Biografie

The unexpected death of Stevenson's "Henry Blake" character from M*A*S*H (1972) at the end of the third (1975) season (plane crash on the way back to the States) caused such a strong fan backlash, with countless letters of hate mail being received over the character's death, that the show's writers and producers all agreed that in the future, should one of their actors wish to leave, they would never give that actor's character a tragic send-off.

To research for his role as an army surgeon on M*A*S*H (1972), McLean Stevenson thoroughly studied a book on the history of medicine loaned from Alan Alda. Months later, that knowledge proved extremely useful when he came upon a person who was critically wounded in a car accident. Drawing on his research, he was able to keep the person alive until help arrived.

Was still in the hospital recovering from surgery when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest and died.

After the news of Col. Blake's death on M*A*S*H (1972) (He left at the end of the third season) shocked the world, the very next night on Cher (1975) Folge #1.7 (1975), the opening shot was of Henry Blake in a raft, waving his arms, hollering, "I'm OK! I'm OK!".

Originally auditioned for the role of "Hawkeye Pierce" on M*A*S*H (1972) before being convinced to take the role of "Henry Blake".