Michael Joseph Farrell Jr. (born February 6, 1939) is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'' (1975–83). Farrell was a producer of ''

Patch Adams Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams (born May 28, 1945) is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. Each year he also organizes volunteers from around the world to travel to var ...

'' (1998) starring

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, and starred in the television series ''

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

'' (1999–2002). He is also an activist and public speaker for various political causes.

Early life

Farrell, one of four children, was born in 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 Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

, and graduated from

Hollywood High School Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. Histo ...

. He served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

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 The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

'' in 1967; as a bellhop (uncredited) in ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Wil ...

'' in 1967; astronaut Arland in the episode " Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?" on ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

''; an Army doctor in the episode "The Bankroll" of ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...

''; and an ex-high school friend turned famous actor of Chet Kincaid in ''

The Bill Cosby Show ''The Bill Cosby Show'' is an American sitcom television series, that aired for two seasons on NBC's Sunday night schedule from 1969 until 1971, under the sponsorship of Procter & Gamble. There were 52 episodes made in the series. It marked Bill ...

''. In 1968, he originated the continuing role of Scott Banning in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

soap opera ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

''. In 1970, he starred as one of the young doctors in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

prime-time series ''The Interns'', in a cast led by

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in ''All t ...

. In 1971, he played the assistant to

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

The Man and the City ''The Man and the City'' is an American drama series which aired on ABC as part of its Fall 1971 lineup from September 15, 1971 to January 5, 1972. Anthony Quinn starred as Thomas Jefferson Alcala, the long-term Hispanic mayor of a major but uni ...

''. In 1973, while under contract to

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, Farrell starred with

Robert Foxworth Robert Heath Foxworth (born November 1, 1941) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Early life Foxworth was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Erna Beth (née Seamman), a writer, and John Howard Foxworth, a roofing contractor. He at ...

in ''

The Questor Tapes ''The Questor Tapes'' is a 1974 American made-for-television sci-fi drama film about an android (portrayed by Robert Foxworth) with incomplete memory tapes who is searching for his creator and his purpose. Conceived by Gene Roddenberry, who is ...

''. During the years under contract, he guest-starred in a number of shows, including '' Banacek'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

'', ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

'' and ''

The New Land ''The New Land'' ( sv, Nybyggarna) is a 1972 Swedish film directed and co-written by Jan Troell and starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Monica Zetterlund, and Pierre Lindstedt. It and its 1971 predecessor, ''The Emi ...

''; and starred in a television pilot with

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)"Actress, P ...

, which did not sell. In the early 1970s, Farrell guest starred in the television

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

drama ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'' and did a number of commercials as a spokesman for

Maytag The Maytag Corporation is an American home and commercial appliance company owned by Whirlpool Corporation since April 2006. Company history The Maytag Washing Machine Company was founded in 1893 by businessman Frederick Maytag. In 1925, ...

dryers and Plymouth automobiles among other products. Mike Farrell Stumpers 1976

''MAS*H'' (1975–83) and later roles

Farrell's big break came in 1975 when

Wayne Rogers William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 – December 31, 2015) was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series ''M*A*S*H'' and as Dr. Charley Michaels on '' House Calls ...

departed ''M*A*S*H'' at the end of the third season. Farrell was recruited for the newly created role of B.J. Hunnicutt, along with series lead

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

, who replaced

McLean Stevenson Edgar "Mac" McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 – February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the television series ''M*A*S*H'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

, also at the end of the third season. Morgan had appeared as General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the season-three episode " The General Flipped at Dawn" (for which he won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Best Guest Role in a Primetime Comedy Series). Farrell stayed with the series for its remaining eight years on the air. During that time, he wrote five episodes and directed four. Since ''M*A*S*H'', Farrell has guest-starred in ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

''; ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

''; ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

''; and many others. Farrell voiced Jonathan Kent in '' Superman: The Animated Series'' (1996) with wife

Shelley Fabares Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom ...

voicing Martha Kent. Farrell hosted several ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

Presents'' specials and starred in a number of TV movies, including 1983's ''

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

'', which he co-produced. He did two one-man shows: ''JFK, a One Man Show'' for

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and, on stage, a national tour of David W. Rintels' play ''Clarence Darrow''. In 1985, Farrell partnered with film and television producer

Marvin Minoff Marvin Minoff (June 26, 1931 – November 11, 2009) was an American film and television producer best known for having produced '' The Nixon Interviews'' by British journalist David Frost of former U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1977. Mino ...

to create Farrell/Minoff Productions, a production company. Together, Farrell and Minoff produced numerous television movies. 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 ''Dominick and Eugene'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Robert M. Young about twin brothers, Dominick and Eugene. Dominick has an intellectual disability due to an accident in his youth. The film stars Ray Liotta, Tom Hulce and Jamie L ...

