Latest news with #MikeFarrell
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
M*A*S*H vet Mike Farrell breaks his silence about the death of his 'dynamo' costar Loretta Swit at age 87
M*A*S*H vet Mike Farrell reflects on working with late co-star Loretta Swit following her sudden passing last week. Farrell, now 86, recalled the time they spent together on set and forming a close bond when they were starring on the medical drama series over 40 years ago. The actor portrayed Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the long-running TV series from 1975 to 1983 while Swit appeared on the show as Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan for all but 11 episodes of the 11 seasons. 'Loretta was a dynamo,' he told TMZ on Tuesday while remembering his late castmate — who died of suspected natural causes at the age of 87 on May 30. He said she was 'sweet' and 'demure' off-camera, but as soon as she walked onto the set, she would instantly become her fiery character Hot Lips. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'She was always doing something — whether she was working on a film. You know there is a lot of waiting time on set. So she was crocheting and she was reading a book,' he continued. Farrell also recalled how Swit 'loved' to do needlepoint embroidery as a hobby and started making personalized gifts for each of their colleagues. 'The great thing I'll always remember about her is she would sit there and be her sweet, demure self and then they'd call for her to come in and do the scene and she'd go in and be roaring as Margaret,' he said. He remembered how she would be 'hollering at somebody to do something that was going wrong and, "How dare you?" and so and so. 'Then she'd calm down and walk off and sit down and continue to do her needlepoint,' he said while chuckling. He praised her 'extraordinary demonstration of the talent she had and the ability she had to focus.' He said that the time the cast members lent to the show ultimately led to their great bond and becoming a 'family.' 'We really became deeply associate with each other's lives,' he explained. 'And you know over time we watched many of our comrades pass.' The actor portrayed Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the long-running TV series from 1975 to 1983 while Swit appeared on the show as Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan for all but 11 episodes of the 11 seasons; pictured October 2018 in New York City He said she was 'sweet' and 'demure' off-camera, but as soon as she walked onto the set, she would instantly become her fiery character Hot Lips; pictured August 1976 in series still About seeing his longtime friends and former co-stars 'slipping away one by one,' he said: 'It's been very difficult.' He said that the four members of the crew carrying on the legacy of their show are himself as well as Alan Alda, Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff. 'She was a trooper,' Farrell said while remembering Swit before adding that they liked to call her that nickname. According to the outlet, he also addressed their longtime supporters and told them to not feel sad as she 'is probably thrilled to be with Harry Morgan, whom she was very fond of' as well as their other cast members who have passed.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bradford: Rent-free allotment move could revive overgrown plots
Residents in Bradford could be handed rent-free allotment spaces for one year as part of proposals aimed at reviving overgrown 286 plots currently unattended across the district, Bradford Council is considering giving prospective growers a free second 12 months if they restore the offered space. The proposal is part of a wider shake-up of the district's allotment service, with a petition accusing the cash-strapped local authority of neglecting the green spaces. While £300,000 had been pledged to restore seven allotment locations, officials said its current policy had "served its purpose" and was "in need of updating". A report set to be presented to a council panel reveals it costs about £2,500 to bring a single abandoned plot back to "tenantable use" - or £715,000 in total if all overgrown plots were allotment officer managed all 29 allotment locations across the district, the report said, covering 1,186 plots. A partnership with the Probation Service is helping to make "good progress" in clearing two overgrown locations, the council Somerville, who runs a women's allotment project in Manningham, said: "I'm really pleased the council is taking the petition seriously and has come up with some interesting plans."Some sites are in such poor condition they may take years to become fully viable, so people need time to clear the land before they can even begin growing."Mike Farrell, Yorkshire spokesperson for the National Allotment Society, urged officials to encourage fuller community ownership. "If the council gives a lease to a committee to run it as indirect let, then that site is eligible for grants," he suggested. "They can give [communities] the freedom to self-manage." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
