Introduction
There are a number of actresses who had recurring roles on M*A*S*H, appearing both credited and uncredited in numerous episodes. Some, like Kellye Nakahara and Gwen Farrell, were with the series for the bulk of its run. Others, like Marcia Strassman, were only in a single season. These actresses help make the 4077th feel like a real place to viewers; seeing familiar faces in supporting capacity season after season was a nice touch.
A note about nurses at the 4077th: many of them were, at one time or another, given the rank of lieutenant. I am not familiar with the way ranks work in the army, but maybe all the nurses at the 4077th — with the exception of Margaret — were lieutenants.
This page is a work in progress. As additional credited and uncredited appearances for actresses are identified, they will be added.
Nurse Kellye (Kellye Nakahara)
NOTE: Because she is clearly identified as Nurse Kellye in the majority of her credited appearances, I am placing Kellye Nakahara on this page rather than the Same Face, Different Name page, even though she was credited as several different nurses.
Kellye Nakahara’s first credited appearance on M*A*S*H was as Nurse Yamato in Season Two’s “Hot Lips and Empty Arms,” although she appeared uncredited in several earlier Season Two episodes. She would not be credited as Nurse Kellye until Season Four’s “The Kids.” She was also credited as Nurse Able, Nurse Charlie, Nurse Baker and simply as Nurse. All in all, Kellye Nakahara was credited in forty-four episodes, with dozens of uncredited appearances as well.
Her most memorable episode is without a doubt “Hey, Look Me Over,” the first episode of the eleventh and final season, in which she erupts at Hawkeye for the way he chases after ever nurse but her. Later, Hawkeye sees her comfort a dying soldier and gains a new found respect for the nurses. Overall, her role became somewhat more substantial during the last few seasons; she was credited in over half the episodes in Season Ten and nine of the final sixteen in Season Eleven.
Some of Nurse Kellye’s appearances: in “Bulletin Board,” she was on her way to winning a race when Frank burst out of the underbrush and, with a gaggle of nurses behind him, crossed the finish line in terror. She helped throw a bridal shower for Margaret in “Margaret’s Marriage.” In “Bottom’s Up” she offered to cover for Nurse Whitfield if she wasn’t up to her shift (Whitfield was an alcoholic). She helped comfort Nurse Gwen after she was shot in “The Life You Save” and in “Who Knew?” she admitted to not knowing Millie at all — along with the rest of the camp. She participated in the frantic race to save a wounded soldier from paralysis in “Life Time.”
In “As Time Goes By” she donated her favorite pair of army boots to the camp’s time capsule, telling everyone they stood for standing. She was also referred to as Nurse Nakahara in that episode, begging the question of what the character’s last name was: Kellye or Nakahara? Finally, in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she revealed that she was hoping to be assigned to Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu so she could be close to her family.
List of Appearances:
- “Hot Lips and Empty Arms”
- “As You Were”
- “A Full Rich Day”
- “Bulletin Board”
- “House Arrest”
- “The Late Captain Pierce”
- “The Kids”
- “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
- “Margaret’s Marriage”
- “Commander Pierce”
- “None Like It Hot”
- “Hot Lips is Back in Town”
- “A Night at Rosie’s”
- “Nurse Doctor”
- “The Yalu Brick Road”
- “Life Time”
- “Goodbye, Cruel World
- “Dreams”
- “War Co-Respondent”
- “Death Takes a Holiday”
- “No Sweat”
- “No Laughing Matter”
- “Bottoms Up”
- “The Red/White Blues”
- “That’s Show Biz”
- “Identity Crisis”
- “Give ‘Em Hell, Hawkeye”
- “Communications Breakdown”
- “‘Twas the Day After Christmas”
- “The Birthday Girls”
- “The Tooth Shall Set You Free”
- “Where There’s a Will, There’s a War”
- “Promotion Commotion”
- “Sons and Bowlers”
- “That Darn Kid”
- “Hey, Look Me Over”
- “Who Knew?”
- “Run for the Money”
- “U.N., the Night, and the Music”
- “Say No More”
- “Friends and Enemies”
- “Give and Take”
- “As Time Goes By”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Margie Cutler (Marcia Strassman)
Marcia Strassman (perhaps better known to the general public as Mrs. Kotter on Welcome Back, Kotter) appeared in six episodes during the first season as Nurse Margie Cutler, a doe-eyed lieutenant with an feisty streak who always kept Hawkeye guessing. She was memorably introduced in “Requiem For A Lightweight” running out of the shower wearing only a towel — and she soon lost that. Hawkeye and Trapper were both taken by the new nurse but the heated competition between the two was over before it started. Margaret had Margie transferred for being “a bit of a distraction.”
Colonel Blake agreed to bring Margie back to the 4077 if Hawkeye and Trapper could find someone to fight in a boxing tournament. Trapper stepped up and went a few rounds in the ring to keep Margie around. Later, in “Yankee Doodle Doctor,” Margie participated in Hawkeye’s film, appearing alongside Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar and later showcasing her dancing talent a table in the mess tent.
In “Bananas, Crackers, and Nuts” she bore the brunt of Hawkeye’s crazed rejection when she finally agreed to go out with him. She rallied the nurses in “Edwina,” convincing them not to go out with any men in camp until somebody went out with Nurse Eddie. When Hawkeye drew the short straw, a bemused Margie was happy to see him take his dating duty seriously.
While helping to take x-rays of Radar in “Love Story,” she told Hawkeye that he acted like a child. And in “Ceasefire,” her last appearance, Margie was overjoyed that the war would be ending soon, meaning she and Hawkeye could start making post-war plans together. She was shocked when he told her he was married (he was lying). Perhaps that led to her requesting a transfer from the 4077th once the cease-fire failed to materialize.
List of Appearances:
- “Requiem for a Lightweight”
- “Yankee Doodle Doctor”
- “Bananas, Crackers and Nuts”
- “Edwina”
- “Love Story”
- “Cease-Fire”
Nurse Ginger Ballis (Odessa Cleveland)
NOTE: I am unsure of the spelling of Ginger’s last name. Hawkeye said it at the end of “Dear Dad” and the closed captioning on the DVD gave the spelling as Ballis while other sources use Bayliss.
