Mash star Harry Morgan dies aged 96

Harry Morgan played Colonel Sherman Potter in Mash from 1975 to 1983

Actor Harry Morgan, best known for playing Colonel Sherman Potter in US TV show Mash, has died aged 96.

The star died at his Los Angeles home after suffering from pneumonia, his family confirmed.

Mike Farrell, who played BJ Hunnicutt in the military series, said of Morgan: "There was not an unadorable bone in the man's body."

Morgan also appeared as Officer Bill Gannon opposite Jack Webb in TV crime serial Dragnet from 1967 to 1970.

He appeared in more than 100 movies in mostly supporting roles from the early 1940s, playing opposite stars including Henry Fonda, John Wayne, James Garner, Elvis Presley and Dan Aykroyd.

Morgan began his TV career in the 1950s when the medium was in its infancy in the US, which he said allowed him "to kick the Hollywood habit of typing an actor in certain roles".

But it was his role as fatherly Col Potter in Mash, which he played from 1975 to 1983, that remains his best-remembered performance.

In 1980 he won an Emmy award for his portrayal, which was set during the Korean War.

During a news conference in 1983, after taping the final episode of Mash, the actor broke down in front of reporters.

"I'm feeling very sad and sentimental. I don't know if Mash made me a better actor but I know it made me a better human being," he said.

His co-star Mike Farrell added that Morgan was "an imp".

"He was full of fun and he was smart as a whip," added the actor.

Morgan's daughter-in-law, Beth Morgan, said he was "side-splittingly funny" and "very humble about having such a successful career".

He is survived by three sons, eight grandchildren and his second wife, Barbara Bushman.