Today is MASH star and progressive activist Mike Farrell's 70th birthday!

[book_worm]

I heard it was Ronald Reagan's birthday today, well lets salute a real American hero, Mike Farrell:


Even before he was well-known, Farrell was an activist for many political and social causes. He has worked with Human Rights Watch, was on the Board of Advisors of the original Cult Awareness Network, and has been president of Death Penalty Focus for more than ten years.<1>

In 1985, Farrell was in Central America, helping refugees from the civil war in El Salvador. A guerrilla commander, Nidia Diaz, had been taken prisoner. She needed surgery, but no Salavadoran doctor dared to help her. Amnesty International recruited a foreign doctor. Farrell was present as an observer but was, in his words, "shanghaied into assisting with the surgery" when the doctor said his help was needed. The in-prison surgery was successful. Diaz went on to be one of the signers of the Chapultepec Peace Accords (the peace treaty ending the war), and she served in the Constituent Assembly of El Salvador and in the Central American Parliament.<2><3>

Farrell has also been active in the Screen Actors Guild. In 2002 he was elected First Vice President of the Guild in Los Angeles. He served in the post for three years.<4>

In 2006 Farrell appeared with Jello Biafra and Keith Gordon in the documentary Whose War?, examining the U.S. role in the Iraq War.

Send Mr. Farrell a birthday message if you wish:
non-autograph requests and messages for Mike Farrell:
[e-mail]

[EFerrari]

1. That's simply NOT POSSIBLE!

Thanks for the heads up!

[Ian David]

2. I heard that the guy who played Klinger is the only Republick from MASH. n/t

[book_worm]

3. That's what I've heard too.

[Ian David]

4. Maybe that's why they made him wear a dress? n/t

[book_worm]

5. The funny thing is that I thought MASH jumped the shark when Klinger stopped wearing dresses!

[Captain Hilts]

6. I was okay until the reference to 'Jello Biafra'. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Happy B-day. Mike!

[EFerrari]

8. I got a very sweet note back.

What a good man he is. We're so lucky he's been on our team. :hi:

[DavidDvorkin]

9. He was in a few episodes of Desperate Housewives last season

Playing an evil plutocrat. Probably fun for him.