During the first two seasons, Ginger was one of the most recognizable faces in the background scenes of M*A*S*H. Odessa Cleveland is credited in eleven episodes of Season One and eight episodes of Season Two, plus one additional episode in Season Three. At the end of “M*A*S*H – The Pilot,” when the P.A. announces that “the following personnel are assigned to the 4077th surgical hospital,” Odessa Cleveland’s name is listed. And at the end of “Dear Dad,” Hawkeye wishes his father a Merry Christmas from everyone at the camp, including Ginger. However, her role was never as significant as other supporting characters of the early years.
She was seen dancing with Spearchucker at the raffle party in “M*A*S*H – The Pilot” and a game of strip dominoes between her and Spearchucker in “Chief Surgeon Who?” is interrupted by General Barker, who asks her if everybody at the 4077th is crazy. Her response? “Everybody who’s sane is, sir.” Hawkeye asked her to check on a patient in “Bananas, Crackers, and Nuts” because he is worried about the patient’s breathing. She is shocked to discover that the patient is a dog.
In “Major Fred C. Dobbs,” Frank erupts at Ginger, calling her useless and an incompetent bungler. His harsh words reduce her to tears. After surgery, Hawkeye and Trapper comfort her and then proceed to prank Frank without mercy. She assists Henry during surgery in “5 O’Clock Charlie” and he asks what number of yards she has down for 5 O’Clock Charlie that day. When she replies thirty-two and a half, he laughs, and refuses to disclose his own number. It is a very nice scene between the two.
Perhaps her finest moment came in “Dear Dad… Three.” Early in the episode, after Hawkeye sends her for more plasma, a soldier asks Hawkeye to make sure he doesn’t get “darkie” blood. Later, Hawkeye and Trapper paint the soldier’s face and hands with tincture of iodine. When Ginger goes to check on him, she compliments him on passing for white, which prompts him to start yelling at her. She yells right back, declaring that she is a lieutenant and he had better watch his mouth. After Hawkeye and Trapper tell the soldier about the man who discovered plasma dying because a whites only hospital wouldn’t let him in (the story is false) the remorseful soldier thanks Hawkeye for giving him a lot to think about, and then salutes Ginger.
She was yelled at by Margaret in “Hot Lips and Empty Arms,” but by that time her role was reduced to a scene or two in the O.R. and after the Season Three episode “O.R.” the character was never seen again.
List of Appearances:
- “M*A*S*H — The Pilot”
- “To Market, To Market”
- “Chief Surgeon Who?”
- “Bananas, Crackers and Nuts”
- “Henry, Please Come Home”
- “I Hate A Mystery”
- “Germ Warfare”
- “Dear Dad”
- “Dear Dad, Again”
- “Major Fred C. Dobbs”
- “Cease-Fire”
- “Divided We Stand”
- “5 O’Clock Charlie”
- “For the Good of the Outfit”
- “L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel)”
- “Dear Dad… Three”
- “Hot Lips and Empty Arms”
- “Officer’s Only”
- “Henry in Love”
- “O.R.”
Lt. Barbara Bannerman (Bonnie Jones)
In “I Hate A Mystery,” Hawkeye lavished her with praise, telling her he admired her for her analytical mind. However, she still thought he was guilty of stealing a variety of items. Earlier in the episode, Trapper hit on her in the supply tent while she was taking inventory. She was also seen rooming with Leslie Scorch. Later, in “Dear Dad,” she was one of at least two nurses who had a date with Hawkeye in the same night. Despite a rather large, speaking role in “Sticky Wicket,” in which she again had a date with Hawkeye (he broke it), Bonnie Jones was not named in the closing credits. And, in “Cease-Fire,” she was one of three nurses to learn that Hawkeye was married (he was lying). She also bought one of Klinger’s dresses at his end-of-the-war sale.
List of Appearances:
- “I Hate a Mystery”
- “Dear Dad”
- “Sticky Wicket” (uncredited)
- “Cease-Fire”
Nurse Able (Judy Farrell)
Note: Judy Farrell was married to Mike Farrell (B.J. Hunnicutt) until 1983.
Judy Farrell first appeared in “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” begging Hawkeye to come fix the furnace in the nurses’ quarters. Later, she lead a blind Hawkeye out of post-op after he nearly came to blows with Frank. She took him to the nurses’ quarters. Along with several of her fellow nurses, she had prepared for a trip to Tokyo in “Movie Tonight” but after seeing the fun that the rest of the camp was having, decided to stay.
She helped give Margaret a bridal shower in “Margaret’s Marriage” and in “Images” she helped convince Hawkeye and B.J. to talk to Margaret about giving Nurse Cooper a break. In “Ain’t Love Grand,” she tried to talk Hawkeye into going back to the Swamp during his fued with B.J. to no avail. She was one of the (many) nurses to enjoy Hawkeye’s vintage wine in “Taking the Fifth” after he tried to use it to get a date. And during the farewell dinner in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she announced that she was going to be “the best darn nurse Oklahoma’s ever seen.”
List of Appearances:
- “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
- “Movie Tonight”
- “Margaret’s Marriage”
- “Images”
- “Ain’t Love Grand”
- “Taking the Fifth”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Nurse Baker (Jan Jorden)
Although many actresses were credited as Nurse Baker over the years, Jan Jorden was always credited as Baker, never anyone else. Her first appearance was in the Season Seven episode “Commander Pierce,” in which she argues with Bigelow and Kellye about switching shifts. In “Hot Lips Is Back In Town,” she was one of the nurses who welcomed Lieutenant Linda Nugent to the 4077th. Hawkeye flirted with her in “Taking the Fifth” and she later joined the rest of the nurses in the supply tent to sample his vintage wine.
