M.A.S.H. remains one of the most iconic TV dramedies of all time even four decades after coming to an end in 1983, and now one member of the cast has sadly passed away. Judy Farrell, known for playing Nurse Able for several episodes of the CBS hit, died on April 2. She was 84 years old at the time of her death.
According to Judy Farrell's son Michael when speaking with TMZ, she died on April 2, nine days after she'd suffered a stroke. He told the outlet that she was unable to speak following the stroke, but was alert and able to squeeze her loved ones' hands. The sad news was further confirmed in a statement (via EW) by Farrell's former co-star Loretta Swit, who said:
Judy was a most beautiful woman — inside and out. We grew up together. She was family. This has been a painful loss, but we will always have the beauty of her memory. Rest in peace, Nurse Able.
With Loretta Swit famously playing Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan as a nurse for the 4077th MASH, she worked alongside Judy Farrell's Nurse Able. Farrell also worked with her first husband, Mike Farrell, on the show. He played legendary prankster Captain B.J. Hunnicut, who debuted on the hit drama after the departure of Wayne Rogers (who passed away in 2015) as Trapper Jack McIntyre and became the new partner-in-crime of Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce. Judy Farrell debuted as Nurse Able in Season 5 in 1976.
The actress would go on to appear in a total of eight episodes, including the celebrated series finale that held a TV ratings record for nearly three decades. Farrell also appeared on a number of shows in smaller roles, including The Partridge Family, Quincy M.E., Fame, and Divorce Court. Her final credit as an actress (via IMDb) is the 2006 comedy Long-Term Relationship. She is also credited as a writer on more than 100 episodes of Port Charles, the soap opera spinoff of the long-running General Hospital.
Judy Farrell was married to Mike Farrell for twenty years, from 1963 - 1983, and they shared two children. After their divorce, she married second husband Joe Bratcher in 1985, and they remained married until her death on April 2, 2023. The actress is survived by Bratcher as well as her two children.
Although she only appeared in eight of the 256 episodes of M.A.S.H. (which ran for longer than the actual Korean War at 11 seasons), Judy Farrell was notable for making the character of Nurse Able her own. A character by that name existed in earlier seasons with several different actresses playing her. Farrell went on to play Nurse Able from Season 5 onward, with all of her appearances available to be revisited streaming with a Hulu subscription.
Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Judy Farrell in this difficult time.
