Jeff Maxwell played Private Igor Straminsky for most of M*A*S*H's 11 year run.He kindly agreed to answer a few questions about the show and the part he played in it.

What did you know of M*A*S*H before you joined the series?

Not much, I thought it was something you fed to chickens! Okay, okay, for a short time, I worked as a casting director at Twentieth Century Fox and was responsible for casting some of the smaller parts in a film titled M*A*S*H. I saw the movie when it was released and loved it. I knew nothing about the television version or the actors in it until the first day I showed up on the set.

What were your impressions of the original movie?

Robert Altman's raw, improvisational and bloody approach made me feel very uncomfortable. It also made me laugh which, I believe, is the true genius of both the movie and the television show.

Have you read the original M*A*S*H novel?

Shortly after joining the show I did read the book and enjoyed it. But don't you think it would have been a better novel if Igor had been in it?

How did the audition go for getting the role on MASH?

I devote the entire last portion of my book, The Secrets of The M*A*S*H Mess, to the interesting (at least I think so) details of how I became Private Igor.

How did you get the idea to write the book?

Several years before the show ended production, I thought it would be funny if Igor were to write a cookbook. I had planned to write it during the last season but got involved in another project. Better late than never.

Did you create the recipes yourself?

In the book you learn that Igor created them. He didn't know it but he was really a gifted chef who was forced to cook-by-the-book. Okay, maybe he had a little help from a couple of friends and Mrs. Igor.

Does that mean you're a good cook?

You bet your creamed weenies I'm a good cook!

Have any of the other actors from the show tried the recipes?

I don't know, but I haven't heard from any lawyers yet.

"The river of liver, ocean of fish scene is a classic"

I love the Gas Passer Chili, it's delicious! I must say that all 150 recipes are equally delicious as the chili. There are breakfasts, lunches, dinners, great desserts and a couple of "adult" beverages. The Swamp Swill Martini is my favorite.

How did you celebrate when you got the role?

I opened a savings account. Actually, Igor wasn't really a role--it was more like a biscuit!

Did you think MASH was going to be a hit when you read the script?

No. As a matter-of-fact, the show was getting less than super ratings in the early days. Shortly after I made my appearances, however, the ratings shot through the roof. Draw you own conclusions.

Do you remember the first episode you appeared in ? I seem to remember seeing you play different characters before becoming a regular as Igor am I right?

I was always the same person but without a name. Sorry, I couldn't tell you the first episode I was in. It's been a few years.

Did your semi-regular arrangement with the series limit your availability to do work outside the show?

Nope. I was free to work on other shows and did.

What did you think of Igor as a character?

I really liked Igor and thought of him as a person struggling to get used to a job that wasn't familiar or comfortable. Like everybody else in the compound, he was stuck there. I played him as a mechanic who was forced to trade motor oil for butter fat. The thing I liked most about him is--no matter how tough people treated him--he always tried to be a little funny.

Do you have a favorite episode?

Adam's Ribs stands out in my mind as one of the all-time greats. The "river of liver, ocean of fish" scene between Hawkeye and Igor is a classic.

Can you recall a memorable scene of yours that ended up on the cutting room floor?

Excuse me--none of my scenes ever ended up on any floor.

"I don't see any way of doing a reunion show."

Which character was your favorite (besides your own)?

Hawkeye, Radar, Flagg and Hotlips.

If you could have played any other character which one would you like to have been cast as ... and how would you have played him? (and Hoolihan doesn't count! <wink>)

Any actor, including myself, would be very happy playing a great part like Hawkeye. I would also have enjoyed putting a bit of a slapstick spin on the character of Radar.

William Christopher and Jamie Farr both emerged from being semi-regulars to becoming part of the main cast. Did it ever seem to you (or anyone else associated with the show) that the name "Jeff Maxwell" might someday appear in the opening credits?

Acting is a very ephemeral business: you're here today and gone this afternoon. I'm still thrilled my name appeared anywhere on a show as good as...ya know.

When was it decided that the 11th season would be the last?

I think at the end of the 10th. Everybody knew that all the stories had been told. To continue into a 12 season would have put the quality of the writing, acting and producing in great jeopardy. Although there was talk of moving the show to Alaska and re-naming it MUSH.

What was the atmosphere like on the set when the final show was being shot?

It was warm and fuzzy--kind of like that nice fog you're in after a big Thanksgiving meal. There was a lot of hugging and a few teary outbursts but, for the most part, surprisingly upbeat. All the agents, however, were sobbing daily.

Was there any talk of you ever appearing on "AfterMASH"?

If there was, nobody told me. If they had only researched how Igor affected the ratings on M*A*S*H, AfterMASH might still be on today.

"You bet your creamed weenies I'm a good cook!"

I'm acting right now, you just can't see me doing it.

I once heard that an actor who guest starred on the show said that he felt that one of the regulars (and I won't mention the name) came across as having too much of a show-bizzy ego.

C'mon tell me names, tell me names!

....but did any of the series regulars seem to you to have this sort of characteristic, or could this be entirely chalked up to a clashing of personalities between the regular and the guest star?

When you put a new horse in a corral, all the other horses initiate the "newby" by biting the heck out of its butt. I bet you'd get a pretty grizzly answer if you pulled it aside and asked how it liked being in the nice big corral.
Listen, show business is a tough deal. It takes a lot of guts and ego to hang through hundreds of rejections and disappointments to land a good job. Sometimes actors do act like pompous idiots. And sometimes plumbers act like pompous idiots. I guess that's just life.

Finally would you like to see a reunion show and what would you like it to be about?

I don't see any way of doing a reunion show. The stories and humor of MASH were driven by one of the most powerful, horrendous human endeavors one can imagine. Taking those characters out of the war and putting them in a benign setting would be as wrong as moving Gilligan's Island to Korea.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

Thank you, I enjoyed it. And I hope everybody continues to be a fan and buys at least 2 copies of "Secrets of The M*A*S*H Mess." It's really a good book. 

Special thanks to David, Jane and of course George for their help