Mike Farrell Returns to TV After Seven Years with Guest Role on 9-1-1

Mike Farrell, best known for playing Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on MAS*H, has made his first television appearance in seven years.

The veteran actor guest starred in season 9, episode 10 of 9-1-1, which aired on Thursday. In the episode, Farrell played Bill Schneider, an elderly man who goes to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. His son, Andrew — played by Jason Gray-Stanford — worries that his father may be the victim of an online scam.

Before his appearance on 9-1-1, Farrell was last seen on screen in 2019. He appeared in two episodes of NCIS season 16 as Judge Miles Deakin. Earlier roles included a part in Impeachment: American Crime Story in 2018 and a recurring role on the crime drama The Red Road between 2014 and 2015.

Farrell is also set to appear next in the independent film The Strawberry. Speaking to People in a 2025 interview, the actor described the film as “very thoughtful.” He explained that his character is dealing with a terminal diagnosis and that the story closely explores how families face such moments.

In recent years, Farrell has focused much of his time on political and social advocacy. He has served as president of Death Penalty Focus, a group working to end the death penalty, since 1994. In 2025, he also executive produced the documentary short The Window on Death Row, which tells the story of Joaquín José Martínez, a man who was later exonerated after being sentenced to death.

Looking back on his time on MASH*, which ran from 1975 to 1983, Farrell said the experience remains one of the highlights of his life. He told People that the show’s mix of humor, harsh reality, and social commentary made it a powerful and unforgettable period in his career.