Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah; July 1, 1934) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Corporal Maxwell Klinger, a soldier who tried to get discharged from the army by cross-dressing, on the CBS sitcom M*A*S*H. He had at least one sibling, an older sister, Yvonne, who died in 2012. He became a regular on Skelton. by wearing elaborate women's outfits with accessories such as boas, a fruit hat, and fashion headscarves. By the end of the show, only Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce, and Loretta Swit, who played Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, had appeared in more M*A*S*H episodes than Farr. Super Password, He also attempted game show hosting with Oddball, an updated version of Get the Message for NBC. However, the pilot did not get picked up. Following the end of M*A*S*H in 1983, Farr, Harry Morgan, and William Christopher reprised their roles for two seasons on the spinoff show AfterMASH, Between the 1970s and 1990s, he appeared in several made-for-TV movies such as Murder Can Hurt You, Return of the Rebels, and Combat Academy Emergency!, and Mad About You. He played the Sheik in The Cannonball Run (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984) and Speed Zone (1989), He also appeared in TV commercials, including for Wonder Bread, Mars bars, and IBM computers. He also appeared in Flamingo Court opposite Anita Gillette. The Last Romance, George Washington Slept Here, Catch Me If You Can, Don't Dress for Dinner, Tuesdays with Morrie, Farr, Chuck Woolery, and Bob Eubanks were rotating hosts of the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular at the Las Vegas Hilton. On Memorial Day 2007, Farr hosted a multiple-episode run of M*A*S*H on the Hallmark Channel where he provided commentary during commercial breaks. Between 2016 and 2018, he promoted M*A*S*H and other classic television series on MeTV and in 2022 was attending large-scale events like Comic Con to meet fans of the show. Farr published his autobiography Just Farr Fun () in 1994 and cowrote Hababy's Christmas Eve () a book based on a story told by Klinger about a family of camels who brought the Wise Men to baby Jesus in his manger, with his wife in 2003.
Personal life
Farr met his wife Joy Ann Richards, a model, shortly after returning from military service. Farr has experienced severe rheumatoid arthritis since the early 1990s.
Farr was very close to Red Skelton, describing him as his "hero" and "mentor",
Legacy and honors
Farr has remained deeply loyal to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, and the city has returned the sentiment. In 1977, he was awarded Toledo's version of the Keys to the City, a ceremonial glass. Scott High School named their new performing arts wing after him the same year. The University of Toledo awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1983 and, in 1998, a park where Farr spent a lot of his childhood was renamed the Jamie Farr Park, something he has referred to as "a highlight of my life and career." Tony Packo's Cafe, a restaurant referenced several times by Klinger on M*A*S*H, displays a hot dog bun signed by Farr at their establishment. In 2017, Farr and Klinger were the first two inductees to the Toledo Mud Hens' Celebrity Hall of Fame. There is also an academic scholarship bearing his name through the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. until it was rebranded the Marathon Classic in 2012. As of 2023, it is called the Dana Open.
Outside of Ohio, Farr has been nominated for an Emmy for his time on M*A*S*H, given the Comedy Achievement Honoree award at the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, In 1985, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2001, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and in 2016 was given the Arab American Institute Foundation's Special Recognition Award.
Select filmography
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! class="unsortable" | Notes !! class="unsortable" | Ref
|-
| 1955-1961 || The Red Skelton Show || Snorkel || ||
|-
| 1963 || The Danny Kaye Show || Hans, Court Reporter, Player || ||
|-
|1965-1968
|Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
|USMC Sergeant (1966), Special effects man (1968)
|Episodes "Gomer Pyle POW" and "A Star is Not Born"
|
|-
| 1967-1968 || Garrison's Gorillas || Pablo (1967), Tony Marcello (1968) ||
|-
| 1968 || Get Smart || Musician || Season 4, episode 1: "The Impossible Mission ||
|-
| 1972-1973 || Emergency! || Alan Austen || Season 2, episodes "Helpful" and "Boot" ||