Jamie Farr

Farr was born Jameel Joseph Farah ({{langx|ar|جميل جوزيف فرح}}) on July 1, 1934 in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Jamelia ({{langx|ar|جميله فرح}}) and Samuel Farah ({{langx|ar|صموئيل ينحت}}). His father, who owned a grocery store, was an immigrant from the Beqaa Valley area of what is now Lebanon and his mother, a seamstress, was a first-generation Lebanese American who grew up in Iowa.{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/tv-radio/2022/10/08/jamie-farr-50-years-of-m-a-s-h/stories/20221009010|title=Toledoan Jamie Farr looks back on 50th anniversary of 'M*A*S*H'|last=Webber|first=Jason|date=2022-10-08|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032645/https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/tv-radio/2022/10/08/jamie-farr-50-years-of-m-a-s-h/stories/20221009010|url-status=live}} Prior to immigrating through Ellis Island, Samuel's surname was Abboud and his father's first name was Farah. Farr grew up in Northern Toledo, which had a sizeable Lebanese population, in a diverse neighborhood. He was raised Antiochian Orthodox.{{cite news| last=Hiel| first=Betsy| url=https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2000/03/28/A-soldier-in-a-dress-put-Toledo-into-America-s-living-rooms/stories/200003280001| title=A soldier in a dress put Toledo into America's living rooms| newspaper=The Blade| location=Toledo, Ohio, USA| date=March 28, 2000| access-date=October 21, 2023| archive-date=October 19, 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019001121/https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2000/03/28/A-soldier-in-a-dress-put-Toledo-into-America-s-living-rooms/stories/200003280001| url-status=live}} He had at least one sibling, an older sister, Yvonne, who died in 2012.

His first acting gig was at age 11, when he won two dollars in a local acting competition. While in high school, he worked at his father's shop and delivered The Toledo Times newspaper in the morning and The Blade in the afternoon.{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2017/08/26/M-A-S-H-star-Jamie-Farr-honored-as-Toledo-s-most-famous-son/stories/20170826176|title=M*A*S*H star Jamie Farr honored as Toledo's most famous son|last=Reiter|first=Mark|date=2017-08-26|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2017/08/26/M-A-S-H-star-Jamie-Farr-honored-as-Toledo-s-most-famous-son/stories/20170826176|url-status=live}} He graduated from Woodward High School in 1952 and left for California later that year, where he attended classes at Pasadena Playhouse.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/the-big-interview-jamie-farr/article_d0cf88af-0963-5421-aa1d-36d8c8c56b79.html|title=The Big Interview: Jamie Farr|date=2011-04-29|last=Ouzounian|first=Richard|newspaper=The Toronto Star|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=October 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019023201/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/the-big-interview-jamie-farr/article_d0cf88af-0963-5421-aa1d-36d8c8c56b79.html|url-status=live}} It was there that he was spotted by an MGM talent scout and offered a screen test for the film Blackboard Jungle, where he played the role of Santini. He was credited as Jameel Farah, as he would not take on the name Jamie Farr until 1959 after his stint in the army.{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/59903%7C78856/Jamie-Farr/#biography|title=Jamie Farr: Biography|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/59903%7C78856/Jamie-Farr/#biography|url-status=live}}

File:Jamie Farr Stumpers 1976.jpg, 1976]]

While training at Pasadena Playhouse, Farr acted in bit parts including a role in The Blackboard Jungle (1955) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He also worked at a chinchilla farm for extra money. Sherwood Schwartz noticed Farr on an unsold TV pilot and cast him on The Red Skelton Show in 1955, where he played Snorkel, whose large nose gave him an inhumanly strong sense of smell.{{cite news|title=The trouble with Klinger|last=Dangaard|first=Colin|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio, USA|date=1981-04-19|page=142|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer/133735276/|via=newspapers.com|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer/133735276/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/stories/this-m-a-s-h-episode-took-inspiration-from-jamie-farr-s-only-twilight-zone-appearance|title=This M*A*S*H episode took inspiration from Jamie Farr's only Twilight Zone appearance|date=2022-05-27|publisher=MeTV|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032642/https://www.metv.com/stories/this-m-a-s-h-episode-took-inspiration-from-jamie-farr-s-only-twilight-zone-appearance|url-status=live}} He became a regular on Skelton. He was drafted in 1957, and underwent basic training at Fort Ord in California He was made a Broadcast Specialist and worked on training videos in various roles at Fort Knox, the Army Pictorial Service, and Fort Huachuca before shipping out to Korea. Abroad, he was part of the Special Services and worked on the Far East Network. When Red Skelton traveled to Japan and Korea to do a USO tour, he requested Farr's service as his assistant.

