Mike Farrell

Early life

Farrell, one of four children, was born in South St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Agnes Sarah Cosgrove and Michael Joseph Farrell.

When he was two years old, his family moved from South St. Paul to Hollywood, California, where his father worked as a carpenter on film sets. Farrell attended West Hollywood Grammar School in the same class as fellow actor Natalie Wood, and graduated from Hollywood High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1959. After being discharged, he worked at various jobs before becoming an actor.

Acting career

Early career

During the 1960s, Farrell guest-starred in a few series. Notable roles included playing a young US Forest Service ranger in the Lassie episode "Never Look Back" (February 1967); Federal Agent Modell in the episode "Monkee Chow Mein" on The Monkees in 1967; as a bellhop (uncredited) in The Graduate in 1967; astronaut Arland in the episode "Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?" on I Dream of Jeannie; an Army doctor in the episode "The Bankroll" of Combat!; and an ex-high school friend turned famous actor of Chet Kincaid in The Bill Cosby Show.

In 1968, he originated the continuing role of Scott Banning in the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 1969 he played a caring elders quorum president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Brigham Young University-produced short Worthy to Stand, in which his wife Judy also had her first film appearance. In 1970, he starred as one of the young doctors in the CBS prime-time series The Interns, in a cast led by Broderick Crawford. In 1971, he played the assistant to Anthony Quinn in ABC's The Man and the City. In 1973, while under contract to Universal Studios, Farrell starred with Robert Foxworth in The Questor Tapes. During the years under contract, he guest-starred in a number of shows, including Banacek; Mannix; Marcus Welby, M.D.; The Six Million Dollar Man; and The New Land; and starred in a television pilot with Jane Wyman, which did not sell.

In the early 1970s, Farrell guest-starred in the television Western drama Bonanza and did a number of commercials as a spokesman for Standard Oil of Indiana (later Amoco), Maytag dryers, Butter-Nut coffee, and Plymouth automobiles, among other products.

''MAS*H'' (1975–83) and later roles

Farrell's big break came in 1975 when Wayne Rogers departed MASH* between the third and fourth season. Farrell was recruited for the newly created role of B.J. Hunnicutt, along with series lead Harry Morgan, who was already signed to replace McLean Stevenson for the fourth season. Farrell won the part of B.J. over two other finalists for the role, Alan Fudge and James Cromwell (both of whom guest-starred in the series subsequently). Farrell stayed with MASH* for its remaining eight years on the air. During that time, he wrote five episodes and directed four. Farrell's then-wife, actress Judy Farrell, appeared eight times in the series as Nurse Able.

Since MASH*, Farrell has guest-starred in Murder, She Wrote; Justice League; Desperate Housewives; and many others. Farrell voiced Jonathan Kent in Superman: The Animated Series (1996) with wife Shelley Fabares voicing Martha Kent.

Farrell hosted several National Geographic Presents specials and starred in a number of television films, including 1983's Memorial Day, which he co-produced. He did two one-man shows: JFK, a One Man Show for PBS and, on stage, a national tour of David W. Rintels' play Clarence Darrow.

In 1985, Farrell partnered with film and television producer Marvin Minoff to create Farrell/Minoff Productions, a production company. Together, Farrell and Minoff produced numerous television films. In 1986, the company had signed a deal with The Walt Disney Studios wherein the Farrell/Minoff company would develop motion pictures and television properties.

Farrell and Minoff executive-produced Dominick and Eugene, a 1988 Orion Pictures film that earned actor Tom Hulce a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. The pair also produced 1998's Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams. Farrell and Minoff's partnership lasted more than 25 years until Minoff's death in November 2009.

''Providence'' (1999–2002)

In 1999, Farrell was cast as veterinarian Jim Hansen, the father of the lead character Dr. Sydney Hansen, portrayed by Melina Kanakaredes, on the NBC-TV melodrama series Providence. In his portrayal of Sydney's father, Farrell played opposite Concetta Tomei, who portrayed his wife, Lynda Hansen. Tomei's character died during the first episode of the series, but continued to appear as a ghost/memory in vignettes of later episodes. Farrell appeared in 64 of the show's 96 episodes.

Farrell appeared as Milton Lang, the father of Victor Lang (John Slattery), husband of Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), on Desperate Housewives during the 2007–08 season.

Farrell was seen in the season 10 episode "Persona" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He appeared as the character Fred Jones in the season 8 episode "Hunteri Heroici" of Supernatural. In 2014 he was a supporting cast member on the Sundance TV Network criminal drama series The Red Road. He portrayed Lee Miglin, a real estate baron who fell victim to serial killer Andrew Cunanan, in FX's anthology series American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Most recently, he appeared in NCIS, playing the role of Judge Miles Deakin in the episode "Judge, Jury..." and "...and Executioner."

Activism

Even before he was well-known, Farrell was an activist for many political and social causes. He was co-chair of the California Human Rights Watch for ten years, was on the Board of Advisors of the original Cult Awareness Network, and has been president of Death Penalty Focus for more than 10 years, being the first person to be awarded its Human Rights Award, subsequently named after him in 2006. He received PETA's Humanitarian Award in 2001 and narrated a public service campaign for them about animal abuse.

