Why Gary Burghoff's Radar Left M*A*S*H

Running for eleven seasons, "M*A*S*H" might be the best ever television remake of a movie, and Gary Burghoff was the film's only actor who returned to reprise his role. Unfortunately, he left before the series ended for personal reasons, including the feeling he wasn't being given enough to do.

In both the film and the TV series, Burghoff played Cpl. Walter O'Reilly, a quirky young soldier who always carries a teddy bear and who earned the nickname "Radar" thanks to his uncanny ability to show up right when he's needed without being called. Despite the show being a critical hit and a ratings juggernaut, though, Burghoff didn't stick around for its entire run, and his final fate remains one of "M*A*S*H's" biggest unanswered questions. Early in the show's eighth season, the actor departed the series in a two-part installment titled "Goodbye Radar." But the character wasn't written off for story reasons — it was the actor himself who made the decision to leave because he wasn't happy with how his role was working out in the series.

Director Charles S. Dubin, who helmed a whopping 44 episodes of the series, told the Television Academy Foundation that Burghoff had a knack for making people feel bad for him, saying, "He felt ... not neglected, but he felt he wasn't getting his proper dues, in a way." But dissatisfaction with his role wasn't the only reason Burghoff stepped away from "M*A*S*H," as Dubin revealed that the star's personal problems were also getting in the way.

Though he left "M*A*S*H" several seasons before the show's finale, Gary Burghoff played the role of Radar for 10 years between the movie and the subsequent eight seasons on television. And while he may have felt like he wasn't getting the attention he deserved in the series, there were other issues that led to him walking away. As Dubin said in the same interview with the Television Academy Foundation, problems in Burghoff's marriage had begun to affect his performance on the show.

But while others cited personal problems as a big part of why Burghoff left "M*A*S*H," the actor himself rarely spoke about his marital issues. He did confirm, however, that he felt like his role on the show had interfered with his role as a parent. "I was not available as a father because of my work," the actor told Oakville, Ontario radio station JOY 1250 during a 2006 interview (published by ASSIST News Service). Nearly 20 years later, in the 2024 documentary "M*A*S*H: The Comedy that Changed Television,"  Burghoff went further and revealed that it was more than just a desire to spend more time at home.

"My life, at that time — it was a beautiful picture that was all crooked, and I had to step back, big time, in order to grow as a human being," he explained, before insisting, "I didn't leave the show." According to the actor, his contract was up and it just seemed like good timing to part ways with "M*A*S*H." "I had a seven-year contract. I just didn't renegotiate because I was stepping back from everything."

In the two-episode "Goodbye Radar," the 4077 learns that Radar's uncle back home has passed away and rallies together to encourage him to accept a return home to be with his family. They plan to hold a huge party to celebrate Radar's departure, but it's interrupted by an incoming wave of wounded. With no revelers to enjoy the blowout, Radar wanders the mess hall and reminisces before leaving the M*A*S*H unit for good. It's an emotional moment that was nearly very different, because Burghoff — who was known for breaking character — insisted on filming it with a lot more tears.

"I said to myself, what a wonderful moment! I can cry my eyes out, and I can do this wonderful, dramatic moment! I can just completely fall apart," Burghoff said in the 2024 documentary. But Dubin, who directed the scene, didn't think it was the right way to go and suggested he hold back from openly weeping. "And I said, 'No, no. Just let me do it, okay?'" Unfortunately for Burghoff, his director was proven correct. "The next day, in dailies, I look at the screen — and it's awful. I mean, it is just terrible," the actor admitted. "I was wrong ... I said, 'Please, can I do this again?' And he said, 'Yes, you may.'"

In the end, the scene we got is a powerful one, as it's left to the audience to imagine how Radar is feeling, which wasn't difficult. After all, viewers had been getting to know Burghoff as Radar for a decade, and watching him solemnly say his silent goodbyes to his friends at the 4077 was more tear-jerking than any real crying could have been.