'', a 1988 Orion Pictures film that earned actor

Tom Hulce Thomas Edward Hulce (; born December 6, 1953) is an American actor and theater producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning film ''Amadeus'' (1984), as well as the roles of Larry "Pinto" Kr ...

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination for best actor. The pair also produced 1998's ''

'' starring

. Farrell and Minoff's partnership lasted more than 25 years until Minoff's death in November 2009.

''Providence'' (1999–2002)

In 1999, Farrell was given the part of veterinarian Jim Hansen, the father of the lead character Dr. Sydney Hansen, portrayed by

Melina Kanakaredes Melina Eleni Kanakaredes Constantinides ( el, Μελίνα Ελένη Κανακαρίδη Κωνσταντινίδη; born April 23, 1967) is an American actress. She is widely known for her roles in U.S. primetime television dramas as Dr. Sydn ...

, on the NBC-TV melodrama series ''Providence''. In his portrayal of Sydney's father, Farrell played opposite

Concetta Tomei Concetta Tomei (born December 30, 1945) is an American theatre, film and television character actress, best known for her roles as Major Lila Garreau on the ABC series ''China Beach'' (1988–1991) and as Lynda Hansen on the NBC series ''Provi ...

, 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 96 episodes. He appeared as Milton Lang, the father of

Victor Lang '' Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda St ...

(

John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director widely known for his role as Roger Sterling Jr. in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award fo ...

), husband of Gabrielle Solis (

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime ...

) on ''

'' (2007–08). He 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 Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

''. In 2014 he was a supporting cast member on the Sundance TV Network criminal drama series ''

The Red Road The red road is a modern English-language concept of the right path of life, as inspired by some of the beliefs found in a variety of Native American spiritual teachings. The term is used primarily in the Pan-Indian and New Age communities,McGaa ...

''. He portrayed Lee Miglin, a real estate baron who fell victim to serial killer Andrew Cunanan, in FX's anthology series ''

American Crime Story ''American Crime Story'' is an American anthology true crime television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are also executive producers, alongside Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Simpson. The seri ...

'': '' 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 Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

for 10 years, was on the Board of Advisors of the original

Cult Awareness Network The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. It was founded in the wak ...

, and has been president of

Death Penalty Focus Founded in 1988, Death Penalty Focus is a non-profit organization dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment through grassroots organizing, research, and the dissemination of information about the death penalty and its alternatives. With o ...

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 Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

's Humanitarian Award in 2001, and narrated a public service campaign for them about

animal abuse Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or Injury, harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

. In 1985, Farrell was in Central America, helping refugees from the civil war in

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

. A guerrilla commander,

Nidia Diaz Nidia Guenard (born March 12, 1979) is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for winning the reality television series '' Tough Enough'' in 2001 and for her subsequent appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World W ...

, 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 Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

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 Chapultepec Peace Accords were a set of peace agreements signed on January 16, 1992, the day in which the Salvadoran Civil War ended. The treaty established peace between the Salvadoran government and the Farabundo Martí National Liberat ...

, the peace treaty ending the war. Farrell has been active in the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

. 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 Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Initially ac ...

and

Keith Gordon Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961) is an American actor and film director. Early life Gordon was born in New York City, the son of Mark, an actor and stage director, and Barbara Gordon. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family. Gordon was insp ...

in the documentary ''Whose War?'', examining the U.S. role in the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. He also served on the advisory board of the

Military Religious Freedom Foundation The Military Religious Freedom Foundation'' (MRFF) is a watchdog group and advocacy organization founded in 2005 by Michael L. "Mikey" Weinstein. The group's goal states it will, "Ensure that members of the United States Armed Forces receive the ...

. In 2014, Farrell workshopped a play by George Shea which brought Dr.

Charles David Keeling Charles David Keeling (April 20, 1928 – June 20, 2005) was an American scientist whose recording of carbon dioxide at the Mauna Loa Observatory confirmed Svante Arrhenius's proposition (1896) of the possibility of anthropogenic contribution to ...

and his scientific work on atmospheric emissions to life. In 2016, after the US presidential election of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

, Farrell appeared in a commercial to urge Republican electors to block Trump from becoming president by having 37 electors change their vote in the Electoral College from Trump to

John Kasich John Richard Kasich Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician, author, and television news host who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and as the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, Kasic ...