In 1985, Farrell was in Central America, helping refugees from the civil war in El Salvador. A guerrilla commander, Nidia Diaz, had been taken prisoner. She needed surgery, but no Salvadoran doctor would help her, so Medical Aid for El Salvador recruited a foreign doctor. Farrell was present as an observer for Amnesty International but was, in his words, "shanghaied into assisting with the surgery" when the doctor said his help was needed. The in-prison surgery was successful, and Diaz went on to be one of the signatories of the Chapultepec Peace Accords, the peace treaty ending the war.

Farrell has been active in the Screen Actors Guild. In 2002 he was elected first vice president of the Guild in Los Angeles and served in the post for three years.

In 2006, Farrell appeared with Jello Biafra and Keith Gordon in the documentary Whose War?, examining the U.S. role in the Iraq War. He also served on the advisory board of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

In 2014, Farrell workshopped a play by George Shea that brought Charles David Keeling and his scientific work on atmospheric emissions to life.

In 2016, after the US presidential election of Donald Trump, Farrell appeared in a commercial to urge Republican electors to block Trump from becoming president by having 37 electors vote for John Kasich instead.

Publications

Farrell wrote an autobiography, Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist (Akashic Books, ), published in 2007. The book covers his working-class childhood in West Hollywood, his break into show business, his personal life, and his increasing involvement in politics and the human rights movement in the United States, Cambodia, and Latin America. His second book, Of Mule and Man (2009, Akashic Books, ), is a journal of his five-week, 9,000-mile drive around the U.S. to promote the paperback edition of his first book.

Personal life

In 1963, Farrell married actress Judy Hayden, who was working as a high school English and drama teacher in Laguna Beach, California. They separated in 1980 and divorced in 1983. They have two children, Michael and Erin. On MASH*, Hunnicutt's daughter was also named Erin. Also on MASH*, in the episode "The Colonel's Horse" (season 5, episode 12), a phone call is placed to Hunnicutt's father-in-law, Floyd Hayden, Hayden being the maiden name of Judy, Farrell's wife. He lives in Quapaw, Oklahoma, Judy's birthplace. Judy Farrell also acted on MASH* from 1976 to 1983 as Nurse Able.

Since 1984, he has been married to actress Shelley Fabares.

At the start of ''MAS*H'''s seventh season, Farrell grew a Walrus moustache for the B.J. Hunnicutt character, even though such a moustache below the upper lip was then, as now, a clear violation of Army uniform guidelines, especially when left untrimmed. The normally clean-shaven Farrell grew it out for the character, as fashion trends at the time made the moustache in general popular for the first time since the beginning of the 20th century, due in part to fellow actors such as Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck, as well as The Mustache Gang of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. While Farrell retained the moustache for the B.J. character for the rest of the series and saw a rise in acting jobs because of it, Farrell himself quickly grew tired of it and did not want to be typecast with "B.J.-like roles" for the rest of his career.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

References

References

1. (2016-10-11). "How 'MASH' actor Mike Farrell became a leading voice against the death penalty in California".
2. O’neill, Ann. (2001-04-01). "The Actor Standing in Front of Death's Door".
3. (November 18, 1999). "Today's Underrated Stars! – Meet Mike Farrell". Todaysunderratedstars.20m.com.
4. "Together We Served - PFC Michael Farrell". TogetherWeServed.com.
5. "21 TV stars who appeared as guests on 'Bonanza'".
6. ""Bonanza" The Hidden Enemy (TV Episode 1972)".
7. Perlmutter, David. (May 4, 2018). "The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows". Rowman & Littlefield.
8. Hartman, Matthew. (August 11, 2021). "''Superman: The Complete Animated Series'' Saves Blu-ray October 12th".
9. O'Connor, John J.. (November 7, 1983). "TV VIEW; SOME MADE-FOR-TV FILMS ARE MORE THAN FLUFF". The New York Times.
10. (November 13, 2009). "Producer Marvin Minoff dies at 78 – Worked on Frost-Nixon TV interview specials". [[Variety (magazine).
11. Barnes, Mike. (November 13, 2009). "'Nixon Interviews' producer Marvin Minoff dies". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
12. (April 9, 1986). "Farrell & Minkoff Ink A Disney Pact". [[Variety (magazine).
13. (March 1, 2004). "Mike Farrell Online". Mikefarrell.org.
14. "Mike Farrell – Great Human Rights Activists".
15. MILLER, MARJORIE. (August 11, 1985). "TV Doctor From 'MASH' Scrubs Up For Salvador Surgery".
16. "Biography". Mike Farrell Online.
17. "Foundation voices". Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
18. Biggs, Julia. (February 5, 2019). "'Dr. Keeling's Curve' starring TV star Farrell takes the stage at SIUE".
19. Andrews, Jason. (December 16, 2016). "Tucker Carlson vs. actor Mike Farrell on 'unqualified' Trump".
20. Farrell, Mike. (2007). "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist". Akashic Books/RDV Books.
21. Metz, Vicki. (November 8, 1987). "'Lights, Camera, Action! — on L.I.". The New York Times.
22. "Mike Farrell (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.