Krista Henry, Staff Reporter 
Mike Farrell - Contributed
A man of all seasons, American Michael Farrell takes on multiple roles in life. An actor, activist, family man and now a writer, Mike Farrell makes his live literary debut at Jamaica's own Calabash International Literary Festival.
Each year Calabash brings the most inspirational, daring and diverse authors and performers from the region and internationally to the public, to experience the joys of literature. Come May 25 at Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Mike Farrell will grace the stage with his first novel Just Call Me Mike: A Journey To Actor and Activist. His novel, which was released in March of 2007, has been praised from reviewers across the globe as one of the most heartfelt and realistic autobiographies in years.
Best known for his role as B.J. Hunnicutt in the hit television series MASH, Farrell had been a regular on other shows, such as the soap opera Days Of Our Lives and the NBC hit drama Providence. Behind the camera, together with partner Marvin Minoff, he formed Farrell/Minoff Productions.
Farrell is also one of Hollywood's most well-known activists. Promoting human rights and opposing the death penalty are two of his prime concerns, making him a regular lecturer to interested audiences. According to Farrell, he is the president of the board of Death Penalty Focus, a member of Human Rights Watch, an international spokesperson for Concern America, and periodically acts as a goodwill ambassador for the high commission for refugees. He also works alongside other organisations now and again.
His journey from actor to activist has given him intense public attention and makes his story one of prime interest to a large fan base. His dual role has affected in some ways his capacity as an actor, as he says "Being an activist makes me a little more selective about the things I do. I try to do things that will offer me opportunities for others."
First time
While Farrell has traversed many different parts of the globe, his imminent arrival will be his first time in the island. Concerning Calabash, the novelist is very happy to have been invited.
He told The Sunday Gleaner "I'm very excited, I've been there and this whole world of books is brand new to me. Being invited to an international book festival is all new. I'm open to whatever it is that they are doing."
Farrell seems to live his life with an open mind and he claims that becoming a writer wasn't a path he had foreseen for himself. He said that it was through the urging of a good friend that he contemplated the idea, and thought that his experiences might be valuable to those involved in show business and activism. "The book is a memoir or autobiography talking about my life before becoming an actor and activist, how the two complement each other. It tells a little about show business and human rights activism," he said.
Despite being intimidated by the prospect of collecting all his experiences, writing them and having them exposed to the world, Farrell forged ahead. He said "The novel made sense to me as an art of my life - that's how I conceptualised it. About my dreams and me trying to realise those dreams - that's a story I could tell." According to Farrell, the reception to the novel has been overwhelming and the novel has made best-seller lists across America.
While he has no plans to write another novel, his career in show business is still flourishing. As a producer he has a couple of motion pictures in the works, and he will be making a recurring guest appearance on the hit show Desperate Housewives. He said "It has been fun 'cause I get to play a villainous character, which is new to me."
