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Larry Linville, better known to the American public as Major Frank Burns in Twentieth Television’s classic comedy M*A*S*H, gave up his degree in engineering to pursue a career in acting.

After graduating from high school in Sacramento, Linville attended the University of Colorado, where a desire to fly jets led him to major in engineering. But a gnawing interest in acting caused him to quit and join the Nomad Players who performed at a civic theater in Boulder, Colorado.

He starred in many shows with the group, but Linville remembers most fondly his role in Tennessee Williams’ "The Glass Menagerie."

In 1959, Linville competed for a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He attended the prestigious school until 1961, honing his craft with the likes of Tom Courtenay, Sarah Miles, Jane Merrow, John Hurt, Ian McShane and David Warner.

Upon returning to the States, Linville joined the Association of Producing Artists where he spent eight years of repertory, performing with them, the Barter Theater in Virginia and the San Diego Shakespeare Festival.

Linville made his debut on Broadway in Eugene O’Neill’s "More Stately Mansions," starring Ingrid Bergman. In Los Angeles, he appeared in "The Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer" at the Mark Taper Forum. He returned to Broadway for a stint in Neil Simon’s "Rumors" at the Broadhurst Theatre.

On the small screen, Linville first was featured in Twentieth Television’s "Judd for the Defense." Linville recalled "Then, I spent three years throwing old ladies down stairs, poisoning Greg Morris and pounding Darren McGavin in ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Mannix,’ ‘The FBI,’ ‘Room 222,’ ‘Bonanza,’ ‘Marcus Welby,’ and ‘The Young Lawyers.’"

It was his role in "Room 222" that brought the actor to the attention of producer Gene Reynolds, who later cast Linville as Frank Burns in M*A*S*H.

Since M*A*S*H, Linville guest starred on numerous television series and had regular roles in "Grandpa Goes to Washington," "Checking In," and "Paper Dolls." He also appeared in the telefilm "Night Partners."

Linville performed in such feature films as "School Spirit," "Earth Girls are Easy," "Fatal Pursuit," "Angel’s Tide," "A Million to Juan," "Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever," "Pressure Point," and "Kotch."

Despite losing one lung to cancer in 1998, Linville tap-danced in 1999 in his musical-comedy debut in Millburn, New Jersey. When he was not on stage, he was often found on the college-lecture circuit or designing, building and flying one-of-a-kind aircraft.

Linville, who was born on September 19, 1939, died of pneumonia on April 10, 2000, at the age of 60, at New York’s Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Married five times, he is survived by his widow, Deborah Guyden Linville, who lives in New York, and a daugher, Kelly, who lives in Los Angeles.