In “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she announced that she was going to stay in nursing and try to get into maternity or pediatrics. After everything she went through during the war, it “would be nice to help bring people into the world.”
List of Appearances:
- “Commander Pierce”
- “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
- “Point of View”
- “Hot Lips Is Back In Town”
- “Period of Adjustment”
- “Taking the Fifth”
- “The Moon is Not Blue”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Nurse Peggy Bigelow (Enid Kent)
Note: It just might be possible to determine which season an episode appeared in if you look carefully at the length and style of Enid Kent’s hair.
She felt just awful about Hawkeye being blinded in “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” especially since she was one of the nurses who woke him up early in the morning to fix the furnace in the nurses’ quarters. She often flirted with Hawkeye; the two seemed to have a solid relationship founded on witty retorts. In “Movie Tonight” she participated in the nurses’ verse of “Gee Ma, I Wanna Go Home.” When the camp was obsessed with The Rooster Crowed at Midnight in “The Light That Failed,” Bigelow helped deduce who wasn’t the murderer.
Her first name was given as Peggy during “In Love and War” when she was introduced to another nurse. In “Images,” she revealed that she used to work emergency in Chicago and it still took her a while to get used to the “meatball” surgery at the 4077th. She went with Hawkeye to the 8063rd during the week-long switcheroo in “Temporary Duty” and was referred to as a lieutenant. While attempting to secure the water tower in “They Call the Wind Korea” she suffered a ruptured spleen. And in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she somberly announced that she was quitting nursing, after having dealt with so much carnage — first at the tail end of World War II and, of course, the Korean War.
List of Appearances:
- “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
- “Ping Pong”
- “Movie Tonight”
- “The Light That Failed”
- “In Love and War”
- “Images”
- “Temporary Duty”
- “Commander Pierce”
- “They Call the Wind Korea”
- “Hot Lips Is Back In Town”
- “C*A*V*E”
- “Who Knew?”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Nurse Shari (Shari Saba)
Shari Saba’s first credited appearance was in the Season Eight episode “Bottle Fatigue,” in which she had one line (“Si, si doctor.”). In “Lend a Hand,” during a cold snap, she turned down Hawkeye’s suggestion they go somwhere cold and get warm, opting instead for some “stimulating conversation.” She was also in on the conspiracy to throw Hawkeye a surprise birthday party. In “Bottom’s Up,” Hawkeye and Charles moved B.J.’s cot into the nurses quarters, she was one of the grinning nurses awaiting him when he woke up.
She held a light over Gwen during a blackout after Gwen had been shot in “The Life You Save” and lost to B.J. in pinball in “Wheelers and Dealers.” In one of my personal favorite scenes that shows the dedication of the background players on M*A*S*H, she can be seen trying to glue together a mug in “Who Knew?” in the nurses quarters. And according to “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she wanted to get into radiology. She also saved Father Mulcahy from being hit by a jeep in that episode.
Overall, Shari Saba was credited in only eleven episodes — both as simply Nurse and as Shari — but appeared uncredited in countless others, often in the background or in crowd scenes.
List of Appearances:
- “Bottle Fatigue”
- “Lend a Hand”
- “Letters” (uncredited)
- “Oh, How We Danced”
- “Bottoms Up”
- “The Life You Save”
- “Identity Crisis”
- “Wheelers and Dealers”
- “Hey, Look Me Over”
- “Who Knew?”
- “U.N., the Night and the Music”
- “As Time Goes By” (uncredited)
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Nurse Leslie Scorch (Linda Meiklejohn)
Leslie was Henry Blake’s main squeeze during the first season (and one episode of the second). Forgetting for a moment the moral repurcussions of the married Henry fooling around with another woman, it seems likely that army regulations frowned upon an officer of Henry’s stature fraternizing with a subordinate like Leslie (on the other hand, army regulations never stopped anyone at the 4077th from doing anything). She was seen in the original opening sequence to “M*A*S*H – The Pilot” enjoying champagne with Henry and was later off to Seoul in a chopper (Henry came back at the end of the episode; Leslie was not in the chopper with him, so how did she get back?).
She was at the party for Hawkeye in “Chief Surgeon Who?” and was introduced to Young Hi in “The Moose” during breakfast in the mess tent. In “Henry, Please Come Home” she joined with Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar to trick Henry into returning to the 4077th under false pretenses. During Henry’s search of the camp in “I Hate A Mystery,” Radar nearly ran off with a pile of Leslie’s delicates. When the nursing staff went on “strike” in “Edwina” until one of the men went on a date with Edwina, even Colonel Blake couldn’t get any affection from Leslie, his favorite nurse.
After seven appearances in Season One, she returned for the first episode of the second season but quickly disappeared, never to be seen again.
List of Appearances:
- “M*A*S*H — The Pilot”
- “Chief Surgeon Who?”
- “The Moose”
- “Henry, Please Come Home”
- “I Hate A Mystery”
- “Edwina”
- “The Ringbanger”
- “Divided We Stand”
Nurse Jo Ann (Jo Ann Thompson)
NOTE: This actress is credited as both Jo Ann Thompson and Joann Thompson.
In eleven credited appearances, Jo Ann Thompson was given a name only twice, both times Jo Ann. In her other appearances, she was credited as simply Nurse (or Nurse #1 in “As Time Goes By“). Her first appearance was in the Season Seven episode “Dear Sis,” when she recieved socks for Christmas and was very impressed with the gift Klinger recieved. She helped B.J. harvest an arterial graft from a dead soldier in order to save another patient in “Life Time” and assisted Hawkeye in surgery in “The Red/White Blues.” She alerted the rest of the camp to the newspaper stash Charles was keeping in “Communication Breakdown.”
Was “bribed” by Reddish with a pair of silk stockings to let him speak with a patient before visiting hours in “Foreign Affairs.” She took the stockings and then went to alert Hawkeye and B.J., finally returning the stockings when they confronted Reddish. She was one of the enraged patrons of the Officer’s Club in “Friends and Enemies” when Charles put his classical music in the jukebox. In “As Time Goes By” she was present at the time capsule ceremony, along with most of the camp. And in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” she announced she was sticking with the army.