Publications

Farrell wrote an autobiography, ''Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist'' (

Akashic Books Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent publisher. Akashic Books' collection began with Arthur Nersesian's ''The Fuck Up'' in 1997, and has since expanded to include Dennis Cooper's "Little House on the Bowery" series, Chris Abani's Black ...

, ), 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 August 1963, Farrell married actress Judy Hayden, who was working as a high school English and drama teacher in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservat ...

. They were separated in 1980 and divorced in 1983. They have two children, Michael and Erin. On ''

'', Hunnicutt's daughter also was named Erin. Also on ''M*A*S*H'', in the episode "The Colonel's Horse" (season 5, episode 12), Hunnicutt's father-in-law is Floyd Hayden, Hayden being the maiden name of Judy, Farrell's wife. Judy Farrell also acted on ''M*A*S*H'' from 1976 to 1983 as Nurse Able. On December 31, 1984, he married actress

. At the start of ''M*A*S*Hs seventh season, Farrell grew a

Walrus moustache The walrus moustache is characterized by whiskers that are thick, bushy, and drop over the mouth. The style resembles the whiskers of a walrus, hence the name. History Reportedly an ethnic trait of Celts and Gauls, the walrus moustache enj ...

for the B.J. Hunnicutt character even though such a

moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...

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 well 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 due to fellow actors such as

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

and

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations f ...

, as well as

The Mustache Gang The Mustache Gang, a term coined for the 1972 Oakland Athletics baseball team, a team that broke the traditionally conservative baseball views by sporting mustaches. From the change in American men's fashion away from facial hair in the 1920s to ...

of the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. While Farrell would retain 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 didn't want to be

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

with "B.J.-like roles" for the rest of his career. Farrell would shave it off immediately after the series ended, returning to a clean-shaven look afterwards.

Incomplete Filmography

* 1963 ''

McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...

'' (TV series) (Episode "Washing Machine Charlie") as The Gunner * 1963 '' Captain Newman, M.D.'' as Patient (uncredited) * 1966 ''The Year of 53 Weeks'' as Captain Kendall (government film) * 1966 ''

'' (TV series) (Episode "The Bankroll") as Doctor * 1967 ''

'' (TV series) (Episode "Monkees Chow Mein”) as Agent Modell * 1967 ''

'' as Bellhop In The Lobby (uncredited) * 1968 ''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' as Houston Engineer (uncredited) * 1968 '' Panic in the City'' as Dick Blaine * 1968 ''

Targets ''Targets'' is a 1968 American crime thriller film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, produced by Roger Corman, and written by Polly Platt and Bogdanovich, with cinematography by László Kovács.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster' ...

'' as Man In Phonebooth * 1968 ''

Dayton's Devils ''Dayton's Devils'' is a 1968 crime film starring Rory Calhoun and Leslie Nielsen. It marked the film debut of Lainie Kazan and Rigg Kennedy. Plot Frank Dayton (Leslie Nielsen) leads a group of crooks in a caper to steal $2,500,000 from an Air ...

'' as Naval Officer * 1969 ''Worthy to Stand'' as Fred Washburn * 1972 ''

'' (TV series) (Episode "The Hidden Enemy") as Dr. Wills * 1972 '' Doomsday Machine'' (TV movie) as 1st Reporter * 1972 '' The Longest Night'' (TV movie) as Wills * 1973 '' She Cried Murder'' (TV movie) as Detective Walter Stepanic * 1973 '' Banacek'' (TV series) (Episode "The Greatest Collection Of Them All") as Jason Trotter * 1974 ''

'' (TV series) (Episode "The Pioneers") as David Tate * 1974 ''

'' (TV movie) as Jerry Robinson * 1974 '' Live Again, Die Again'' (TV movie) as James Carmichael * 1975 ''Ladies of the Corridor'' (TV movie) as Paul Osgood *1975-83 ''

'' (TV series) as B.J. Hunnicutt * 1976 ''McNaughton's Daughter'' (TV movie) as Colin Pierce * 1978 ''Battered'' (TV movie) as Michael Hawks * 1979 ''Sex and the Single Parent'' (TV movie) as George * 1979 ''Letters From Frank'' (TV movie) as Richard Miller * 1981 ''

The Body Human ''The Body Human'' is a series of specials produced by Tomorrow Entertainment/Medcom Company and telecast by CBS, between 1977 and 1984. They were produced and directed by Robert E. Fuisz and Alfred R. Kelman, who was nominated for an Academy Awa ...

