10 Best Recurring M*A*S*H Characters, Ranked

One of the best TV shows of the 1970s is "M*A*S*H," a medical dramedy that ran from 1972 to 1983. Set during the Korean War in the '50s, the story centers on an American mobile surgical hospital during the conflict, the 4077th. While the series featured a robust and memorable main cast, it was supplemented by plenty of guest stars and actors playing recurring characters. With this article, we're highlighting the latter, the familiar faces who graced the show more than once and added to its antics.

To clarify, the characters that we're including on this list appeared in at least two episodes of the series while never being credited as a series regular. That means characters like Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr), while initially in the series as a recurring character before becoming a series regular, are not up for consideration. Inclusion also doesn't necessarily extend to actors, with several performers playing multiple characters during the show's lengthy run, albeit in one-off appearances. With all of that in mind, these are the 10 best recurring "M*A*S*H" characters to appear during the hit series' 11-season run.

Throughout all of "M*A*S*H," protagonist and chief surgeon Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) romances many of the nurses working at the camp. Among the nurses regularly receiving Hawkeye's amorous advances in the latter half of the series is Peggy Bigelow (Enid Kent). Debuting in the fifth season episode "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," Bigelow remains a fixture around the 4077th through until the series finale. As one of the few recurring nurses with substantial dialogue, we get to learn more about her background, including that she's from Pennsylvania and also served during World War II.

Peggy Bigelow is one of the few nurses who can give it back to Hawkeye, skewering his usual flirtatious approaches while staying playful. The pair even strike up what appears to be a casual relationship later in the series, while not letting it affect their work. Kent appears sporadically as Bigelow in over a dozen episodes throughout the series, providing a quietly recognizable presence. A pleasantly steadying recurring character, Bigelow isn't quite the best nurse outside of the main cast in "M*A*S*H" but it's for no lack of trying.

"M*A*S*H" started out as a more overt screwball comedy with mixed results, becoming a show that recovered from a bad first season. The comedic elements were retained beyond its inaugural season, of course, with the second season bringing in recurring character Captain Sloan (Eldon Quick). An administrator within the U.S. Army handling budgets and inventory, Sloan first appears in the Season 2 episode "The Incubator." Sloan resurfaces in two additional episodes, with his last appearance in the seventh season episode "Our Finest Hour," albeit through archival footage.

Sloan offers a strong comedic contrast to the more energetic Hawkeye, with Sloan unfailingly deadpan in his delivery. The laughs come from seeing how the two personalities collide, with Sloan nonplussed for as ridiculous as Hawkeye gets. Interestingly, Quick plays a similar but decidedly different character, Captain Pratt, in the fourth season episode "The Late Captain Pierce." But we're here for the one recurring character that Quick does bring to the show, with Captain Sloan the perfect portrait of staid bureaucracy.

One of the recurring jokes throughout "M*A*S*H" is that the quality of the camp's food is subpar at best, adding to its frustrating conditions. The unit head cook is finally revealed in the ninth season episode "The Life You Save," initially without a credited name. In the character's second appearance, from the following season's "'Twas the Day After Christmas," the cook is given the name Salvatore Pernelli. Constantly miserable in his job, Pernelli does the bare minimum to get the job done, annoyed at the amount of work he has to do to keep everyone fed.

Played by Val Bisoglio, Sal Pernelli provides a fun peek behind the 4077th's thankless inner workings. Despite only appearing in three episodes towards the end of the series, Pernelli's cantankerous demeanor is a consistent source of laughs, which Bisoglio plays up masterfully. As another fun fact, Bisoglio also provides the voice of the camp's P.A. announcer, making the actor an unseen presence throughout the show. It wasn't until Season 8 that fans finally got to see who was making the infamous food in "M*A*S*H" and Salvatore Pernelli didn't disappoint.

Among the few recurring characters from the "M*A*S*H" who maintained a semi-regular presence for years afterwards is Ginger Bayliss. Played by Odessa Cleveland, Bayliss is a nurse at the 4077th frequently seen lending a hand in the operating room and around the camp. Bayliss appears in over 20 episodes throughout the series, sometimes as a silent background character and sometimes in the thick of the antics that the main characters get into. Bayliss' most memorable moment is in the Season 2 episode "Dear Dad...Three," making a racist patient recognize that she holds a superior rank over him.

It's that sort of no-nonsense approach to adversity that makes Bayliss such a standout recurring character, doing her duty as she rolls with the hits. Moreover, Bayliss brings some much needed racial diversity to "M*A*S*H," making her absence in the show's later seasons particularly conspicuous. Fortunately, Bayliss survived the series' early transition beyond the "M*A*S*H" episode that changed the show for good, marking its transition towards more dramatic material. Another nurse character who maintains her professionalism in the face of wartime stress and the surgeons' mischief, Ginger Bayliss definitely leaves a strong impression.

Among the recurring characters introduced towards the end of "M*A*S*H" that still left a strong impression with audiences is Luther Rizzo. Played by G.W. Bailey, Rizzo makes his entrance in the eighth season episode "The Yalu Brick Road" as the camp is stricken by a strain of salmonella. Rizzo works in the 4077th's motor pool, essentially working as a mechanic for the entire camp and its vehicles. Rizzo appears in 13 episodes in all, getting a relatively happy ending in the show's tear-jerking series finale.

