M*A*S*H Star David Ogden Stiers Dies In Oregon Home

LOS ANGELES , CA -- David Ogden Stiers, who portrayed witty, snobbish Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in the iconic television show M*A*S*H, died Saturday. Stiers, 75, succumbed to bladder cancer at his home in Newport, Oregon, according to media sources.

Stiers received two Emmy nominations for his role in the ultra-popular Korean War drama/sitcom.

His 1977-83 portrayal of the erudite Major Winchester was a distinct contrast to the character he replaced on M*A*S*H, that of actor Larry Linville's bumbling irritant Frank Burns.

The change helped refresh the show's dynamic in the middle of its long run at or near the top of the ratings.
Stiers -- born in Peoria, Illinois -- attended high school and college in Oregon.

Stiers appeared in several movies and television programs after M*A*S*H, and he was in demand as a voiceover artist.

He was the narrator of Cogsworth the Clock in the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast.

--City News Service/Photo: David Ogden Stiers speaks at the Christmas Window Unveiling Spectacular at Macy's Herald Square on November 19, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images)