Kellye Nakahara, the actress best known for her recurring role as Nurse Kellye Yamato on the hit television series “M*A*S*H,” died on Sunday at her home in Pasadena, Calif. She was 73.

Her son, William Wallett, said the cause was cancer.

Ms. Nakahara, who was later known as Kellye Nakahara Wallett, appeared in 167 episodes of “M*A*S*H,” the acclaimed sitcom set in a mobile Army hospital during the Korean War. The series ran from 1972 to 1983 on CBS.

She was originally an extra on the show. But, she said in a 2016 NPR interview, her role grew after she became friendly with the writers and crew.

“I think I was in every scene,” she said, “because I put myself in every scene and nobody told me to get out.”