David Odgen Stiers, who played pompous Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III on the long-running TV comedy "M*A*S*H*," has died from cancer, his agent said. He was 75.
Stiers' agent, Mitchell K. Stubbs, tweeted the news Saturday evening.
"I am very sad to report that David died this morning March 3, 2018 peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon after a courageous battle with bladder cancer," Stubbs wrote. "His talent was only surpassed by his heart."
Stiers' first acting credit was as a voice in director George Lucas' film "THX 1138." He followed that up with appearances in TV shows such as "Kojak" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
He joined "M*A*S*H" in 1977, filling the spot left when Larry Linville left the series. Stiers remained with the show until its last episode, which remains the most watched finale of a TV series ever.
After the series ended in 1983, he alternated between film and TV. He also acted as guest conductor for orchestras nationwide.
Perhaps his best-known credit after Winchester was as the voice of Cogsworth, the fussy clock in the Disney animated classic "Beauty and the Beast."
