Originally an ABC Movie of the Week, “Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones” was adopted from the 1967 Ann Head novel of the same name. Stevenson pops up only briefly, playing the priest who marries youngsters Robert (Desi Arnaz Jr.) and Julie (Christopher Norris), but the bit part was enough to catch Reynolds’ attention. Foy offers up no explanation for the strategy, but it’s pretty incredible that an actor was put into a film simply to grab a chance to work on a TV pilot. Of course, plenty of actors still surely do this today, taking on roles to get more on their resume or catch the attention of the team behind the project they really want, but it’s not often talked about so candidly. The “M*A*S*H” pilot likely earned some buzz well before it was cast, as it followed the successful Robert Altman film of the same name.
Steven wasn’t the only actor who took a circuitous route to the series: Father Mulcahy actor William Christopher reportedly tanked his initial audition, but writer-producer and latter-season showrunner Burt Metcalfe convinced everyone to allow him a second shot at the spot. Foy, who passed away in 2018, told the Television Academy he pushed for eventual B.J. Hunnicutt actor Mike Farrell to be in the series from day one, recommended star Loretta Swit after seeing her on stage, and also helped get David Ogden Stiers the part of snooty surgeon Charles Winchester. “I was a big pusher for David because he had that marvelous, austere presence, and not many people knew that David Ogden Stiers was a brilliant stage actor,” the casting director said.
Source link