List of Appearances:
- “Dear Sis”
- “A Night at Rosie’s”
- “Life Time”
- “The Red/White Blues”
- “Identity Crisis”
- “Communications Breakdown”
- “Foreign Affairs”
- “Who Knew?”
- “Friends and Enemies”
- “As Time Goes By”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Unnamed Nurse (Jennifer Davis)
With Jennifer Davis, the writers and/or producers bypassed the issue of naming characters by never once crediting Jennifer Davis as anything but Nurse. She is credited in nine episodes, starting with Season Five’s “Dear Sigmund” and ending with “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” In “C*A*V*E,” she was working on the patient Hawkeye was trying to help while battling his claustraphobia. Hawkeye hit on her in “A Night a Rosie’s” and again in “Are You Now, Margaret?” but both times she shrugged him off.
In “April Fools,” Colonel Tucker began asking her about an I.V. before Hawkeye interceded. And in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” she watched in horror as Hawkeye drove a tank through the newly rebuilt latrine.
List of Appearances:
- “Dear Sigmund”
- “C*A*V*E”
- “A Night At Rosie’s”
- “Are You Now, Margaret?”
- “April Fools”
- “Oh, How We Danced”
- “Settling Debts”
- “Friends and Enemies”
- “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”
Lt. Dish (Karen Philipp)
Lieutenant Dish, in the words of Hawkeye, is “a girl with a face that doesn’t quit. A girl with so much body she should be continued on the next girl.” She’s engaged and, according to Hawkeye, is inaccesible to everyone but him. But she always seem to turn him down as well, even going as far as to suggest that Hawkeye might thrive on rejection. She does agree to take part in the raffle to raise money for Ho-Jon but apparently only because she knows she won’t actually have to go away with the winner (she does assume it’ll be Hawkeye). The winner, of course, turns out to be Father Mulcahy and Dish is off the hook.
In “Germ Warfare” she’s seen first in the Pre-Op Ward assisting Trapper John, then in the Mess Tent where she talks with Hawkeye and teases him about how his fantasies and finally back in the Pre-Op Ward where she dresses a wound and talks with Margaret. Despite being featured heavily in the CBS fall preview for M*A*S*H as well as promotional material leading up to the series premiere, Dish only appeared in these two episodes.
List of Appearances:
- “M*A*S*H — The Pilot” (credited as Lt. Dish)
- “Germ Warfare” (credited as Lt. Dish)
Lt. Jones (Barbara Brownell)
During a date with Hawkeye at the minefield in “The Moose” she told him his kisses were driving her crazy; she then pushed him away for biting her throat. The two were soon interrupted by Trapper. Was introduced to Young Hi (the “moose”) at breakfast the following morning. Hawkeye tried to talk her into going out with Radar in “Love Story” but instead he talked her into his own, very capable, arms.
List of Appearances:
- “The Moose” (credited as Lt. Jones)
- “Love Story” (credited as Lt. Jones)
Nurse Webster (Deborah Harmon)
Went on a date with Hawkeye in “Promotion Commotion” but only after deciding to give him a second chance following Rizzo’s attempt to gain favor with Hawkeye by telling her how much of a stud. The date ended badly due to interference from Igor and Klinger. Was one of the nurses to bug out with patients in “Hey, Look Me Over” and then return to a joyous reception from the doctors. Helped prepare for an inspection by Colonel Bucholtz and was later unexpectedly given the night off by Margaret.
List of Appearances:
- “Promotion Commotion” (credited as Nurse Webster)
- “Hey, Look Me Over” (credited as Nurse Webster)
Nurse Lacey (Rita Wilson)
Was supposed to go out on a date with Hawkeye in “Blood and Guts” but had to back out when war correspondent Clayton Kibbee asked her to have a drink with him. Jokinly asked Hawkeye if he was jealous and was later seen at the Officer’s Club with Kibbee. Was one of the nurses to bug out with patients in “Hey, Look Me Over” and later returned to the 4077th to find a joyous reception from the doctors. Hawkeye later flirted with her while she was “cooking” hemostats (she ignored him). Complained about Margaret loudly, saying she was worse than Colonel Bucholtz. Worried about a dying patient with Hawkeye.
List of Appearances:
- “Blood and Guts” (credited as Nurse Lacey)
- “Hey, Look Me Over” (credited as Nurse Lacey)
Last updated November 10th, 2013
Lynette Mettey is missing from this list, one of the many blondes from the first few seasons, originally appearing as Lt. Nancy Griffin for two episodes, one episode as Nurse Sheila Anderson, and one episode each as Nurse Able and Nurse Baker.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0582641/
She has been my favorite nurse of all of them! The prettiest too! That’s part of the reason I didn’t like for Hawkeye to change from earlier seasons (womanizer) to a hard working reject in the last few seasons!
what a great site! this m*a*s*h* fan thanks you for a long overdue webpage.
There was a Asian looking nurse always in the background. Like the episode where the American soldier take Winchester hostage after he passes out you can see her smiling in the background. They never mentioned her name or actress
there was also a strikingly pretty light-skinned black nurse in most of the seasons who is never credited. if i get any info on her, i will pass it along.
Jerry, I believe pretty light-skinned black nurse your speaking of is Gwen Farrell. She is mentioned on the link https://www.mash4077tv.com/features/nurses_various/
If you post her name, i would be very grateful. I’ve been curious about her name since the 70s.
Best wishes from England.
Actually, Jennifer Davis appeared earlier than “Dear Sigmund”; she was in “Abyssinia, Henry”, in the formation saying goodbye to Henry, and Henry did refer to her as “Jennifer”… so that was probably just a random name thrown in there to avoid coming up with one for her.
Hey–aren’t you forgetting about the most unforgettable nurse of all—Nurse Klinger!!!!
Klinger was a medic and orderly…he only dressed like a nurse 😉
We all know that hes an orderly klinger shall forever be Klinger.
