Allan Arbus (February 15, 1918 – April 19, 2013)
(TV Guide) – Allan Arbus, who played psychiatrist Maj. Sidney Freedman on
"M*A*S*H”, died Friday, April 19, at home in Los Angeles, his daughter Amy
confirmed to The New York Times.
Abrus, who had served as a military photography in the Army and ran a
fashion photography business before becoming an actor, was so convincing
in his role as Maj. Freedman, that co-star Alan Alda often found himself
opening up to Arbus.
"I was so convinced that he was a psychiatrist I used to sit and talk with him
between scenes," Alda said in an interview with the Archive of American
Television. "After a couple months of that I noticed he was giving me these
strange looks, like ‘How would I know the answer to that?’"
In addition to "M*A*S*H," Arbus also appeared in "Starsky and Hutch,"
"Cagney and Lacy" and "Judging Amy." His last television appearance was
on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" in 2000.