'MASH' actor Eileen Saki passes away at 79

WASHINGTON: Actor Eileen Saki, who played Rosie on the TV show 'MASH' is no more. She was 79 when she breathed her last. According to Variety report, a US-based media house, the actor died on Monday in Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer, confirmed with Saki's representative.

The actor appeared in nine episodes of the television series 'MASH," which was based on the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which cared for patients during the Korean War. The TV show ran from 1972 through 1983. Saki played Rosie, the bar owner in the series. She was the third and longest-serving actor to take up the role.

Her acting career continued with appearances in films such as "Splash" starring Tom Hanks in 1984, 'CHiPs' and 'History of the World: Part I'. As per Variety reports, Saki was born in Japan and is the daughter of a gardener, as she revealed to her "M*A*S*H" co-star Jeff Maxwell on the 'MASH Matters' podcast.

"I was raised in Japan, came here, English is my second language, but I knew at the age of four that I was going to be a performer," Saki explained. "We were poor, and my psyche probably wanted to be someone else." To live a more colourful and enjoyable existence."

She went on to play Rosie in 'MASH' after slipping onto a Fox set and meeting Burt Metcalf, who cast her. Saki asked Metcalf if he had any other work for her after finishing "MASH,' which led to her joining the cast of 'History of the World: Part I'.

Saki survived lung cancer in 2004 and returned to her passion for entertainment. She most recently appeared in an Uber Eats commercial in 2022.

On the 'MASH Matters' podcast, Maxwell discussed Saki's death as Private Igor Straminsky. On the Facebook page of his show, he paid respect to the late actor. "Our dear Eileen. Our sassy Rosie. She read all of the emails and replied to as many as she could.

Eileen, our sweet, sweet Eileen. We adore you. We will miss you so much," he wrote. Saki is survived by her husband, Bob.

Other film and TV credits for Saki throughout her career include Splash (1984), History of the World, Part I (1981), Meteor (1979), Policewoman (1974), Good Times (1979), CHiPs (1981), Gimme a Break! (1984), Without a Trace (2004) and Man Rots from the Head (2016), among many more.