Klinger IS mentioned as a nurse. He is/was under Houlihan for several episodes. Also called a nurse. Yes, he was . Simple to find proof……
Question , I am interested in learning the name of the actress who played a nurse in a few episodes , she does not talk much if at all, In Season 7 Episode 4 ” Our finest hour ” After the news reel stops, they are in the “OR” Captain Pearce asks “Lori, or Cory” to check the temperature of a chest wound. You see her walk away from that and past the camera.
Also, she was in “None like it hot” the episode about the tub from Abercrombie & Fitch, You will see this nurse at the chow line wrinkling her nose at the “Slop de jure” for the day.. You also see her after Radar gets into the tub, wearing a yellow sort of dress, or shirt.
Who is this actress?
The actress is Laurie Bates. In the show, she is called “Laurie” as well.
Why no mention of Jo Ann Pflug? She played lt. Dish and was always in the opening scene where they are running out to meet the ‘bird.
Bill, Jo Ann Pflug played Lt. Dish in the movie MASH, not the television series.
There is one nurse that I can’t find anywhere, but she speaks in at least a couple of episodes and I’d like to know who she is, because she’s incredibly cute! It’s the one to the left in this picture: http://ubuntuone.com/7hNPhCwxM6W1A6Ypp9BOer
I don’t know who the one to the right is either, but I don’t think she has any lines.
Oh, it is actually Bobbie Mitchell and she is here. I just didn’t recognize her from the pictures.
Lynette Metlley
ya the nurses and corpsmen add a lot to the realistic feel of the show…i am totally in love with nurse shari (shari saba)… seems this is the only tv or cinema she has ever done…would love to know more about her…long, long live the 4077th!!
she was a boxgirl at Gelson’s in No. Hollywood, CA in hs.
Who played Nurs Lori?
What about the nurse that B.J. comforts and then ends up being unfaithful with? Who played her and what was her name?
her name was carrie donovan and was played by ann sweeny
Baker (Jan Jorden) played a pretty prominent role in “Point of View”. She told Hawkeye to knock it off when he was “throwing her a pass” before checking on Pvt. Rich. When she came to Potter to have some documents signed (as he was confiding in Rich about his guilt over not calling Mildred on their anniversary), he told her to “Shoo!” And, she got the wheelchair for Klinger so he could take Rich on a tour of the camp. The visit to the nurses shower did him a world of good :).
In the episode, “The Nurses”, the producers went away from the usual Able, Baker, Kellye, etc., and cast four different actresses for that episode only. Three had prominent TV careers: Linda Kelsey, Mary Jo Catlett, and Carol Locatell. The other, Patricia Sturges (the tall one), only had one other credited acting appearance. I always wondered why they didn’t just shoot this episode with the usuals (Gwen Farrell, Judy Farrell, Kellye, Jan Jorden, Enid Kent). To me, it would have given those actresses some prominence and would have introduced them to the fans better.
I always thought this episode might have been an unannounced spinoff pilot, hence the more well known actresses. I’ve always liked the episode and thought it would have made a good series. And it also had Gregory Harrison, who would go on to star in Trapper John M.D. just a couple of years later. Even if it wasn’t meant as a pilot, I don’t think the usual stable of actresses could have handled the acting, especially Carol Locatell’s role, which is perhaps why they brought in different actresses.
Jo Ann Thompson actually started appearing earlier than season 7; she appeared as early as season 5 in “Movie Tonight” as one of the nurses origially heading to Tokyo before deciding to stay. Her hair wasn’t as gray. She was also frequently called “Jo Ann” by Margaret, Hawk, and B.J., instead of “nurse” or “Able” or “Baker”, especially toward the end of the series.
Jo Ann Thompson is my wife’s cousin. She and her sister started acting very young and were in Shane as uncredited. The both appeared in several beach party films as extras, and Jo Ann also appeared in a few Dobie Gillis episodes. I believe she started earlier than season 5. Her sister eventually married Cameraman/director King Baggott.
Sheila lauritsen from first few seasons, did not have many lines. Was in Henry in Love and other episodes in Season 2. She was blond, very cute.
Does anyone know who played the very pretty, tall blonde nurse the the episode “The Nurses” (season 5, episode 5)?
Ok Nurses with “Nurses with Recurring Roles” Find help me find the Name of this actress… In “Our Finest hour” During the opening scene.. – the newsman talks. Then it cuts to a view of Hawkeye, asking a nurse “LORIE or Cory” to check the temperature, of a chest wound.. Later it shows her walking past the camera as the camera pans with her. – She also played in “None Like it hot” I think she is in line for food, behind Winchester and wrinkles her nose at the food. In a yellow striped shirt… also when RADAR is in the tub and all the nurses come bursting in to see the bathtub, she is still in this yellow striped shirt or dress. (Who is this actress?)
See above response to Q on 6/25/12…Laurie Bates.
Did Laurie Bates ever act in any other TV shows or movies? If so what?
This is 3 years late, but she looks to be Lieutenant Laurie played by Laurie Bates.
http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/Lieutenant_Laurie
In the episode The Bulletin Board,@ the picnic the relay race who was the Blonde Nurse that also ran in the race after the relay race.
I’m wondering the same. She has legs that won’t quit.
Does anyone remember a pilot for a spinoff to mash based on the nurses not the doctors ? And the colonel was a bee keeper. It’s driving me nuts. I know I didn’t dream it!!
CBS aired two unsold pilots about nurses in Korea. The first was called “Handle with Care” (aka “The Nurses”) and starred Marlyn Mason and Didi Conn. It aired on May 9th, 1977. Brian Dennehy played the commanding officer.
The second was called “The Fighting Nightingales” and starred Adrienne Barbeau. It aired on January 16th, 1978. Kenneth Mars played the commanding officer.
I believe you are referring to “Handle with Care,” which apparently was more of a slapstick comedy than “The Fighting Nightingales,” which was a comedy-drama.