After two years of active duty, Farr returned to the United States, where he spent an additional two years on reserve. Shortly after his return, his father died and he decided to give up acting to help provide steady financial support for his mother. When Farr went to say goodbye to Skelton, Skelton handed him a stack of one hundred dollar bills to send home and told Farr he was hiring him as a writer. Farr completed his military career with an additional two years on inactive reserve.

Over the next decade, Farr had small roles on The Danny Kaye Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, My Three Sons, and Garrison's Gorillas and appeared in films including The Greatest Story Ever Told, No Time for Sergeants,{{cite news|url=https://triblive.com/aande/movies-tv/mash-star-jamie-farr-talks-about-playing-klinger-spiritual-connection-to-pittsburgh/|title='M*A*S*H' star Jamie Farr talks about playing Klinger, spiritual connection to Pittsburgh|last=Guggenheimer|first=Paul|date=2011-06-07|newspaper=The Trib|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://triblive.com/aande/movies-tv/mash-star-jamie-farr-talks-about-playing-klinger-spiritual-connection-to-pittsburgh/|url-status=live}} Who's Minding the Mint?, and With Six You Get Eggroll. In October 1972, he was hired for one day's work on the fourth episode of M*A*S*H as Corporal Maxwell Klinger. Klinger provided comic relief in his desperate attempts to be given a Section 8 discharge{{cite web|url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/history/2023/02/28/mash-finale-tv-cbs-alan-alda/69903178007/|title=Remember when ... Historic M*A*S*H finale aired 40 years ago|last=Wadlow|first=Brad|date=2023-02-28|publisher=mycentraljersey.com|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/history/2023/02/28/mash-finale-tv-cbs-alan-alda/69903178007/|url-status=live}} by wearing elaborate women's outfits with accessories such as boas, a fruit hat, and fashion headscarves. At the time, Farr was still a struggling actor and was most concerned about the $250 paycheck from the M*A*S*H job so he could buy groceries and pay rent; he never expected to be invited back for several more episodes. For several years, the producers and the studio dodged his requests for a contract, which Farr suspected was so they didn't have to increase his salary. He was finally hired as a series regular on M*A*S*H beginning with season 4 in 1975.{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/stories/jamie-farr-simply-couldnt-wait-to-go-to-work-while-on-m-a-s-h|title=Jamie Farr simply couldn't wait to go to work while on M*A*S*H|date=2023-02-03|publisher=MeTV|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.metv.com/stories/jamie-farr-simply-couldnt-wait-to-go-to-work-while-on-m-a-s-h|url-status=live}}

File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG (1977)]]

