Biography

McLean Stevenson began in show business at age 31. During the 1960s, he worked in night clubs and comedy cabarets, did summer stock theater and some television before moving to Hollywood, where he worked as a comedy writer for Tom Smothers. He eventually began acting in sketches. Mr. Stevenson is best known as the fumbling commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, on the CBS television series, M*A*S*H (1972). Over a period of thirty years, he also appeared on a number of television series and was a regular guest star on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and the game show, The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965).

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

McLean Stevenson was born in Illinois, where his father was a cardiologist. After serving in the Navy, he attended Northwestern University, receiving a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Stevenson worked at a radio station, played a clown on a live television show in Dallas and sold insurance and medical equipment. In 1961, Adlai Stevenson McLean's second cousin, invited him to a party, where, mingling with show business luminaries like Gower Champion and Sanford Meisner, Stevenson decided to become an actor. He auditioned and won a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. While studying under Meisner and Lee Strasberg. He made his acting debut in a summer stock production of "The Music Man" and followed up with work in television commercials, The Defenders (1961) and The Ed Sullivan Show (1948). He also appeared with Alan Alda in the series, That Was the Week That Was (1963), for which Stevenson was a writer. He also wrote for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967). After a guest appearance on That Girl (1966) with Marlo Thomas, he was signed to a regular role on The Doris Day Show (1968) in 1969. In the fall of 1973, Stevenson, already a popular guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), began a long-running second career as a guest host on the show. He appeared in his best-known role as the bumbling surgeon and commanding officer, "Col. Henry Blake", on the successful TV series, M*A*S*H (1972). However, Stevenson was soon chafing at his second-banana role on "M*A*S*H" and asked to be released from his contract. In the last episode of the 1974-75 season, Blake was sent home and his plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. After leaving "M*A*S*H", Stevenson headlined in a series of failed TV shows.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ray Hamel