William Christopher

William Christopher (October 20, 1932 – December 31, 2016) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from 1965 to 1968 and Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1983 and its spinoff AfterMASH from 1983 to 1985.

Contents

 * 1Early life
 * 2Career
 * 3Charity work
 * 4Personal life
 * 5Death
 * 6Partial filmography
 * 7References
 * 8External links

Early life[edit]
Christopher was born in Evanston, Illinois, in a family believed to be descendants of Paul Revere.[1] He spent his youth in several of Chicago's northern suburbs,[2] including Winnetka, where he attended New Trier High School.[2] Christopher graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut with a B.A. in drama, focusing on Greek literature.[1][3] While at university, he participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club, and was initiated as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.[4]

Career[edit]
Cast of M*A*S*H (1977); back row, L-R: William Christopher, Gary Burghoff, David Ogden Stiers, and Jamie Farr Front: Loretta Swit, Harry Morgan, Alan Alda, Mike Farrell

Christopher (right) as an Army doctor on an episode of Good Times. John Amos and Jimmie Walker are also pictured.

Christopher moved to New York and appeared in a variety of regional productions and later a number of off-Broadway productions such as The Hostage at One Sheridan Square. His Broadway debut came in Beyond the Fringe, a British revue, acting alongside Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.[5][1]

Christopher left New York City for Hollywood to attempt to gain work in television where he guest-starred in several well-known series, including The Andy Griffith Show, Death Valley Days, The Patty Duke Show and The Men from Shiloh. He made several appearances on Hogan's Heroes, and had recurring roles on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and That Girl. In 1972, Christopher gained the role of Father Mulcahy in the television series M*A*S*H when the actor who was first cast in the role, George Morgan, was replaced after a single appearance in the pilot episode.[5] Immediately following M*A*S*H, Christopher continued the role for the two seasons of the short-lived spin-off AfterMASH.[1]

In feature films, Christopher performed in The Fortune Cookie, The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell, The Shakiest Gun in the West, With Six You Get Eggroll, and Hearts of the West.[1] He had parts in telefilms including The Movie Maker, The Perils of Pauline, and For the Love of It. With Six You Get Eggroll is notable for fans of M*A*S*H, as Jamie Farr appears along with Christopher five years before they co-starred in the series, both playing hippies.[1]

After gaining attention for M*A*S*H, Christopher appeared in various other television series, including Good Times (as the military doctor examining J. J. Evans) and Murder, She Wrote, and made multiple guest appearances on The Love Boat. In 1998, he guest-starred as a priest in an episode of Mad About You.[1] He also remained active in the theater, including a tour of the United States in the mid-1990s with Farr, performing Neil Simon's The Odd Couple on stage.[1] In 2008–09, he toured with Church Basement Ladies.[6] One of Christopher's last roles was that of a priest (Father Tobias) on the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives.[7]

Charity work[edit]
Christopher, whose son Ned has autism, devoted much of his spare time to the National Autistic Society, doing public service announcements to bring attention to autism. In 1985, he and his wife Barbara wrote Mixed Blessings, a book about their experiences in raising Ned.[5]

Personal life[edit]
Christopher met his future wife, Barbara, on a blind date. They married in 1957 and the couple adopted two sons, John and Ned.[1]

Death[edit]
Christopher died at his home in Pasadena, California, on December 31, 2016. According to his son John Christopher, the 84-year-old actor died as the result of small-cell carcinoma.[8][9] He died exactly one year after fellow M*A*S*H cast member Wayne Rogers.

He had been diagnosed with cancer about 18 months earlier, according to his New York-based agent, Robert Malcolm.

Partial filmography[edit]

 * 1965: 12 O'Clock High (TV Series, Episode: "Then Came the Mighty Hunter") as Patient
 * 1965: Hank (TV Series, Episode: "Candidate") as Elwood
 * 1965: The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series, 2 episodes) as Mr. Heathcote-IRS
 * 1965: Hogan's Heroes (TV Series, 4 episodes) as multiple characters in 1965, '66 & '68
 * 1966: The Patty Duke Show (TV Series, Episode: "Three Little Kittens") as Man
 * 1966: The Fortune Cookie as Intern
 * 1967: The Perils of Pauline as Doctor (uncredited)
 * 1968: The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell as Pvt. Jake Schultz
 * 1968: The Shakiest Gun in the West as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
 * 1968: With Six You Get Eggroll as Zip - Cloud
 * 1972–1983: M*A*S*H (TV Series) as Father Francis John Mulcahy
 * 1975: Hearts of the West as Bank Teller
 * 1983–1985: AfterMASH (TV Series) as Father Francis John Mulcahy
 * 1985: Murder, She Wrote (TV Series, Episode: "A Lady in the Lake") as Burton Hollis
 * 1994: Heaven Sent as Priest
 * 1998: Mad About You (TV Series, Episode: "A Pain in the Neck") as Chaplain Olsen
 * 2012: Days of Our Lives (TV Series) as Father Tobias (final appearance)