Like Farr, the character of Klinger was a Lebanese-American from Toledo, which gave Farr the freedom to pepper references about the town into his dialogue. He frequently mentioned hot dogs from Tony Packo's Cafe and was a fan of the baseball team, the Toledo Mud Hens.{{cite web|url=https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/jamie-farr-mash-tv-show-toledo-40th-anniversary/512-34bc8f8b-6f18-4463-9bc3-aae9ae3966e2|title=Jamie Farr, 'M*A*S*H' put Toledo on the map, mayor and local business owners say|last=Love|first=Josh|date=2023-03-03|newspaper=WTOL|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=May 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522202425/https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/jamie-farr-mash-tv-show-toledo-40th-anniversary/512-34bc8f8b-6f18-4463-9bc3-aae9ae3966e2|url-status=live}} Klinger was promoted to the company clerk's position later in the series and gradually stopped wearing women's clothes. This was done for two reasons: first, to show Klinger's respect for his new role and his increased maturity; and second, because Farr didn't want his two young children to be teased about their father wearing dresses on TV.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/why-klinger-wears-dresses-in-mash/|title=Why Klinger Always Wears Dresses In MASH|last=Dumaraog|first=Ana|date=2023-04-10|publisher=Screen Rant|access-date=2023-10-18}}{{cite news|title=The S*M*A*S*H-ing success of Jamie (Klinger) Farr|last=Goodman|first=Mark|newspaper=Coshocton Tribune|location=Coshocton, Ohio, USA|date=1980-05-18|page=71|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune/133734964/|via=newspapers.com|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032642/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune/133734964/|url-status=live}} By the end of the show, only Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce, and Loretta Swit, who played Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, had appeared in more M*A*S*H episodes than Farr. Farr was also the sole cast member who had actually served in Korea, and the dog tags he wore as Klinger were his own from his time in the service.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/mash-actors-served-army-korea-real-life/|title=Which MASH Actors Really Served The U.S. Military In Korea|last=McFarlane|first=Holly|date=2023-05-14|publisher=Screen Rant|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=June 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622011407/https://screenrant.com/mash-actors-served-army-korea-real-life/|url-status=live}}

During the late 1970s, Farr appeared regularly as one of the celebrity judges on The Gong Show. He also made frequent guest appearances on several other game shows, including The $100,000 Pyramid,{{cite magazine|title=Monday 7pm-7:55pm|magazine=TV Guide|date=1986-07-05|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/tvguidejul05111988/TV_Guide_Jul-05-11-1988/page/n103/mode/1up?q=jamie+farr|access-date=2023-10-19}} Super Password, and Body Language.{{cite book|title=Betty White on TV: From Video Vanguard to Golden Girl|last=Hyatt|first=Wesley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94MSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22jamie+farr%22+%22body+language%22&pg=PT191|publisher=BearManor Media|year=2020|access-date=2023-10-19}} Following the end of M*A*S*H in 1983, Farr, Harry Morgan, and William Christopher reprised their roles for two seasons on the spinoff show AfterMASH, which followed their characters after the end of the war.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/mash-show-every-spinoff-trapper-john-aftermash/|title=Every M*A*S*H TV Spinoff|last=Cotter|first=Padraig|date=2022-11-28|publisher=Screen Rant|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=March 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306152847/https://screenrant.com/mash-show-every-spinoff-trapper-john-aftermash/|url-status=live}} Between the 1970s and early 1990s, he appeared in several made-for-TV movies such as Murder Can Hurt You, Return of the Rebels, and Combat Academy and guest starred on shows including Kolchak: The Night Stalker,{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/lists/9-faces-that-appeared-on-both-m-a-s-h-and-kolchak-the-night-stalker|title=9 faces that appeared on both 'M*A*S*H' and 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker'|date=2023-10-18|publisher=MeTV|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=October 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018235128/https://metv.com/lists/9-faces-that-appeared-on-both-m-a-s-h-and-kolchak-the-night-stalker|url-status=live}} Emergency!, and Murder She Wrote. He played the Sheik in The Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II, and Speed Zone{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2017/09/29/Jamie-Farr-himself-Beloved-Toledo-actor-to-share-his-Hollywood-experiences-in-special-live-show/stories/20170929148|title=Jamie Farr stars as himself in upcoming Toledo show|date=2017-09-29|newspaper=The Blade|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2017/09/29/Jamie-Farr-himself-Beloved-Toledo-actor-to-share-his-Hollywood-experiences-in-special-live-show/stories/20170929148|url-status=live}} and was the only actor to have appeared in all three Cannonball Run films.{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57038|title=Cannonball Run II|publisher=American Film Institute|access-date=2023-10-19}} He also appeared in TV commercials, including for Wonder Bread,{{cite news|url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/10/03/a-cereal-fact-thats-hard-to-swallow/|title=A cereal fact that's hard to swallow|date=2007-10-03|newspaper=East Bay Times|location=Walnut Creek, California, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=September 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927072804/https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/10/03/a-cereal-fact-thats-hard-to-swallow/|url-status=live}} Mars bars, and IBM computers.

