Who played Trapper John McIntyre in the 1970 M*A*S*H film?

Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the 1970 M*A*S*H film.

Gould's Trapper John is a chest surgeon assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. He quickly becomes part of the film's central trio with Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye Pierce and Tom Skerritt's Duke Forrest. Their surgical skill is genuine, but their contempt for military formality drives much of the film's comedy and rebellion.

The film was directed by Robert Altman and adapted from Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. Gould's performance helped establish the fast-talking, anti-authoritarian tone that made the movie distinctive. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the role.

A common mix-up comes from the television version. Wayne Rogers played Trapper John in the TV series, alongside Alan Alda's Hawkeye. Rogers was not in the film, and Gould did not reprise the character on television. The two versions therefore share the character but not the actor.