What is Mike Farrell's Net Worth?
Mike Farrell is an American actor who has a net worth of $6 million. Mike Farrell is best known for playing Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the CBS television series "M*A*S*H." He also starred on such shows as "Days of Our Lives," "The Interns," and "Providence," and in such television films as "The Questor Tapes," "Private Sessions," and "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron." Beyond his acting career, Farrell is a prominent humanitarian, having served as the president of the nonprofit Death Penalty Focus since 1994.
Early Life and Education
Michael Farrell Jr. was born on February 6, 1939 in Saint Paul, Minnesota as one of four children of Michael Sr. and Agnes. A couple of years later, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, where Farrell's father worked as a carpenter on Hollywood sets. Farrell was educated at West Hollywood Grammar School and Hollywood High School. He then served in the US Marine Corps from 1957 to 1959.
Acting Career, 1963-1974
Farrell began his professional acting career in 1963 with guest roles on a few television shows, including "McHale's Navy" and "Ensign O'Toole." He went on to make appearances on numerous shows in the latter half of the decade, such as "The Monkees," "Custer," "Lassie," "Ironside," "I Dream of Jeannie," and "Daniel Boone." Farrell had his first main role from 1968 to 1970, playing Scott Banning on the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives." Also in 1968, he had small parts in the films "Panic in the City," "Targets," and "Dayton's Devils."
Farrell had his next main television role from 1970 to 1971, as Dr. Sam Marsh on the short-lived CBS series "The Interns." He starred on another short-lived show, "The Man and the City," from 1971 to 1972. Over the subsequent years, Farrell had guest roles on such shows as "The Sixth Sense," "Cannon," "Bonanza," "Circle of Fear," "Banacek," "The Rookies," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," and "The Six Million Dollar Man." He also appeared in the television films "The Longest Night," "She Cried Murder," and "The Questor Tapes."
Alberto E. Rodriguez /Getty Images
M*A*S*H
Farrell landed his most famous role in 1975, as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the CBS series "M*A*S*H." He joined the show in its fourth season following the departure of Wayne Rogers, who had played Trapper John McIntyre. Also joining the show that season was Harry Morgan, as Colonel Sherman T. Potter. Farrell remained on "M*A*S*H" until the series concluded in 1983. In addition to acting on the show, he also wrote and directed some episodes. Farrell earned two Emmy Award nominations for "M*A*S*H," one for acting and one for writing; he also received a DGA Award nomination for directing.
Further Acting Career
During his time on "M*A*S*H," Farrell appeared in several television films, including "Battered," "Sex and the Single Parent," and "Letters from Frank." He was also in the 1976 miniseries "McNaughton's Daughter." Farrell continued acting in television films after the end of "M*A*S*H," with credits including "Memorial Day," "Choices of the Heart," "Private Sessions," "A Deadly Silence," and "Incident at Dark River." In the early 1990s, he appeared in the television films "The Whereabouts of Jenny" and "Silent Motive" and in episodes of "Coach," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Matlock." During the latter half of the decade, Farrell voiced the recurring role of Jonathan Kent on "Superman: The Animated Series."
From 1999 to 2002, Farrell played the main role of veterinarian Jim Hansen on the NBC medical drama series "Providence." He starred alongside Concetta Tomei, Melina Kanakaredes, Paula Cale, and Seth Peterson. After the end of the show, Farrell portrayed Enron founder Kenneth Lay in the 2003 television film "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron." He went on to appear in the television films "The Clinic" and "Locusts." From 2007 to 2008, Farrell played the father-in-law of Eva Longoria's character on "Desperate Housewives." Over the subsequent years, he appeared in episodes of such shows as "Without a Trace," "Ghost Whisperer," "Miami Medical," and "Supernatural." From 2014 to 2015, Farrell had a recurring role on the SundanceTV show "The Red Road." Later in the decade, he had guest roles on "American Crime Story" and "NCIS."
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Television Game Shows
In addition to his acting roles, Farrell was a frequent celebrity guest on television game shows. In the late 1970s, he appeared on "The Hollywood Squares," "The $25,000 Pyramid," and "Tattletales." Farrell was also a regular on "The $10,000 Pyramid," appearing on the show through 1984. Later, in 1999, he was a celebrity contestant on "Jeopardy!"
Producing
In 1985, Farrell and producer Marvin Minoff formed the production company Farrell/Minoff Productions, through which they would produce many television programs and films. Among the films produced by the pair were "Dominick and Eugene" (1988) and "Patch Adams" (1998).
Humanitarianism
Farrell has spent much of his life as a human rights activist. Since 1994, he has been the president of the nonprofit Death Penalty Focus, which seeks to abolish the death penalty. Farrell was previously co-chair of the California Human Rights Watch and was on the board of advisors of the Cult Awareness Network. For his work, he has received such honors as Death Penalty Focus's Human Rights Award and PETA's Humanitarian Award.
Personal Life
In 1963, Farrell wed actress and high school teacher Judy Hayden. Together, they had two children named Michael and Erin. The couple divorced in 1983. Farrell went on to marry actress and singer Shelley Fabares in 1984.
In 2007, Farrell published his autobiography "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist." Two years later, he published "Of Mule and Man," a document of his five-week, 9,000-mile drive around the United States promoting his autobiography.