Farr's debut on Broadway was as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls in the 1990s at age 60. He had wanted to play this role since seeing the show in high school. He replaced Nathan Lane in the role last minute, only having two weeks and one full-cast rehearsal before the show opened. In 1997, he played Oscar Madison opposite former M*A*S*H costar William Christopher as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple. The two had appeared in several movies before being cast together in M*A*S*H.{{cite news|url=https://www.13abc.com/content/news/MASH-star-Jamie-Farr-reacts-to-death-of-fellow-actor-William-Christopher-409226755.html|title=M*A*S*H star Jamie Farr reacts to death of fellow actor William Christopher|date=2017-01-01|newspaper=WTVG|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.13abc.com/content/news/MASH-star-Jamie-Farr-reacts-to-death-of-fellow-actor-William-Christopher-409226755.html|url-status=live}} He also appeared in Flamingo Court opposite Anita Gillette.{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jamie-Farr/|title=Jamie Farr|publisher=BroadwayWorld|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Jamie-Farr/|url-status=live}} His other shows have included Say Goodnight, Gracie,{{cite web|url=http://www.rupertholmes.com/theatre/saygoodnightgracie.html|title=Say Goodnight, Gracie|last=Holmes|first=Rupert|author-link=Rupert Holmes|publisher=rupertholmes.com|access-date=2014-04-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209185246/http://www.rupertholmes.com/theatre/saygoodnightgracie.html|archive-date=2020-02-09}}{{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/former-m-a-s-h-star-to-say-goodnight-gracie-com-121501|title=Former "M*A*S*H" Star to Say Goodnight Gracie|last1=Gans|first1=Andrew|last2=Simonson|first2=Robert|date=2004-08-20|publisher=Playbill|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112034146/https://playbill.com/article/former-m-a-s-h-star-to-say-goodnight-gracie-com-121501|url-status=live}} The Last Romance,{{cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/jamie-farr-had-it-all/article_988a4db6-f36b-5d2d-b6a6-08e44ef1d28f.html|title=Jamie Farr had it all|last=Smith|first=Gary|date=2023-02-25|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|location=Hamilton, Ontario, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=October 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019004207/https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/jamie-farr-had-it-all/article_988a4db6-f36b-5d2d-b6a6-08e44ef1d28f.html|url-status=live}} George Washington Slept Here,{{cite web|url=https://www.dixiepac.net/performance-series/groucho|title=Join the Dixie for Frank Ferrante in an evening with Groucho on Sat, Jan 20, at 7:30P!|year=2023|publisher=The Dixie|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032645/https://www.dixiepac.net/performance-series/groucho|url-status=live}} Catch Me If You Can,{{Cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/flamingo-court-with-farr-and-gillette-begins-off-broadway-run-july-17-com-151685|title=Flamingo Court, with Farr and Gillette, Begins Off-Broadway Run July 17|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=2008-07-17|publisher=Playbill|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112034145/https://playbill.com/article/flamingo-court-with-farr-and-gillette-begins-off-broadway-run-july-17-com-151685|url-status=live}} Don't Dress for Dinner, Lend Me a Tenor,{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/jacksonville/article/Jamie-Farr-Readies-to-Open-Lend-Me-a-Tenor-20110906|title=Jamie Farr Readies to Open Lend Me a Tenor|last=Sierra|first=Gabrielle|date=2011-09-06|publisher=Broadway World|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032645/https://www.broadwayworld.com/jacksonville/article/Jamie-Farr-Readies-to-Open-Lend-Me-a-Tenor-20110906|url-status=live}} Tuesdays with Morrie,{{cite web | url=https://judsontheatre.com/tuesdays-with-morrie/ | title=Tuesdays with Morrie | access-date=July 9, 2022 | archive-date=July 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701135518/https://judsontheatre.com/tuesdays-with-morrie/ | url-status=live }} and Oklahoma!.

