Mike Farrell, is best known for his role as Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt for eight seasons on the hit TV series "M*A*S*H," but he's proudest of his work as a human rights activist on behalf of people who have never owned a television.

In his autobiography, "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey from Actor to Activist," Farrell recounts how he was able to redirect the celebrity spotlight from his "M*A*S*H" fame onto some of the world's most wrenching human dramas. Whether he's providing a firsthand account of the ravages of war and oppression in Cambodia, El Salvador, Somalia, Bosnia and Rwanda or holding vigil against the death penalty outside San Quentin, Farrell's off-screen life has been an all-in commitment to defend the powerless from the grinding machinations of war, poverty and public apathy.

As a shy kid growing up on the wrong side of the Hollywood tracks, Farrell spent years delivering groceries to the likes of Jack Benny, Lucille Ball and Jimmy Stewart before he found the nerve to pursue his own star. From early success as a soap opera actor on "Days of Our Lives," he landed TV series roles in "The Interns" and "The Man and the City" before "M*A*S*H" made him a household face. Most recently, he starred in the popular series "Providence" for five seasons.

Married since 1984 to actress Shelley Fabares ("Coach"), Farrell still maintains a vigorous schedule on behalf of numerous causes that address the plight of refugees, environmentalism, animal rights and abolishing the death penalty.

Bankrate spoke with Farrell about acting, activism, Oprah and Brangelina, and the challenges of making ends meet while trying to change the world. 

Bankrate: You grew up in the heart of Tinsel Town, right?

Mike Farrell: Yes, we lived in West Hollywood, which at that time was part of the county strip; it was not an incorporated city as it is now. It was a nice community. It's a small community, certainly working class. My father was able to borrow the money from his mother to buy the house. We were literally across the tracks from Beverly Hills and got to go to the same grocery stores. We would walk and my mother would use her ration book during the war, and we shopped with some of the people from Beverly Hills who were well known because of their appearance in motion pictures. It was an interesting place to be.

Bankrate: How did you come to deliver groceries to movie stars?

Farrell: Well, it was always important and necessary for us to work as kids, and after a few jobs as a newspaper boy -- once I was old enough to drive -- I got a job with a supermarket in Beverly Hills that eventually let me drive one of their delivery vans. Their primary clientele at the time was a group of wealthier people who could order their groceries by phone and have them delivered to their home, and many of them were movie and television stars. After I graduated from high school and went in the service and got out, I went to work for another company that did essentially the same thing, and even went to a lot of the same homes.