David Ogden Stiers, ‘M*A*S*H’ Star, Dies at 75

David Ogden Stiers, the star of M*A*S*H* and a prolific voice actor, has died at the age of 75.

Stiers died at his home in Newport, Oregon, his agent, Mitchell Stubbs, told The Oregonian. The actor was fighting bladder cancer.

Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois and moved to Eugene, Oregon in high school. He began college courses at the University of Oregon, but moved to San Francisco to begin an acting career.

His acting career began in 1971, with an appearance in Jack Nicholson’s Drive, He Said and as an announcer in George Lucas’ THX-1138.

After several roles in TV movies and shows, he found his breakthrough role as Major Charles Winchester on M*A*S*H*, beginning in 1977. He played the role in over 130 episodes through 1983 and earned two Emmy nominations. He also earned an Emmy nomination for the 1984 TV movie The First Olympics: Athens 1896.

Although Stiers continued to work in front of the camera, his booming voice soon became familiar to children around the world who grew up on Disney movies of the 1990s. He served as narrator and voiced Cogsworth in Disney’s 1991 film Beauty and the Beast, then voiced both the villain Radcliffe and Wiggins in 1995’s Pocahontas. He voiced the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Mr. Jolly in the TV Series Teacher’s Pet, Jumba in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and narrated Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004).

In 2017, Stiers appeared in the TV movie The Joneses Unplugged and Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time. Other credits include episodes of Rizzoli & Isles, Regular Show, Stargate: Atlantis, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, Love & Money, Murder She Wrote and Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. He also narrated 26 episodes of PBS’ acclaimed documentary series American Experience.

According to The Oregonian, Stiers was also a musician, conducting the Newport Symphony. He also served as a guest conductor for over 70 orchestras around the world.

Stiers announced in a 2009 interview that he was gay.

“I wish to spend my life’s twilight being just who I am,” he said at the time. “I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone, and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion with me.”