At a time when "M*A*S*H" was getting steadily more serious, Luther Rizzo is a character who is usually rooted in comedy. Bringing a clear Cajun drawl, Rizzo is often seen as a laidback figure in the camp in contrast to the high-stress medical work. This attitude bordered on outright laziness, with Rizzo often looking for ways to get out of work, eventually denied a promotion for his efforts. A good old boy figure among the personnel stationed at the 4077th, Luther Rizzo offers a refreshing alternative to the series' more serious undertones.

Before he cemented his silver screen legacy playing Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid," Pat Morita stands as one of the famous actors who guest-starred on "M*A*S*H." Morita plays Sam Pak, a South Korean army medical officer who befriends Hawkeye and Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers). Pak makes his debut in the second season episode "Deal Me Out," visiting the 4077th to participate in a poker game with his friends. Pak's second and final appearance is in the Season 2 episode "The Chosen People," helping the 4077 when a local farmer claims the unit is occupying his land.

Just as he had on "Happy Days," Pat Morita brought a warm and affable presence on "M*A*S*H" as Sam Pak. Compared to other South Korean military personnel appearing throughout the series, Pak is just one of the guys, getting along with the main characters. This extended to Pak lending his life-saving skills in the operating room as well as serving as a liaison between the main characters and the locals. If he had appeared in more than two episodes, Sam Pak would've stood a great chance at ranking higher but he makes the most of his screentime.

While the 4077's head cook wouldn't be seen on-screen for years, Pernelli's assistant Igor Straminsky was present since Season 2. Played primarily by Jeff Maxwell, Straminsky is introduced in "5 O'Clock Charlie" as someone frequently ostracized by Frank Burns (Larry Linville). After Burns' eventual departure, Igor also butts heads with Charles Winchester, played by the late David Ogden Stiers, with Igor's dim-witted outlook clashing with Winchester's laughably refined nature. Igor is largely played as something of a buffoon and, thus, tasked with the more menial tasks around camp.

Igor Straminsky is a semi-regular presence in "M*A*S*H," with the character appearing in over 80 episodes, including the series finale. For two appearances in the sixth season, Igor is played by Peter Riegert, but Maxwell thankfully reprises his role for the remainder of his series. Maxwell plays up Igor's lovable goofball qualities well, portraying the character as a perpetually confused grunt and a friendly face around the camp for the majority of the show. An amiable dimwit who annoys all the right characters in the show, Igor Straminsky is definitely a standout personality around the 4077th.

A show like "M*A*S*H" doesn't necessarily lend itself to having a recurring adversary, vain-glorious surgeon Frank Burns notwithstanding. But Colonel Sam Flagg (Edward Winter) certainly fits the bill, with Flagg being a laughably jingoistic U.S. Army intelligence officer claiming to be CIA. Debuting in the second season finale "A Smattering of Intelligence," Flagg investigated perceived risks and subversive behavior at the 4077, with this played for laughs. Flagg went on to resurface in five more episodes, retaining his uber-patriotic bravado, with his final appearance occurring in Season 7's "Rally Round the Flagg, Boys."

In a show with a clear anti-authoritarian streak, Sam Flagg personifies the oxymoron of military intelligence as Hawkeye would be first to point out. Coincidentally, Winter played a different character earlier in the series, in the episode "Deal Me Out," though with a markedly distinct personality rather than being another presumed Flagg alias. Even as the show's tone became consistently more serious, a Flagg appearance reminded audiences that "M*A*S*H" started as an overt comedy. The farcical antithesis of everything that Hawkeye stands for, Colonel Sam Flagg is the warhawk who sees potential communist sympathizers in anyone who doesn't bleed red, white, and blue.

Second only to the late, great Loretta Swit playing Margaret Houlihan, the most prolific nurse fans saw throughout "M*A*S*H" is Kellye Yamato. Played by Kellye Nakahara, Nurse Kellye appeared in 167 episodes, initially as an extra before finally being credited in the Season 2 episode "Hot Lips and Empty Arms." Moving forward, Kellye is a constant presence at the camp, often in the background assisting with medical duties, gradually gaining prominence and dialogue. While generally recognized as Nurse Kellye Yamato, the character is accidentally credited as Kellye Nakahara in the Season 10 episode "The Birthday Girls," reusing Nakahara's real name.

Despite her steady presence, the only episode where Kellye is the central character is the Season 11 premiere "Hey, Look Me Over." The episode has Kellye get frustrated with Hawkeye because of him constantly overlooking her in favor of more seemingly attractive nurses at the camp. This highlights how important Kellye is to the 4077th and how under-appreciated she had been despite being visible for years. A subtle staple in the series for over 160 episodes, right through to the series finale, Kellye Yamato grounds the proceedings with her pleasant and reliable personality.

Any "M*A*S*H" fan knew that Sidney Freedman, played magnificently by Allan Arbus, was going to be included on this list and ranked highly. A clinical psychiatrist and U.S. Army officer, Freedman debuts in Season 2's "Radar's Report," albeit with the first name Milton. Renamed Sidney after this, Freedman becomes particularly good friends with Hawkeye while regularly checking in on staff's mental health due to the overwhelming stress that they regularly endure. Sidney appears in 12 episodes across the show's run, including the ending, one of the best TV series finales ever.

Arbus brings a dry wit to Sidney Freedman, but also a quietly compassionate side as he helps his friends contend with their fragile mental health. Given this delicate balance, Sidney appears in some of the saddest "M*A*S*H" episodes ever, helping characters address and overcome their mental anguish. In that sense, Sidney saliently highlights the turbulent tones that make up the series, able to turn between being funny to emotionally insightful on a dime. A soft-spoken presence with an educated outside perspective into the chaotic characters, Sidney Freedman is easily the best recurring "M*A*S*H" character of all time.