Page "David Ogden Stiers" Paragraph 4

In 1977, Stiers joined the cast of the now iconic CBS-TV sitcom M * A * S * H. As Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Stiers filled the void created by the departure of actor Larry Linville's Frank Burns character.

In contrast to the buffoonish Burns, Winchester was a well-spoken and talented surgeon who presented a different type of foil to Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce and Mike Farrell's B. J.

Hunnicutt.

Burns usually served as the butt of practical jokes instigated by Pierce or Hunnicutt, and his surgical skills were often harshly criticized.

Winchester, however, presented a challenge to his colleagues ' displays of irreverence because his surgical skills could match or even outshine theirs ; his aristocratic manner and aversion to the puerile behavior served as the target for his fellow surgeons ' barbs and jokes.

At times, however, Winchester could align himself with Pierce and Hunnicutt and held considerable admiration for CO Col. Sherman T. Potter.

For his portrayal of the pompous but nonetheless multifaceted Boston aristocrat, Stiers received two Emmy Award nominations.