecoach West
Stagecoach West (TV series)
Stagecoach West is a highly-acclaimed Western drama television series which ran for thirty-eight episodes on the ABC network from October 4, 1960, until June 27, 1961. Characters Luke Perry and Simon Kane operate the Timberland Stage Line from Missouri to San Francisco...
, a Four Star Television
Four Star Television
Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer, the company produced many well-known shows of the early days of...
production on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 1960–1961. In 1959 he played Slim Davis on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
. Rogers also played a role in Odds Against Tomorrow
Odds Against Tomorrow
Odds Against Tomorrow is a 1959 film noir produced and directed by Robert Wise for HarBel Productions, a company founded by the film's star, Harry Belafonte. Belafonte selected Abraham Polonsky to write the script, which is based on a novel by William P. McGivern. As a blacklisted writer Polonsky...
which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
in 1960 as Best Film Promoting International Understanding.
M*A*S*H (1972–1975)
When Rogers was approached for M*A*S*H, he planned to audition as Hawkeye Pierce. However, he found the character too cynical 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. This changed after Alan AldaAlan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
, 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 did, however, still enjoy working with Alda and the rest of 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.
When the writers took the liberty of making Hawkeye a thoracic surgeon
Thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax . Generally treatment of conditions of the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm....
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 was stripped of his credentials.
On the M*A*S*H* 30th Anniversary Reunion Television Special aired by Fox-TV in 2002, Rogers once spoke on the differences between the "Hawkeye" and "Trapper" characters, "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.
He succeeded Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...
, who had played the character in the Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
movie MASH
MASH (film)
MASH is a 1970 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It is the only feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise...
, and was himself succeeded by Pernell Roberts
Pernell Roberts
Pernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza, a role he played from...
on the M*A*S*H spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
.
Departure from M*A*S*H
After three seasons, Rogers grew weary of the Trapper character being treated as more of a sidekickSidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
than an equal to Hawkeye, and decided to leave the show (as had McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
, who had played Lt. Colonel Blake).
House Calls (1979–1982) and other roles
Later he appeared as a Federal agent in the critically acclaimed 1975 NBC-TV movie Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux KlanAttack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan
Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan is a 1975 two-part television movie, which dramatised the events following the 1964 disappearance and murder of three Civil Rights workers in Mississippi...
, and as civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
attorney Morris Dees
Morris Dees
Morris Seligman Dees, Jr. is the co-founder and chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center , and a former direct mail marketeer for book publishing. Along with his law partner, Joseph J...
in 1996's Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi is a 1996 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods. The plot is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the white supremacist accused of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist...
. He also starred in the short-lived but critically lauded 1976 period detective series City of Angels and the 1979–1982 CBS series House Calls
House Calls (TV series)
House Calls is an American sitcom that lasted three seasons and 57 episodes, from December 17, 1979 to May 27, 1982, on CBS television, produced by Universal Television and based upon the 1978 feature film of the same name.-Scenario:...
, first with Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
, and then later with actress Sharon Gless
Sharon Gless
Sharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
, who went on to co-star in the CBS-TV crime drama series Cagney and Lacey with actress Tyne Daly
Tyne Daly
Tyne Daly is an American stage and screen actress, widely known for her work as Detective Mary Beth Lacey in the television series Cagney & Lacey and as Maxine Gray in the television series Judging Amy. She is also known for her role as Alice Henderson in television series Christy...
. Rogers also appeared in the 80's miniseries Chiefs (TV miniseries)
Chiefs (TV miniseries)
Chiefs is a miniseries based upon the novel of the same name by Stuart Woods. It was broadcast on CBS over three nights in November 1983. It was directed by Jerry London, and stars Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine, Stephen Collins, Danny Glover, Wayne Rogers and Billy Dee Williams...
.
Rogers then guest-starred five times on CBS's Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
. He has served as an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and producer in both television
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and film
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, a screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and a director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
. In addition, he has achieved some recognition as an investor, appearing frequently on Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
business shows. He also starred in Race Against the Harvest.
He also starred in the movie The Gig (1985), alongside Cleavon Little
Cleavon Little
Cleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
, as a jazz musician-hobbyist whose group has an opportunity to play a Catskills resort and must confront failure. Also in 1985 he starred opposite Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
in the televised reunion movie I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later
I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later is a 1985 made-for-television reunion film based on the 1965-70 series I Dream of Jeannie which aired on NBC on October 20, 1985 and produced by Columbia Pictures Television....
based on the 60's television sitcom I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
. Rogers took on the role of Major Tony Nelson which was originally portrayed by Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
(of the CBS TV series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
fame) in the TV series when Hagman was unavailable to reprise the character he had originated. In 1986, Rogers hosted the short-lived CBS television series High Risk.
Fox News's Cashin' In
Rogers, who began to test the stock and real estate markets during his tenure as a M*A*S*H cast member, appears regularly as a panel member on the Fox Business NetworkFox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
cable TV stocks investment/stocks news program Cashin' In
Cashin' In
Cashin' In is an American business analysis program, the fourth and last show of the The Cost of Freedom business block, on Saturdays at 11:30 am ET and Mondays at 5:30 am ET on the Fox News Channel. The show was originally hosted by FNC senior business correspondent Terry Keenan until her...
, hosted by Fox News anchor Cheryl Casone
Cheryl Casone
Cheryl Cecile Casone is an American anchor on the Fox Business Network. She is also a Fox News business correspondent and the host of Cashin' In...
. In August 2006, Rogers was elected to the Board of Directors of Intertechnology, Inc.,
a Fortune 1000
Fortune 1000
Fortune 1000 is a reference to a list maintained by the American business magazine Fortune. The list is of the 1000 largest American companies, ranked on revenues alone...
manufacturer of semiconductors and electronic components. He is also the head of Wayne Rogers & Co., a stock trading investment corporation.
Personal life
As a young actor, Rogers met actress Mitzi McWhorter in New York City in the late 1950s. They married in 1960 and divorced in 1983, producing two children from the relationship. They had been separated for almost four years prior to the divorce. Rogers has been married to his second wife, the former Amy Hirsh, since 1988.His two children are Laura Rogers, and William (Bill) Rogers IV. Both reside in California. Wayne's grandchildren include Laura's children: Xander and Daniel Bienstock, and Bill's children: William V and Anaeis.