File:Farr, Jamie (2007) crop.jpg

Between 2007 and 2008,{{cite web| title=R.I.P. $250,000 Game Show Spectacular| url=http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2008/04/rip-250000-game-show-spectacular.html| access-date=2009-01-01| publisher=Vegas Happens Here| date=April 30, 2008| archive-date=October 6, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006095218/http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2008/04/rip-250000-game-show-spectacular.html| url-status=live}} Farr, Chuck Woolery, and Bob Eubanks were rotating hosts of the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular{{cite news|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2007/oct/08/the-new-game-show-with-the-most-name-that-host/|title=The new game show with the most: Name that host!|last=Fink|first=Jerry|date=2007-10-08|newspaper=Las Vegas Sun|location=Las Vegas, Nevada|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2007/oct/08/the-new-game-show-with-the-most-name-that-host/|url-status=live}} at the Las Vegas Hilton. He also hosted a daily radio travel feature called Travelin' Farr.{{cite web| title=Travelin Farr| url=http://radiotime.com/program/p_68581/Travelin_Farr.aspx|publisher=Radio Time| access-date=2009-07-17| archive-date=2010-06-11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611071309/http://radiotime.com/program/p_68581/Travelin_Farr.aspx| url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/famous-veteran-jamie-farr.html|title=Famous Veteran: Jamie Farr|date=2023-06-06|publisher=Military.com|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/famous-veteran-jamie-farr.html|url-status=live}} On Memorial Day 2007, Farr hosted a multiple-episode run of M*A*S*H on the Hallmark Channel where he provided commentary during commercial breaks. Between 2016 and 2018, he promoted M*A*S*H and other classic television series on MeTV{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} and in 2022 was attending large-scale events like Comic Con to meet fans of the show. The same year, he hosted M*A*S*H: The Best By Farr, where he provided commentary on his favorite episodes of the show to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.{{cite web|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/jamie-farr-hosts-mash-the-best-by-farr-on-metv|title=Jamie Farr Hosts 'M*A*S*H: The Best By Farr' on MeTV|last=Malone|first=Michael|date=2022-07-28|publisher=Broadcasting+Cable|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.nexttv.com/news/jamie-farr-hosts-mash-the-best-by-farr-on-metv|url-status=live}} Farr published his autobiography Just Farr Fun ({{ISBN|978-0964077508}}) in 1994 and cowrote Hababy's Christmas Eve ({{ISBN|978-1934341100}}) a book based on a story told by Klinger about a family of camels who brought the Wise Men to baby Jesus in his manger, with his wife in 2003.

Farr collapsed during a dinner show in Edmonton in 2014 and was transported to the hospital. He finished out the week of shows until an understudy was found, then flew home to California, where he had a stent put into his heart to treat atherosclerosis.{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/tv-radio/2015/10/28/jamie-farr-collapses-on-set.html|title=Jamie Farr collapses on set|date=2015-10-28|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032648/https://www.toledoblade.com/tv-radio/2015/10/28/jamie-farr-collapses-on-set.html|url-status=live}} In 2018, after collapsing during rehearsals for Jack of Diamonds, he decided to retire from stage acting.{{cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/review-theatre-aquarius-production-of-jack-of-diamonds-sparkles-with-silliness/article_2912ceae-b37f-565d-be81-c48b7b189901.html|title=Review: Theatre Aquarius production of Jack of Diamonds sparkles with silliness|last=Smith|first=Gary|date=2015-11-02|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|location=Hamilton, Ontario, Canada|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/review-theatre-aquarius-production-of-jack-of-diamonds-sparkles-with-silliness/article_2912ceae-b37f-565d-be81-c48b7b189901.html|url-status=live}}

Farr met his wife Joy Ann Richards, a model, shortly after returning from military service. They married in 1963 and have two children, Jonas (c. 1969) and Yvonne (c. 1972). In 2021, Farr told We Are the Mighty that James Jabara was his cousin.{{cite web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/mash-star-act-jamie-farr/|title=10 Questions with M*A*S*H star and famed actor Jamie Farr|date=2021-11-03|publisher=We Are the Mighty|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/mash-star-act-jamie-farr/|url-status=live}} Farr has battled severe rheumatoid arthritis since the early 1990s.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Farr was very close to Red Skelton, describing him as his "hero" and "mentor", and like "a second father" to him. He shared that Skelton was one of his favorite comedians growing up. Before Farr left for his military service, Skelton gave him a Saint Christopher medal, which he has worn since. When Skelton died in 1997, his widow asked Farr to be a pallbearer at his funeral.

