he would enter the name in his little black book. It
was to be a reference for him when a part came up
in a show, and he needed to be reminded who
would be best to play it. I made his little black book
and when Larry Gelbart created Klinger Gene
immediately thought of me. I came on for one day
and stayed for eleven years.
Yes, people are very surprised to hear that I served
in the real US Army and in Korea. However they
are mistaken when they think I served in the Korean
War. I served in Korea on temporary duty and
during the peace treaty.
Is it true that you later wore your real US Army
dog tags when you played Klinger in M*A*S*H?
Klinger was originally intended as a short-term
Yes, I did indeed wear my real dog tags. I was
role. How did he come to be a permanent
looking for them the other day to check out my
member of the cast?
blood type… On the tags are your name: Jameel
Joseph Farah, your serial number, blood type and
When I arrived on the show they had too many
religion. I could not find them but I have not given
characters for that half-hour sitcom, and too many
up hope yet. There are a few places I have not
characters that mirrored one another. Klinger was
looked at.
such an unusual character, not only for this series,
but anywhere, so the producers felt he was worth
How did you come to be cast in the role of
keeping. They began to shake the show down by
Corporal Klinger?
getting rid of characters that were too similar and
added nothing to the story lines. I happened to be
I did a guest role of a stand up comedy Indian on
the TV series F Troop. The director was Gene
Reynolds who later went on to produce the series
MASH. Whenever he worked with an actor he liked
lucky.