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Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville (September 29, 1939 – April 10, 2000) was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H. In stark contrast to the belligerent, callous, mean-spirited, selfish Frank, Larry Linville himself has often been described by the show's other cast members as a kind, friendly man who was very open-minded and courteous to those around him. When the show started, Linville signed a five-year contract and was offered a renewal for two more seasons when his... MORE

Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville (September 29, 1939 – April 10, 2000) was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H. In stark contrast to the belligerent, callous, mean-spirited, selfish Frank, Larry Linville himself has often been described by the show's other cast members as a kind, friendly man who was very open-minded and courteous to those around him. When the show started, Linville signed a five-year contract and was offered a renewal for two more seasons when his contract expired, but he declined. After five seasons, Linville had grown tired of playing the same negative, cartoonish antagonist, especially since during that period, the show's tone had changed from pure comedy to more drama-focused story lines. Linville also felt that he had taken the Frank Burns character as far as he could, given how M*A*S*H had developed, and decided to leave the series so that he could pursue other, more challenging roles. After M*A*S*H, Linville starred appeared in many movies and television shows. He guest-starred in many television shows, most frequently Murder, She Wrote; LESS