Lawrence Lavon Linville (September 29, 1939 – April 10, 2000) was an American actor from Ojai, California, best known for playing major jerkass Major Frank Burns in the first five seasons of M*A*S*H. He also appeared such series as Mannix and Grandpa Goes To Washington.
In sharp contrast to his Frank Burns character, other M*A*S*H cast members noted that Linville himself was kind and friendly, along with being open minded and courteous to others. Linville had been particularly close to Gary Burghoff, who described Linville as a "Renaissance Man" who knew the intricacies of Egyptian pyramids, along with building and flying his own airplane.
He was married five times and had one child.
Linville died in 2000 at the age of 60 due to complications from cancer surgery.
Filmography:
- The Sweet Ride as Man Dancing in Club (Uncredited Role)
- Kotch as Peter Stiel
- Bunny O Hare as Max
- The Stepmother as Dick Hill
- School Spirit as President Grimshaw
- Earth Girls Are Easy as Dr. Bob
- C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud as Dr. Jewell
- A Million To Juan as Richard Dickerson
- No Dessert Dad Till You Mow The Lawn as J.J.
- The Doctors as Paul (1 episode)
- Judd For The Defense as Martin Lederer (1 episode)
- Mannix as Lt./Det. Sgt. George Kramer (8 episodes)
- The Outsider as Floyd Hendricks (1 episode)
- Marcus Welby, M.D. as Dr. Beck/Doctor (2 episodes)
- Bonanza as Lt. Will Tyler (1 episode)
- Room 222 as Counselor (1 episode)
- Mission: Impossible as Col. Leo Orlov/Alexi Sinlensky/Capt. Gulka (3 episodes)
- The F.B.I. as George Franciscus/George Tremont (2 episodes)
- Here Comes The Bride as Harry Miles (1 episode)
- The Young Rebels as Rev. Wells (1 episode)
- The Young Lawyers as Bud Morton (1 episode)
- Night Gallery as Sloane (1 episode)
- Adam-12 as Sgt. Hugh Brasher (1 episode)
- O Hara US Treasury as Det. Ed Pierce (1 episode)
- Cannon as Ed Barrows (1 episode)
- Search as Hugh Emery (1 episode)
- M*A*S*H as Maj. Frank Burns (1972-1977; 120 episodes)
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker as Captain Jonas (1 episode)
- The Rockford Files as Dr. Eric Albach (1 episode)
- Barnaby Jones as Tom Watkins (1 episode)
- Grandpa Goes To Washington as Maj. Gen. Kevin Kelley (7 episodes)
- Supertrain as Jack Nordoff (1 episode)
- CHiPs as Carlin (2 episodes)
- The Love Boat as Ty Younger/Lou Hayman (4 episodes)
- Lou Grant as Thatcher (1 episode)
- Fantasy Island as various (3 episodes)
- The Jeffersons as Lyle Block (2 episodes)
- Checking In as Lyle Block (4 episodes)
- Herbie The Love Bug as Randy Bigelow (4 episodes)
- Paper Dolls as Grayson Carr (6 episodes)
- Detective In The House as Mel (1 episode)
- Misfits of Science as Gen. Theil (1 episode)
- Airwolf as Clinton Maxwell (1 episode)
- Riptide as Edgar Harrison (1 episode)
- Murder, She Wrote as various (3 episodes)
- The Law And Harry Mc Graw as Andrew Paxton (1 episode)
- Night Court as Dr. Nagelson (1 episode)
- Dream On as Uncle Danny (1 episode)
- A Different World as Sen. Hutchinson (1 episode)
- Nurses (1991) as Himself/Mr. Garrett (2 episodes)
- Lois & Clark as Grover Cleveland (1 episode)
- Fast Track as Rusty Phillips (1 episode)