: Becoming A Man'' (TV documentary) Host * 1980 ''Father Damien: The Leper Priest'' (TV movie) as Robertson * 1982 ''Prime Suspect'' (TV movie) as Frank Steplin * 1983 ''

'' (TV movie) as Matt Walker * 1983 ''

Choices of the Heart ''Choices of the Heart'' is an American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film based on the lives of the American Roman Catholic missionaries Jean Donovan, Dorothy Kazel, Maura Clarke, and Ita Ford, all of who ...

'' (TV movie) as Ambassador Robert E. White * 1984 ''J.F.K.: A One-Man Show'' (TV movie) as

John Fitzgerald Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

* 1985 ''

Private Sessions ''Private Sessions'' is a 2007 television series produced by the A&E Network featuring top entertainers interviewed by host Lynn Hoffman. Most guests are musicians that perform several of their songs during the hour-long episode, but actors also h ...

'' (TV movie) as Dr. Joe Braden * 1986 ''Vanishing Act'' (TV movie) as Harry Kenyon * 1987 ''A Deadly Silence'' (TV movie) as Attorney Gianelli * 1989 ''Incident at Dark River'' (TV movie) as Tim McFall * 1990 '' The Price of the Bride'' (TV movie) as Joe Roth * 1990 ''

Lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...

'' as Prentis * 1991 ''

The Whereabouts of Jenny ''The Whereabouts of Jenny'' is a 1991 American drama film directed by Gene Reynolds and written by John Miglis. The film stars Ed O'Neill, Debrah Farentino, Eve Gordon, David Graf, Dakin Matthews and Lee Garlington. The film premiered on ABC on J ...

'' (TV movie) as Van Zandt * 1991 ''Silent Movie'' (TV movie) as Detective Paul Trella * 1994 ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...

: Old Friends Never Die'' (TV movie) as Frank Crane * 1994 '' Matlock'' (TV series) (Episode "The Trial") as Judge Bennett * 1996 '' Superman: The Last Son of Krypton'' (TV movie) as Jonathan Kent (voice) * 1996 ''Vows of Deception'' (TV movie) as Clay Spencer * 1996 ''

Sins of the Mind ''Sins of the Mind'' is a 1997 American psychological drama made-for-television film directed by James Frawley for Paramount Television, featuring the topics of sex addiction and neurotrauma. Starring Mike Farrell (who also served as executive p ...

'' (TV movie) as William * 1997 ''The Killers Within'' as Congressman Clayton *1999-03 ''

'' (TV series) as Jim Hansen * 2003 '' The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron'' (TV movie) as Kenneth Lay * 2004 ''The Clinic'' (TV movie) as Dr. Cyrus Gachet * 2005 ''

Locusts Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumst ...

'' (TV movie) as Lyle Rierdon * 2007 ''Out at the Wedding'' (TV movie) as Father of the Bride * 2008 '' Law & Order Special Victims Unit'' (TV series) as Jonah Malcolm * 2009 ''

Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...

'' (TV series) as William Jet * 2012 ''

'' (TV series) as Fred Jones * 2014-15 ''

'' (TV series) as David Rogers * 2018 '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'' (TV series) (Episodes "A Random Killing", "Descent") as Lee Miglin * 2019 '' NCIS'' (TV series) (Episodes "Judge, Jury...", “and Executioner”) as Judge Miles Deakin

References

External links

* (archived 2016) *
Death Penalty FocusAudio interview of Mike Farrell
by

Stephanie Miller Stephanie Catherine Miller (born September 29, 1961) is an American political commentator, comedian, and host of '' The Stephanie Miller Show'', a Progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles, California, by WYD Media Management and s ...

about the Guantanamo Bay play on ''

The Stephanie Miller Show ''The Stephanie Miller Show'' is a syndicated progressive talk radio program that discusses politics, current events, and pop culture using a fast-paced, impromptu, comedic style. The three-hour show is hosted by Stephanie Miller and is syndicat ...

''
Recording of Mike Farrell talking about his book and activities
from Sacramento, CA on September 28, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Mike 1939 births Living people American anti–death penalty activists Film producers from California American male television actors American male voice actors Hollywood High School alumni Male actors from Hollywood, Los Angeles Male actors from Saint Paul, Minnesota Military personnel from Minnesota United States Marines Activists from California Film producers from Minnesota