Public records show that Farr has contributed financially to the Republican National Committee and Republican Party candidates multiple times since 1988, including to the campaigns of Darrell Issa (2022), who grew up in Ohio and is of Lebanese ancestry, and Joe Leibham (2009).{{cite web |url=http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Jamie_Farr.php |title=Jamie Farr's Federal Campaign Contribution Report |publisher=Newsmeat |date=April 18, 2011 |access-date=2021-02-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514001413/http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Jamie_Farr.php |archive-date=2011-05-14}}{{cite web|url=https://www.the961.com/lebanese-american-influential-politician-darrel-issa/|title=Meet the Lebanese-American businessman turned influential politician|last=Diab|first=Jasmin Lilian|date=2019-09-28|publisher=The 961|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032645/https://www.the961.com/lebanese-american-influential-politician-darrel-issa/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=jamie+farr&order=desc&sort=D|title=Donor Lookup: Jaime Farr|publisher=OpenSecrets|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020070950/https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=jamie+farr&order=desc&sort=D|url-status=live}}

Farr has remained deeply loyal to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, and the city has returned the sentiment. In 1977, he was awarded Toledo's version of the Keys to the City, a ceremonial glass. Scott High School named their new performing arts wing after him the same year.{{cite news|title=Klinger comes "home"|newspaper=The Piqua Daily Call|location=Piqua, Ohio, USA|date=1977-06-30|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-piqua-daily-call/133734742/|via=newspapers.com|access-date=2023-10-19|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-piqua-daily-call/133734742/|url-status=live}} The University of Toledo awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1983{{cite web|url=https://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/HTML_findingaids/MSS-024.htm|date=2022-06-27|title=Jamie Farr Scripts, 1954-1984|publisher=University of Toledo|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/HTML_findingaids/MSS-024.htm|url-status=live}} and, in 1998, a park where Farr spent a lot of his childhood was renamed the Jamie Farr Park, something he has referred to as "a highlight of my life and career."{{cite news| url=https://www.apnews.com/e96364ff17d4f9dee5117bf77fa376e7| title=Toledo Honors Jamie Farr| publisher=Associated Press| date=July 6, 1998| access-date=2018-09-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001070239/https://www.apnews.com/e96364ff17d4f9dee5117bf77fa376e7|archive-date=2018-10-01}}{{cite web|url=https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Jamie-Farr-honored-with-plaque-in-Jamie-Farr-Park--441822603.html|title=Jamie Farr honored with plaque in Jamie Farr Park|last=Hormann|first=Bill|date=2017-08-26|publisher=WTVG|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Jamie-Farr-honored-with-plaque-in-Jamie-Farr-Park--441822603.html|url-status=live}} Tony Packo's Cafe, a restaurant referenced several times by Klinger on M*A*S*H, displays a hot dog bun signed by Farr at their establishment.{{cite web|url=https://thetakeout.com/tony-packos-toledo-ohio-celebrity-hot-dog-buns-1835998781|title=Tony Packo's is the world capital of autographed hot dog buns|last=Brooke|first=Zach|date=2019-07-09|publisher=The Takeout|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://thetakeout.com/tony-packos-toledo-ohio-celebrity-hot-dog-buns-1835998781|url-status=live}} In 2017, Farr and Klinger were the first two inductees to the Toledo Mud Hens' Celebrity Hall of Fame. In 2023, an artist erected Jumpin' Jamie, a fiberglass frog statue part of a larger public art piece. The frog is named after Farr and is dressed in a babushka and red lipstick in homage to Klinger. Originally at the Highland Meadows Golf Club, where the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic was held, it is now kept at Bittersweet Farms.{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/art/2023/09/06/frog-around-town-jumpin-jamie-farr-frog-bats-eyes-at-bittersweet-farms/stories/20230906011|title=Frog Around Town: Jumpin' Jamie Farr frog bats eyes at Bittersweet Farms|last=King|first=Lillian|date=2023-09-06|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=September 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927072806/https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/art/2023/09/06/frog-around-town-jumpin-jamie-farr-frog-bats-eyes-at-bittersweet-farms/stories/20230906011|url-status=live}} There is also an academic scholarship bearing his name through the Greater Toledo Community Foundation.{{cite web|url=https://www.toledocf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-Information-Jamie-Farr-Scholarship.pdf|title=Jamie Farr Scholarship Program Information|publisher=Greater Toledo Community Foundation|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=October 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020073916/https://www.toledocf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Program-Information-Jamie-Farr-Scholarship.pdf|url-status=live}}

