Which actor portrayed Henry Blake in the 1970 film M*A*S*H?

Roger Bowen portrayed Henry Blake in the 1970 film M*A*S*H. He played Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake, the commanding officer of the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.

Bowen was an actor, novelist, and one of the co-founders of Chicago’s improvisational comedy troupe The Second City. Before his major film roles, he studied at Brown University and the University of Chicago and worked in theater and writing. His performance as Henry Blake helped establish the character’s relaxed, comic presence in Robert Altman’s film.

The role is often confused with McLean Stevenson’s version of Henry Blake. Stevenson played the character in the television series, which premiered in 1972 and developed a different characterization and storyline. Roger Bowen’s Henry Blake belongs specifically to the 1970 movie, while Stevenson’s belongs to the long-running CBS series.

The film’s Henry Blake is a career Army physician and commanding officer. In both the movie and television series, he leads the 4077th, but the actors and many character details differ across the adaptations.