Thanks, that has narrowed it down. I just remember the beekeeping commander. There is the IMDB file on both series but not a lot of details.
I remember THE FIGHTING NIGHTINGALES but not HANDLE WITH CARE. I remember THE FIGHTING NIGHTINGALES wasn’t very good, I’m not surprised CBS passed on it. I remember it aired right after MASH one week on Monday or Tuesday (whatever night it was on then)
I have a question…
In episode #147, in the opening scene, there are two nurses (minor roles) chatting in the background when Lil shows up in the jeep. One of those nurses is a petite blond with her belly showing (she pulls her shirt down once Lil arrives and she realizes Lil is a Colonel). I have seen this petite blond actress on multiple episodes of mash, however, I have never been able to find out who she was.
Can someone one please let me know the name of this actress?
Thank you
John, I’m not sure who that nurse is. I’ll take a look this weekend and see if I can figure it out.
RJ,
I just noticed that she also has considerable screen time in the episode “None like it hot”. You can see her in the mess tent standing next in line to get served as Hawkeye is chatting with the server (Igor I believe) and complaining about how brown the lettuce is. Hope this helps you in helping me find out who she is.
Regards,
John
Hey we might be talking about the same actress.. I went and looked at the “Lil” episode and it does look like the same woman. She is also in the beginning of “Our finest hour” Hawkeye refers to her as Lori or Cory, and asks her to check the temperature of a chest wound. She is in “Mail call three” just before Klinger goes into his rant about his wife leaving him. She is sitting to the right of Col. Potter. “The Billfold Syndrome” she is in the chow line. “none like it hot” She is wearing a striped yellow shirt, in the chow line, then later when all the nurses burst into Radars bath in the laundry room. I can think of one more episode , it was of Maj. Winchester and her kneeling down on the ground with a patient. As yet I can’t find this episode but remember it.. Yeah if you find out let me know..
In a earlier episode There was a nurse Hawkeye was talking to on his got before getting interrupted. Hawkeye tells her he will be back before she can whistle something and she starts to whistle and he puts a cookie in her mouth. Who was she????
Jeff, the actress is named Lynette Mettey and the episode was “Some 38th Parallels,” in which she was credited as Nurse Able.
Shelly Long played in a episode, what was the nurses name?
I recall a few one episode big named actresses. Terri Garr in the sniper episode. I believe one of the knots landing actresses who gets attacked by a patient with a scalpel, and Hawkeyes college sweetheart who has been in many thing like Meet the fockers
You’re referring to Joan Van Ark and Blythe Danner. Van Ark’s episode was “Radar’s Report” and Danner’s episode was “The More I See You”.
Bonnie Jones was Gene Reynolds at the time.
http://www.bonniejonesreynolds.com/author.html
I have a question, there is a nurse that I can’t identify, She never says anything in any of the episodes that I am aware of 1st time I saw her was “MAIL CALL THREE” she was sitting right by Colonel potter, to the left, right before Klinger goes into is rant about his wife leaving him. 2) The Billfold Syndrome, she is in the chow line kind of making faces about the food. 3) None like it hot, you see her twice , she is wearing a stripped shirt, and is in the chow line, and then when Radar is in the tub she and all the other nurses burst into the laundry room. 4) She was in the very beginning of “Our Greatest Hour” Hawkeye called her Lorie or Cory , and asked her to check the temperature of a chest wound” WHO is this mystery woman?
Who was the blonde Nurse, and the actress who played her, in an early episode, who Hawk thinks is married, after he see’s a ring on her finger. Finally after his consternation gets the better of him, she tells that, no she is not married. He responds with “move over Lieutenant” or something like that. Always seemed a funny and real life sticky situation that kinda showed his chivalry or whatever…
Joan Van Ark
Linda Mieklejohn also played Sylvia Jaffee in Henry’s home movie in the episode Dear Dad threeDear
Sorry I might have misspelled Linda’s name. I looked up the actors in the home movie several years ago but don’t remember the site to reference it here.
Louise Vienna played Sylvia Jaffee. Linda Mieklejohn isn’t quite as “curvy”. 😉
It is so nice to see that there are still many viewers of the this great series. I have always wondered who the nurse was that asked Radar if he was still a virgin. She played on many of the first few seasons and often play one of Hawkeye’s love interest. I thinks I read something years ago that she had past away unexpectedly and that was the reason for not continuing with the series. Anyone have any information?
That was Lieutenant Gage played by Bobbie Mitchell. She had a little girl voice
the acotr’s we liked most are harry morgan and jamiefarr and radar.
Nurse Able was also played by Lynnette Mettey. Episode 92 1976.
Does anybody know who the nurse is that Hawkeye carries on his shoulders during the MASH olympics??
The rider on Hawkeye’s shoulders was a real cutie-patootie! Really built! Pls notice the few frames of her “chestal-area” after sliding off the roof/edge of the dirty tent, just before Hawk drops her. Really drops her. Maybe a stunt woman?
Re: the nurses, I’m surprised Rita Wilson wasn’t mentioned as the spouse of Tom Hanks!
Also, Rita Wilson appeared in FRASIER in a dual role: As Crane’s girlfriend and as the spittin’ image of Frasier’s mother, who had died years earlier.
There was a consistent Nurse Baker at one point. One episode was when Radar went on “R and R” to Seoul for some “Ahem–ahem–ahem!” He came back wounded and Hawkeye took the blame badly.One of Nurse Baker’s lines in Post-op to Pierce was: “You’re not gonna talk to him [Radar] again, are ya?”
One not-so popular nurse on MASH, but only for a few episodes, became VERY popular a few years later as “Diane Chambers” on CHEERS!!
What about Blythe Danner in “The more I see you” as nurse Carlye Breslin Walton. She had that husky voice to die for…..What was Hawkeye thinking?
Odessa Cleveland was an English teacher at North Hollywood High School. I’m not sure when she started at the school and if that had anything to do with her diminished role on the show.
