Gary Burghoff is an American actor, jazz musician, inventor, wildlife artist, and songwriter, famously known as the original “Charlie Brown.” His portrayal of ‘Radar O’Reilly’ in the celebrated film and the subsequent TV series ‘M*A*S*H’ is considered to be his best performance to date. In the foreword of Burghoff’s book, ‘Gary Burghoff: To M*A*S*H and Back,’ his friend Larry Gelbart described him as an actor who had “the added gift of enhancing a writer’s work, of adding breadth and depth to his or her creation.” His initial interest in acting was developed by his mother, who was a local theater dancer, choreographer, scriptwriter, poet, and songwriter. His work has always been collaborative, irrespective of the format. He worked closely with director Robert Altman in creating the final character sketch of ‘Radar O’Reilly’ in the TV reprisal of ‘M*A*S*H.’
