Who did Judy Farrell play in M*A*S*H? Character explored as actress dies aged 84

Well-known actress Judy Farrell recently passed away on April 2, 2023, at the age of 84. She was known for her performance as Nurse Able in M*A*S*H, which aired on CBS.

Independent film director Rob Williams expressed his grief on Facebook by writing that he was sad to hear about Farrell's demise and added that people knew her for her appearance on M*A*S*H. He recalled her performance in his 2006 film Long-Term Relationship and addressed the same by stating:

"I developed that script in the Twin Bridges Screenwriting Salon, which was run by Judy and her husband Joe Bratcher (who also played her husband in LTR), and U was honored that they agreed to be in the movie. Judy was always kind and funny, and she was very supportive. She will be missed by all of us."

According to her son Michael, Farrell was hospitalized after suffering a stroke nine days ago. However, he did not reveal any other details about the stroke except that she was having trouble speaking after being diagnosed with the disease. He stated that Farrell was still able to communicate with everyone by squeezing their hands.

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Judy Farrell was known for her appearance in M*A*S*H

Judy Farrell and Mike Farrell at their residence (Image via Tony Korody/Getty Images)

Judy Farrell was popular for her appearance as Nurse Able in the CBS war comedy-drama series, M*A*S*H. She appeared only in the fifth season and the character was played by different actresses in all eleven seasons of the series.

While she appeared in one episode, she came to the Swamp with Nurse Bigelow to approach Hawkeye so that he could fix the stove in their tent. The stove exploded following which Hawkeye lost his vision. Able was one of the nurses who took him to O.R. and remained with him while ophthalmologist Maj.

As Frank attempts to throw Hawkeye out of Post Op, she takes him to the nurses' tent to cheer him on and a few days later, she congratulates Hawkeye after he gets his vision back when the bandages are removed. Hawkeye returns to the tent pretending to have a relapse and Able tells the rest that it is curable and tosses a cup at Hawkeye.

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Judy Farrell appeared in a few TV shows

Born on May 11, 1938, Judy Farrell enrolled at Oklahoma State University where she pursued her graduation. She then went to UCLA in 1961 following which she joined Laguna Beach High School as an English and Drama teacher.

She was then featured in a few more TV shows like Get Smart, The Partridge Family, Port Charles, Fame, and Quincy, M.E. She was also a writer for 13 episodes of the ABC soap opera, Port Charles.

She is survived by her husband Joe Bratcher and her two children, Michael and Erin, whom she shares with her ex-husband Mike Farrell. Judy and Mike were married from 1963 to 1983.