In regards to the spelling of the last name of Nurse Ginger, it’s most likely “Bayliss” … Odessa does have a website so that one could contact her to verify the spelling …
DVD closed captioning will only be correct if the captioning company is given the script for that episode / movie, so that they can see the spellings of character names / locations …
In the episode, “Hey Look Me Over,” there is a very attractive redhead nurse dancing with Igor that keeps staling Hawkeye’s attention. But I can not find any reference to who she is.
Any idea?
Rita Wilson
You missed the cutest nurse Baker of them all……Bobbie Mitchell.
You forgot Bobbie Mitchell who was in at least 10 episodes spanning season to 1 to season 3.
Two gorgeous ones were Bobbie Mitchell and was Patricia Stevens
I have tried to look this up but no luck…there is an Asian nurse with glasses on in alot of the operating room scenes. She always has a mask on and you only see her eyes/glasses. I don’t think she ever speaks. Has anyone else noticed her? Does anyone know who she is? Or is she a figment of my imagination?
The writers of MASH got the nurse ranking correct. All Army nurses were commissioned 2nd Lt when they completed the Army nursing school. I think it was only a few weeks, Army doctors had a two week school. In both they learned, sort of, how to recognize Army rank and who to salute and not salute. My personal experience was in an Army field hospital in Nha Trang Vietnam. I was there for 18 days in January 1965. My nurse was fresh out of college and the Army nursing school. She was a ‘butterball’, slang for a single gold bar. A newly minted 2nd Lt. All these years later I still have very fond memories of her helping in my recovery.
Its funny, I had the same experience in Portsmouth Naval Hospital in VA. 12 years after your experience. Nurses are the best. 20, 20 somethings all watching her walk through the ward was the best medication we could have hoped for.
Check out if Teri Garr did not have a recurring role.
In Hey Look Me Over did Pauley Perrette play one of the nurses but had no credit as part of the cast. The nurse only had a couple of words within a group and really looked like a young Pauley..
There’s no way that Pauley Perrette appeared in that episode. She was only 13 at the time.
I am in love with
I am in Love with Deborah Harmon
Love Joey Greco
There was a very pretty African American girl who was in almost every episode, She played a nurse but never had a speaking part. She was usually amongst a group of other nurses.
I believe she was also in the episode and part of a group of nurses who sang a song and they also played imaginary instruments..
Every episode I watch she is usual in the background and I would like to know her name.
I believe you’re talking about Jayne Kennedy
I remember MASH when I was growing up. I remember watching it and the show at the time didn’t make much sense to me at the time. I do understand
it now, many of my friends and I mention the show and enjoy it now as adults.
I myself know a lot of the history of MASH. I know that the show was originally about the Vietnam war. The producers decided to bring the era or
time line of war to preface the Korean war due to PTSD ISSUES.
Nurse Jennifer Davis is in the episode “Abyssinia Henry” as well. She’s between Father Mulcahy and Plunger when Blake is saying goodbye to the troops. Blake addresses her as Jennifer and she nods her head but doesn’t speak.
Plunger sh ould be Klinger. Damn autocorrect!
Terry Spurling- I did Hi school in Fremont Nebr and graduated in 1966. The nurse Bobbie Mitchell was known as Bobbi Jo Vrana and graduated in 1964.I am not totally sure but I would put 100 bucks on it that Bobbi jo Vrana and Bobbi Mitchell are one in the same.
Who was the gorgeous redheaded nurse dancing on Private Charles Lamb, Season 3, Episode 14?
Who was the nurse that Hawkeye was making out with in storage in episode 10 of season 3? The episode is titled “There is Nothing Like a Nurse”
Bobbie Mitchell
https://www.mash4077tv.com/features/nurses_various/
As to the military ranks of nurses, they would begin as 2nd lieutenants and, at some point, be promoted to 1st lieutenants. Captain is the next officer rank. I can recall only two captains (there may have been more, and I’m just not remembering), one of which was Margaret’s old friend who showed up for a brief stint at the 4077 and was an alcoholic (Klinger caught her drinking alone in the supply room), coming unglued with the DTs in the mess tent. She was a captain. I think the other captain I remember is that other friend of Margaret’s, who tried to get her to loosen up and be more human, the way she used to be. This character also appeared in only one episode.
Captain Helen Whitfield- Gail Strickland
Oh, c’mon who’s the post-op nurse in the episode titled “Sticky Wicket”? Blonde in Post-op
Lynnette Mettey
https://www.mash4077tv.com/features/nurses_various/
Yes, Lynnette Mettey, WOW!! I always thought she was the most gorgeous woman Hawkeye ever brought back to his tent. Or the most gorgeous woman on the TV show MASH, period.
Except for one that I could never find out the actress’ real name. She was on Season 1, episode 9, titled “Henry, please come home” . She’s the slender brunette that has to fight off Hawkeye as he grabs her when their paths meet while he and Trapper John and Spear Chuncker are coming out of post op. As she’s breaking free of Hawkeye’s arms he says, “Sometimes you’ve got to throw back some of the young ones”. She’s seen again standing around while listening to General Hammond give his speech and kudos to Col. Henry Blake and stating that he’s sending Blake to Tokyo. I ‘ll try to paste a link to a picture below. (copy and paste the link below and it WILL take you to a picture of the nurse I’m talking about. I tried it to make sure.)
https://mash.fandom.com/wiki/Henry_Please_Come_Home_(TV_series_episode)?file=Unknown_nurse_2-Henry_please_come_home.jpg
Nurse Lacey is played by actress Rita Wilson, who would appear in the film “that Thing You Do”, the film would be produced by her husband 3 time Academy Award Winner actor Tom Hanks. Everybody has start somewhere, just like Nurse Lacey.
I was looking for the name of the nurse who played in the episode ” the abduction of Margaret Houlihan”, she is not listed on any sites I checked. Tall blonde kinda big chested? Don’t remember her name in the episode, she was in the tent with the other nurses when nurse Baker got into trouble for sneaking into the tent with her husband.
