Rise to Fame
John Houseman saw him performing with a California theater company and recruited him to Juilliard. He graduated in 1972, appeared on Broadway, and in 1977 landed the role of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H. The show needed a new antagonist after Frank Burns was written out, and where Burns had been a cartoon coward, Winchester was a genuinely skilled surgeon who was simply a snob. That distinction earned him two Emmy nominations and meant M*A*S*H's most famous antagonist wasn't a buffoon but a peer.
In the Spotlight
Most people know him from M*A*S*H, but a significant chunk of his post-1983 career happened in a recording booth. He voiced Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas, and Dr. Jumba Jookiba across the Lilo & Stitch franchise. He came out as gay in 2009, noting that Disney voice work had been a major income source and he'd worried coming out would cost him that. He'd also spent more than two decades as resident conductor of the Newport Symphony Orchestra, a second career few in Hollywood noticed or cared about.
Side Notes
Alan Alda's tribute mentioned that he skateboarded to work down busy LA streets every day. Off set, Alda described him as 'gentle and kind' but also responsible for 'the most vicious practical jokes.' He died in Newport, Oregon, where he'd been the symphony's resident conductor for decades. His will left money to the Newport Symphony, the Newport Public Library, and the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts. That list reveals more about him than anything on his IMDb page.
Final Chapter
His talent agency announced his death, stating that his 'talent was only surpassed by his heart.' Alan Alda issued a tribute calling him 'Winchester to his core' and praising his gentleness. The Newport Symphony Orchestra stated that 'our orchestra would not be here if it weren't for his great support and inspiration over three decades.'