Beloved M*A*S*H Star Judy Farrell Passes Away at 84
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We are saddened to report that Judy Farrell, best known for her portrayal of Nurse Able on M*A*S*H opposite her then-husband Mike Farrell, has passed away at the age of 84.
Her son Michael confirmed the news of her passing on Sunday at West Hills Hospital and Medical Centre.
Beginning in 1976 until 1983, the Oklahoma native appeared on eight episodes of M*A*S*H, which was about the members of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The show lasted for 11 seasons.
Her first episode was 1976’s ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’, where Hawkeye (who was played by Alan Alda) attempts to fix a gas stove in the nurses’ tent and blows it up, rendering him temporarily blind.
In a previous interview in 2018, Ms Farrell recalled behind-the-scenes details of this episode.
‘Alan decided to make it so he really couldn’t see,’ she shared.
‘I ended up being the nurse who led him around, except I was always bumping him into stuff because I didn’t know how to lead a blind person around. At one point, Alan turned to me and said, “Do your children trust you?”,’ she continued.
Ms Farrell also appeared in the series finale, ‘Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,’ which attracted a staggering 105 million-plus viewers in the U.S. when it aired on February 28, 1983. The show was still receiving high ratings when the team decided it was time to end its run. Alan Alda, the writer of the show, wanted M*A*S*H to end on a high note.
‘I felt that we were running out of steam and repeating ourselves. And I personally wanted to go out on a high note, artistically,’ he said during a previous phone interview in 2017.
Prior to her role on the show, Ms Farrell made appearances on a variety of 1960s and 1970s shows, such as Judd For The Defense, Get Smart, The Interns, Medical Center, The Rookies, Emergency! and The Partridge Family. In the 1980s, she had guest roles on Benson and Fame.
Her big-screen acting credits include J.W. Coop (1971), Chapter Two (1979) and Long-Term Relationship (2006). Ms Farrell later became a writer for the ABC drama Port Charles, a show that ran from 1998 to 2003.
M*A*S*H co-star Loretta Swit, who starred as Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, described Ms Farrell as ‘family’.
‘Judy was a most beautiful woman — inside and out. We grew up together. She was family. This has been a painful loss, but we will always have the beauty of her memory. Rest in peace, Nurse Able,’ she told reporters.
Ms Farrell was married to her M*A*S*H co-star Mike Farrell from 1963 until 1983. Mike played BJ Hunnicutt on the TV show and appeared as a regular for a total of 179 episodes. After their divorce, Ms Farrell remarried in 1985 to Joe Bratcher.
She is survived by her husband, along with her two children, Michael and Erin.
Everyone at Seniors Discount Club sends their love and thoughts to Judy’s family and friends during this difficult time.
What are your favourite memories of Judy Farrell on M*A*S*H?
Her son Michael confirmed the news of her passing on Sunday at West Hills Hospital and Medical Centre.
Beginning in 1976 until 1983, the Oklahoma native appeared on eight episodes of M*A*S*H, which was about the members of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The show lasted for 11 seasons.
Her first episode was 1976’s ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’, where Hawkeye (who was played by Alan Alda) attempts to fix a gas stove in the nurses’ tent and blows it up, rendering him temporarily blind.
In a previous interview in 2018, Ms Farrell recalled behind-the-scenes details of this episode.
‘Alan decided to make it so he really couldn’t see,’ she shared.
‘I ended up being the nurse who led him around, except I was always bumping him into stuff because I didn’t know how to lead a blind person around. At one point, Alan turned to me and said, “Do your children trust you?”,’ she continued.
The show was a hit when it started in the late 70s. Credit: Facebook
Ms Farrell also appeared in the series finale, ‘Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,’ which attracted a staggering 105 million-plus viewers in the U.S. when it aired on February 28, 1983. The show was still receiving high ratings when the team decided it was time to end its run. Alan Alda, the writer of the show, wanted M*A*S*H to end on a high note.
‘I felt that we were running out of steam and repeating ourselves. And I personally wanted to go out on a high note, artistically,’ he said during a previous phone interview in 2017.
Prior to her role on the show, Ms Farrell made appearances on a variety of 1960s and 1970s shows, such as Judd For The Defense, Get Smart, The Interns, Medical Center, The Rookies, Emergency! and The Partridge Family. In the 1980s, she had guest roles on Benson and Fame.
Her big-screen acting credits include J.W. Coop (1971), Chapter Two (1979) and Long-Term Relationship (2006). Ms Farrell later became a writer for the ABC drama Port Charles, a show that ran from 1998 to 2003.
M*A*S*H co-star Loretta Swit, who starred as Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, described Ms Farrell as ‘family’.
The show ended on a high note in 1983. It aired for 11 seasons. Credit: Facebook
‘Judy was a most beautiful woman — inside and out. We grew up together. She was family. This has been a painful loss, but we will always have the beauty of her memory. Rest in peace, Nurse Able,’ she told reporters.
Ms Farrell was married to her M*A*S*H co-star Mike Farrell from 1963 until 1983. Mike played BJ Hunnicutt on the TV show and appeared as a regular for a total of 179 episodes. After their divorce, Ms Farrell remarried in 1985 to Joe Bratcher.
She is survived by her husband, along with her two children, Michael and Erin.
What are your favourite memories of Judy Farrell on M*A*S*H?
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