I believe you are thinking of the episode “The Nurses”. The nurse you are referring to specifically is Nurse Preston played by Patricia Sturges.
Oh and here is a wiki page on her.
https://mash.fandom.com/wiki/Lieutenant_Preston
Who is the actress in the final episode who looks like Laura Dern? She speaks briefly when they go around the room saying what they each plan to do when they get home. We thought for sure it was her, but it’s not on her IMDB page.
I believe you may be talking about Nurse Baker played by Jan Jorden as seen on the below page:
https://www.mash4077tv.com/features/nurses_recurring/
No. It’s the blonde next to her.
I think 007 is correct. Jan Jorden is the one that I thought looked like Laura Dern.
I liked Nurse Preston (Patricia Sturges). Appeared in “The Nurses’ (1976). Another is one I can’t figure out. She stands to the right of Margie Cutler (Marcia Strassman) in ‘“Edwina” 1972 as Cutler talks to doctors in The Swamp.
I believe that is the same nurse seen earlier in the episode with Radar and the microscope. It’s the only episode she appears in and she’s not credited so no way to know.
“No way to know”
Of course there is.
She’s my sister…………..Sally.
Ok, just kidding. She’s not my sister .
She’s my brother……Samuel??
Ok, I’ve got nothin’. Not a clue.
Heck, I don’t even have a sister…..that I know of.
Wish I didn’t have the brother that I do have.
Sorry
Who is the nurse Hawkeye carries on his shoulders in the MASH Olympics. Season 6 episode 11.
Who was the African-American actress who replaced Odessa Cleveland?
Can you say “black “?
According to imdb, Linda Miekeljohn died two years ago. I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else so I don’t know if it’s true but thought I’d mention it.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0576824/
What is the actresses name who played the nurse Hawkeye hugged as he was coming out of surgery in season 1 episode 9 ( Henry, Please come home)? It occurs within the first few minutes of the episode. She had no lines, only made two cameo appearances in the episode.
Her name is Jean Pleet. She actually has three scenes. Hugged by Hawkeye. Doing Jumping Jacks at Morning Calisthenics. In attendance at Henry’s Award ceremony.
Are you SURE that’s Jean Pleet? I can’t find any pictures of “Jean Pleet” and there were 2 other unknown nurses on that episode that could have been Jean Pleet but were NOT the same nurse as the one Hawkeye is hugging/groping……molesting, as they’re leaving the O.R..
In the credits there is a “Nurse…..Jean Pleet” yet there are 3 different and unknown nurses that play in that episode. That’s what I’m getting at.
Looking for three Nurses’ names:
The Nurse with Trapper as Klinger glides over them in The Trial Of Henry Blake. She doesn’t have a speaking part but is just so dang cute!!!!!
During Spalding’s song in There Is Nothing Like A Nurse the two Nurses that are talking. Looks like they are just coming out of the O.R.
Thanks!!
Huge mash fan , loved them all ,nurses like those make you not mode a battle wound
i love MASH. all the stars are all great, they would not have a show with out all the beautiful , nurses.
Medical staff were given officer ranks in order to ensure that the enlisted would obey them per military protocol and regulation. Nurses were Lieutenant, under the Doctors who were Captain if they weren’t career military doctors (e.g., Winchester, Burns, Blake, and Potter). Houlihan was also a Major because she was career military. The point of the ranks (particularly for the draftees) was to ensure that the chain of command of Doctor->Nurse->Patient (and support staff) was matched by the medical needs of the same. Otherwise the conflict of interest would create a situation.
Yes Ann Sweeny was Director Gene Reynolds second wife and Bonnie Jones his first
Who was the prettiest nurse ever on MASH? The one Radar flipped for and liked him too. The theme of the episode involved nurses doing triage? I thought she’d have a “girl next door” success in Hollywood
I believe you are talking of Lt. Nugent played by Peggy Lee Brennan in a guest role, wished she would of live next door here, lol
I suppose it’s a matter of taste, of course, but I am a first-generation M*A*S*H fan ( it premiered on my tenth birthday- September 17th, 1972 ) going into my 49th year of watching- and the nurse I always adored the most was the exquisite Gwen Farrell, who, to the best of my extensive knowledge of M*A*S*H, only had ONE LINE in one episode, in spite of appearing in the background of nearly every episode! It has always mystified me why Ms. Farrell was so underused by the writers and producers as she was ( and still is, even at age 89 ) so eye-catchingly gorgeous! I thought, in Hollywood, you are supposed to use your best, and most attractive, talent, to maximum value. The only explanation I can come up with for this is perhaps, for some reason, this is what Ms. Farrell wanted. Maybe her personal circumstances prevented her from being more involved in the production. What a shame! But I intend to continue adoring her even if I get ANOTHER sixty years of life on this Earth! ( and in front of my TV! )
Linda Michaeljohn: I’ve had a crush on her since 1973. I mean, look at the face God bestowed upon her. An authentic heart breaker. She always appeared so sweet and sincere. Those eyes and dimples. The act of growing old (I’m 66) is the fact so many actors I loved to watch are gone. Fortunately I have renal (kidney failure) and won’t be around much longer. Get to see my brothers, parents, and my puppy dogs again. Not in any hurry, just ready. Good night, Miss Michaelson.
great nurses! some of them are very sexy! shame most of this actresses didn’t continue their actresses careers after tv series mash was stopped! yeah! but some of them are continue! maybe he still alive!
Typical Americans. Nurse Lieutenant Leslie Scorch, Col. Henry Blake’s girlfriend. Leslie is a man’s name, the female version is spelled Lesley.
Who is the blonde nurse with short shorts and beautiful legs in “Bulletin Board?”
Possibly a dumb question, and tangential to the main subject, but what kind of cap do the nurses wear? Like, what’s the style called?
Nurse Gwen, Nurse Gwen, Nurse Gwen… after all, she’s in every eoisode, during the opening credits, and has many appearances in individual episodes.
Also, I kind of love that Kellye and Shari can be seen in many episodes at random moments, walking, in the mess tent, etc.