In 1983, Judd Silverman approached Farr about "lending his name" to a golf tournament. The following year, the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, an annual LPGA tour stop, held its inaugural event in Sylvania, Ohio. Sponsored by Kroger, Owens Corning, and O-I Glass, the tournament raises money for children's charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Farr hosted the event for 28 years{{cite web|url=https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Jamie-Farr-to-return-to-Toledo-432987403.html|title=Jamie Farr returns to Toledo for August celebration|last=Trauring|first=Brian|date=2017-07-06|publisher=WTVG|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Jamie-Farr-to-return-to-Toledo-432987403.html|url-status=live}} until it was rebranded the Marathon Classic in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/01/09/corporal-klinger-jamie-farr-lpga-toledo-marathon-sponosr/1820307/|title=LPGA no longer clings to Jamie Farr; Marathon is in|last=DiMeglio|first=Steve|date=2013-01-09|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/01/09/corporal-klinger-jamie-farr-lpga-toledo-marathon-sponosr/1820307/|url-status=live}} As of 2023, it is called the Dana Open.{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/dana-open/2023/07/09/briggs-dana-open-jamie-farr-remains-proud-what-he-started/stories/20230708004|title=Briggs: Ten years after LPGA tourney was rebranded, 'elated' Jamie Farr has no hard feelings|date=2023-07-08|last=Briggs|first=David|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/dana-open/2023/07/09/briggs-dana-open-jamie-farr-remains-proud-what-he-started/stories/20230708004|url-status=live}}

Outside of Ohio, Farr has been nominated for an Emmy for his time on M*A*S*H, given the Comedy Achievement Honoree award at the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, and inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://www.bgca.org/about-us/alumni-hall-of-fame/jamie-farr|title=Jamie Farr|publisher=Boys & Girls Clubs of America|access-date=2023-10-18|archive-date=October 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180258/https://bgca.org/about-us/alumni-hall-of-fame/jamie-farr|url-status=live}} In 1985, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Two of the dresses he wore as Klinger had previously been worn by Ginger Rogers and Betty Grable and are now owned by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.edu/object/dress-worn-jamie-farr-maxwell-klinger-television-series-mash%3Anmah_680157|title=Dress worn by Jamie Farr as Maxwell Klinger on television series, M*A*S*H|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=2023-10-19}}{{cite web|url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/mash-jamie-farr|title=In "M*A*S*H," actor Jamie Farr wore famous hand-me-downs|last=Harvey|first=Lucy|date=2017-12-13|publisher=National Museum of American History|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032643/https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/mash-jamie-farr|url-status=live}} In 2001, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations{{cite news|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/Culture/2001/03/09/Group-honors-Jamie-Farr.html|title=Group honors Jamie Farr|date=2009-03-09|newspaper=The Blade|location=Toledo, Ohio, USA|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=October 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021024704/https://www.toledoblade.com/Culture/2001/03/09/Group-honors-Jamie-Farr.html|url-status=live}} and in 2016 was given the Arab American Institute Foundation's Special Recognition Award.{{cite news|url=https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/aaif-s-gibran-gala-to-honor-m-a-s-h/article_3ebbe554-027d-11e6-9418-bb134a28383d.html|title=AAIF's Gibran Gala to honor M*A*S*H star Jamie Farr|last=Loria|first=Keith|date=2016-04-14|newspaper=Fairfax County Times|location=Reston, Virginia, USA|access-date=2023-10-20|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112032644/https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/aaif-s-gibran-gala-to-honor-m-a-s-h/article_3ebbe554-027d-11e6-9418-bb134a28383d.html|url-status=live}}

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