Jamie Farr

Jamie Farr, the dress wearing Corporal Maxwell Klinger, was born Jameel Joseph Farah on July 1, 1934 in Toledo, Ohio to Lebanese-American parents. He started acting at age 11 and continued through high school. After graduating high school he attended the Pasadena Playhouse where is was discovered and cast as the mentally challenged student Santini in the Blackboard Jungle.

Roles were not very frequent for Jamie at first, but he did end up with roles in No Time for Sargeants (with Andy Griffith and Don Knotts), The Greatest Story Ever Told, Who’s Minding the Mint and With Six You Get Eggroll.

In the 1950s he appeared regularly on a few variety shows and was in Wonder Bread television commercials as well.

He was hired for one day for the role of Corporal Klinger in a M*A*S*H episode which he played so well it started his eleven year career with the show. Klinger was often seen wearing a dress and was hoping to get discharged on a Section 8 (being crazy). He eventually asked the writers to have him wear normal army clothes since he didn’t want his children to be teased about it. He took over the reception desks duty for Radar when Gary Burghoff left the show. Jamie actually served two years in Korea for the United States after the Korean war ended.

After M*A*S*H, Jamie starred with Harry Morgan and William Christopher (also from the show) in the series AfterMASH for two years. During this time he also starred in Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II.

He has appeared on numerous game shows, commercials and made-for-tv movies as well as acting with Nathan Lane in Guys and Dolls on Broadway in the 1990s (he played Nathan Detroit). In 2007, Farr hosted a marathon showing of M*A*S*H episodes and provided commentary.

He married Joy Ann Richards in 1963 and they have two children.