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Mike Farrell ~ the actor
After being honorably discharged from the Marines, Mike started working on his career as an actor, attending classes at LA City College and UCLA.
One of his first TV appearances was on the "Red Skeleton Show", where he appeared in a gorilla suit. A job he got because he was big enough to fit the suit.
Moving up through the ranks, he did bit parts in television and features, most noteworthy in his mind being the opportunity to work on "The Graduate".
Mike's first real breakthrough was a two year stint on "Days of Our Lives", which was followed by a year on "The Interns" with Broderick Crawford. After that he worked with Anthony Quinn in "The Man and The City".
Next came the incomparable experience of eight years with the cast and crew of M*A*S*H, where besides acting Mike had the opportunity to write and direct.
"Sex and The Single Parent" with Terri Garr and "Prime Suspect" are two of a number of other television movies he did during those M*A*S*H years.
Since that time other movies have been "Memorial Day" (which he co-produced), starring Shelley Fabares; "Choices of the Heart", about the murders of four American church women in El Salvador; and "Private Sessions" with Maureen Stapleton and Kelly McGillis.
After "A Deadly Silence", an ABC Movie of the Week, Farrell starred in "The Price of the Bride", an European/American co-production, where he teamed up with his "Questor Tapes" buddy Robbert Foxworth and lived in the UK for some time.
In 1991 he produced and starred in "Silent Motive", with Edward Asner and Patricia Wettig, for Lifetime Cable Network.
1996 saw the continuing development of two features: a starring role opposite Cheryl Ladd in "Vows of Deception", a CBS MOW, and the production of "Sins of the Mind", a movie for the USA Network in which Mike starred opposite Jill Clayburgh. The picture was completed in March and aired in June 1997.
His 1998 work consists of hosting a FOX special: "Behind the Laughs", a documentary about comedy series throughout the years; and the release of a documentary "On a Collision Course with Earth".
In 1999 Mike was involved in NBC's "Providence", a family series where he starred as veterinarian Jim Hansen. This was his first TV series after M*A*S*H.
2002 and 2003 brought Farrell roles in two TV-films: "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron", portraying Kenneth Lay; and the Animal Planet Production: "The Clinic" in which he plays yet another vet.
Credits |
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| 2003 | The Clinic | Dr.Cyrus Gachet |
| 2002 | The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron | Kenneth Lay |
| 2000 | The '70s: The Decade That Changed Television | host |
| 1999 | Providence (series NBC) | Jim Hansen |
| 1998 | Behind the Laughs (FOX special) | host |
| 1998 | On Collision Course with Earth (doc) | host |
| 1997 | Sins of the Mind | father |
| 1997 | 187: Documented | voice |
| 1996 | Superman (animated series) | Clark's dad |
| 1996 | Tangled Web | Clay Harding |
| 1996 | Vows of Deception | Clay Spencer |
| 1996 | Killers Within | Clayton |
| 1995 | The Monroes (series) | |
| 1995 | Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die | Frank Crane |
| 1994 | Heart Attack | |
| 1991 | Silent Motive | Paul Trella |
| 1991 | The Whereabouts of Jenny | Van Zandt |
| 1990 | Lockdown | |
| 1990 | The Price of the Bride | Joe Roth |
| 1989 | A Deadly Silence | Gianelli |
| 1989 | Incident at Dark River | Tim McFall |
| 1986 | Vanishing Act | Harry Kenyon |
| 1986 | Faces of War (doc) | host |
| 1985 | Private Sessions | Joe Braden |
| 1983 | Choices of the Heart | Amb. White |
| 1983 | M*A*S*H: Goodbye, Farewell and Amen | BJ Hunnicutt |
| 1983 | Memorial Day | Matt Walker |
| 1982 | Prime Suspect | Frank Staplin |
| 1981 | El Salvador: Another Vietnam | narrator |
| 1980 | Damien: The Leper Priest | Robertson |
| 1979 | Letters of Frank | |
| 1979 | Sex and the Single Parent | George McGee |
| 1978 | Battered | |
| 1976 | McNaughton's Daughter | |
| 1974 | Live Again, Die Again | |
| 1974 | The Questor Tapes | Jerry Robinson |
| 1973 | The Nightmare Step | |
| 1973 | She Cried Murder! | |
| 1972 | "M*A*S*H" (series) (1975 - 1983) | BJ Hunnicutt |
| 1972 | The Longest Night | Wills |
| 1971 | "The Man and the City" (series) | Andy Hays |
| 1970 | "The Interns" (series) | Sam Marsh |
| 1969 | Targets | man in booth |
| 1968 | The Graduate | hotel employee |
| 1968 | Panic in the City | |
| 1967 | Escape from Planet Earth | |
| 1965 | "Days of Our Lives" (series) (1968 - 1970) | Scott Banning |
Guest-starring |
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| 19.. | "Coach"" | |
| 1991 | "Matlock" episode: "The Trial"as judge David Bennett | |
| 1990 | "Murder She Wrote" episode: "The Family Jewels" as Drew Borden | |
| 19.. | "Mannix" | |
| 19.. | "The Bold Ones" | |
| 19.. | "Ironside" episode: ......... as corrupt cop | |
| 19.. | "Marcus Welby, M.D." | |
| 19.. | "Owen Marshall" | |
| 1974 | "6 Million Dollar Man"episode: "The Pioneers" as David Tate | |
| 1973 | "Banacek" episode: "The Greatest Collection of Them All" | |
| 1973 | "Harry O" episode: "Material Witness" as Cole Harris | |
| 1972 | "Ghost Story" episode: "Elegy for a Vampire" as Frank Simmons | |
| 1972 | "Bonanza" episode "Hidden Enemy" as addicted doctor | |
| 1968 | "I Dream of Jeannie" episode "Genie, Genie..." as astronaut Arland | |
| 1967 | "The Monkees" episode "Monkees Chow Mein" | |
| 19.. | "The Red Skeleton Show" as himself.... oops.... gorilla | |