Trapper, star of M*A*S*H, is dead at 82

WAYNE Rogers, who played Trapper John McIntyre on M*A*S*H, has died aged 82.

The actor, pictured, was surrounded by his family when he died in Los Angeles on Thursday suffering complications from pneumonia, his friend and publicist Rona Menashe said.

As army surgeon Trapper, Rogers swapped wisecracks with his partner in mischief and martinis Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda.

In the TV series, based on the film about a Korean War field hospital, the two doctors blew off steam between surgeries pulling pranks, romancing nurses and tormenting their tent-mate Frank Burns, always with an endless supply of booze and one-liners.

In one typical joke, Trapper answers a question with: ‘How should I know? I dropped out of school to become a doctor’.

Rogers was on M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972 to 1983, for just the first three of its 11 seasons on US TV station CBS. But his character is particularly revered by fans.

Two other actors played Trapper in other incarnations. Elliot Gould had portrayed the character in the M*A*S*H feature film that preceded the TV show, while Pernell Roberts played the title role in the 1980s spin-off drama Trapper John MD.

After leaving M*A*S*H, Rogers returned to TV regularly, playing a recurring role in Murder, She Wrote in the 1990s.

Later in life Rogers found success as an investor. He is survived by his wife Amy, children Bill and Laura and four grandchildren.