Radar from 'M*A*S*H' Celebrates 80th Birthday as a Grandpa Yet Was 'Hardly Recognized' at Last Public Appearance

• Gary Burghoff, a.k.a. Radar from "M*A*S*H," celebrated his 80th birthday as a grandpa!
• The actor was called "hardly [recognizable]" during his last public appearance.
• Gary opened up about why he left "M*A*S*H" and lost millions of dollars.

American actor Gary Burghoff is most famous for his role as Radar on "M*A*S*H." However, he left Hollywood soon after he left the show in 1979.

Now, he has stepped back from acting completely and enjoys being a grandfather. He recently celebrated a milestone birthday after fans could not recognize him when they saw him in public.

On the "M*A*S*H" Facebook page, the show posted photos of Burghoff throughout the years and wished him a happy belated birthday. Fans flocked to the comments section to wish Burghoff a happy birthday.

One fan said Burghoff played a significant role in making the series as legendary as it was, and another said he was a fantastic actor and Radar was an excellent character. In contrast, others thought Rader was the best character on the show.

One fan talked not about Burghoff but rather about the show as a whole, saying all the cast members were in their 80s, and while they had aged, the show had not. The fan gushed:

"It still looks as fresh as it was all those years ago."

Aside from celebrating his 80th birthday recently, Burghoff experienced another significant milestone earlier this year when he became a grandfather for the first time. Burghoff's son, Miles, documented his wife's pregnancy on Instagram, and the day his daughter was born, he shared the news with the world via Instagram too.

He said he and his wife had welcomed their daughter, Rylee Elisabeth Burghoff, and mentioned his wife had done an excellent job bringing their daughter into the world. Miles then confirmed that both mom and baby were happy and healthy.

How Does Burghoff Look Now?

Four years ago, Burghoff's son, Jordan, posted a video of his father on his YouTube page. In the video, Burghoff said that he and two other families sought to open a crowdfunding account that would benefit all affected by the California fires, otherwise known as the #CampFires.

Burghoff mentioned how much devastation the fires had caused in their hometown and said he hoped the crowdfunding would bring relief to California residents and those who were doing their best to control the fires.

Upon seeing the video, Burghoff's fans were delighted to see him on video once again, but some were concerned about him. One person said they did not know it was him until he started talking, and they recognized him as the voice of Radar.

Some fans discussed how Burghoff had "aged," and others mentioned that they "hardly recognized" him. Yet many knew precisely who he was and thanked him for adding his voice to the fire relief efforts.

Many fans also thanked Burghoff for his role as Radar and said the show had significantly impacted their lives from a young age. One fan even said they donated to the cause because they felt they owed Burghoff something for being there for them on the show when they needed it most.

After retiring from acting, Burghoff knew he needed to do something else. As a reborn Christian, he prayed about his next chapter, and he said he felt compelled to paint.

Burghoff had been casually painting for a while, but after he got the message that he should paint, he began taking it much more seriously. He made a name for himself as an artist and soon began profiting from his art.

His chosen subjects are animals. Burghoff describes himself as an "animal person" and talks about growing up in his family house and being intrigued by the wildlife around it. He reflected:

"I'd catch snakes, newts, spiders, and put them in display cases, then let them go."

Burghoff began painting in earnest in 1993 and said he was "euphoric" when surrounded by art and his subjects. Burghoff also used the time when he left acting to spend with his sons.

How Did Radar Choose Family Over Money?

Money has never been Burghoff's most excellent motivator. He recalled that he did not leave "M*A*S*H" wealthy and said that while he could have renegotiated his contract, money was unimportant to him.

Instead of picking up on one of the many television series roles he was offered when "M*A*S*H" ended, Burghoff settled on regional theatre instead. He recalled he wanted to pick how many weeks he worked at a time and have spare time to spend with his family.

Burghoff admitted that when working on "M*A*S*H," he worked 16 hours each day, and he missed out on many of the early milestones his daughter, Gena, reached. He once mused:

"You either want to be rich and famous, or you want to be a daddy."

For Burghoff, the choice was clear; he wanted nothing more than to be a father to his children and have enough time to spend with them. Yet he quickly realized that money was still a necessity, leading him to paint.

While Burghoff had no regrets about leaving the show in 1979, the producers were upset by the decision and decided to try and get him back with the promise of $4 million, which would have landed Burghoff in the top three highest-paid sitcom stars, yet he still rejected the offer.

Burghoff said when he turned 35, he missed things like being around friends and family and having the time to do something he had always dreamed of doing during his time on the show.

However, the show's directors and producers felt the real reason Burghoff left might have been because he was having trouble with his wife at home, which was reflected in how he reacted to a scene where he acted out marital problems.

Now, while many people know and love Burghoff as his character, Radar, and have even thanked him for being there for them as they grew up, his children know him simply as their father, who loves to fish.