Editing William Christopher

{{Short description|American actor (1932–2016)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = William Christopher
| image              = File:William Christopher as Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H, 1977.JPG
| caption            = Christopher as Father Mulcahy
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = October 20, 1932
| birth_place        = [[Evanston, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date         = December 31, 2016 (aged 84)
| death_place        = [[Pasadena, California]], U.S.
| education          = 
| alma_mater         = [[Wesleyan University]], BA
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor}}
| years_active       = 1965–2012
}}

'''William Christopher''' (October 20, 1932 {{ndash}} 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|Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]] on the television series ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' from 1972 to 1983 and its spinoff ''[[AfterMASH]]'' from 1983 to 1985.

==Early life==
Christopher was born in [[Evanston, Illinois]], in a family believed to be descendants of [[Paul Revere]].<ref name="tcm bio">{{cite web | url = https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/34138%7C155333/william-christopher#biography | title = William Christopher – Biography | work = [[Turner Classic Movies]] | access-date = January 1, 2017 }}</ref> He spent his youth in several of Chicago's northern suburbs,<ref name="chigsuntimes">{{cite web | url = http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/mash-actor-evanston-native-william-christopher-dead-at-84/ | title = 'MASH' actor, Evanston native William Christopher dead at 84 | first = Matthew | last = Hendrickson | date = December 31, 2016 | access-date = January 1, 2017 | work = [[Chicago Sun-Times]] | archive-date = January 1, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170101232950/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/mash-actor-evanston-native-william-christopher-dead-at-84/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> including Winnetka, Illinois, where he attended [[New Trier High School]].<ref name="chigsuntimes"/> Christopher graduated from [[Wesleyan University]] in Middletown, Connecticut, with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in drama, focusing on [[Greek literature]].<ref name="tcm bio"/><ref name="latimes">{{cite web | url = http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-william-christopher-20161231-story.html | title = William Christopher, Father Mulcahy on 'MASH,' dies at 84 | first = Cindy |last = Carcamo | date = December 31, 2016 | access-date = January 1, 2017 | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref> While at university, he participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club, and was initiated as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2005/6/22/senate-section/article/S7198-2| title = Honoring the Sigma Chi Fraternity on the occasion of its 150th anniversary | date = June 22, 2005 | access-date = January 1, 2017 | work = [[Congressional Record]] }}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG|thumb|275px|Cast of ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' (1977). Back row, L–R: William Christopher, [[Gary Burghoff]], [[David Ogden Stiers]], and [[Jamie Farr]]. Front row, L–R: [[Loretta Swit]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Alan Alda]], [[Mike Farrell]] ]]
[[File:Good Times 1975.JPG|thumb|275px|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 (play)|The Hostage]]'' at One Sheridan Square. His Broadway debut came in ''[[Beyond the Fringe]]'', a British revue, acting alongside [[Peter Cook]] and [[Dudley Moore]].<ref name="variety"/><ref name="tcm bio"/>

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 (each time as a different character) on ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'', and had recurring roles on ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' and ''[[That Girl]]''. Christopher was a student at [[Harvey Lembeck]]’s famed L.A. improvisational workshop in the early 1970s during which time he performed improv skits (with two other performers, [[Carole Ita White|Carole White]] and Shelia Bartold, both also Lembeck students) during a January 1972 episode of ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''. While the appearance was officially uncredited, he was introduced by Burnett as Bill Christopher.

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.<ref name="variety"/> (Christopher was the third actor to play Mulcahy, following [[René Auberjonois]] in the [[M*A*S*H (film)|1970 film version of ''M*A*S*H'']] and George Morgan in the TV pilot episode.)

As Father Mulcahy, Christopher was a recurring cast member of ''M*A*S*H'' for the first four seasons of the series before being billed as a regular cast member from season five onwards. During production of the fifth season, Christopher contracted [[hepatitis]] and was bedridden for eight weeks, resulting in episodes being rewritten to account for Christopher's absence. The fifth season episode "Hepatitis", written by series star [[Alan Alda]], incorporated Christopher's battle with hepatitis into the show, when Mulcahy was bedridden with the disease. It was reported that production had considered writing Christopher out of the series entirely before Alda advocated on his co-star's behalf.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1419049/mash-william-christopher-hepatitis-episode/|title=One Cast Member's Ailment Ended Up Making It Into A M*A*S*H Script|website=SlashFilm|date=October 14, 2023 |access-date=April 22, 2024}}</ref> 

Christopher remained a regular cast member of ''M*A*S*H'' for the duration of the series, concluding with its eleventh season in 1983. Immediately following ''M*A*S*H'', Christopher continued the role of Father Mulcahy for the two seasons of the short-lived 1984-1985 [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] ''[[AfterMASH]]''.<ref name="tcm bio"/>

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 (1975 film)|Hearts of the West]]''.<ref name="tcm bio"/> He had parts in telefilms including ''The Movie Maker'', ''[[The Perils of Pauline (1967 film)|The Perils of Pauline]]'', and ''For the Love of It''. The comedy film ''With Six You Get Eggroll'' is notable for fans of ''M*A*S*H'' because [[Jamie Farr]] and Christopher appear in it together, both playing hippies, five years before they co-starred in the series.<ref name="tcm bio"/>

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]]''.<ref name="tcm bio"/> 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 (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' on stage.<ref name="tcm bio"/> In 2008–2009, he toured with ''Church Basement Ladies''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.troupeamerica.com/current_CBLTour.html|title=Church Basement Ladies Tour 2008|publisher=Troupeamerica.com|access-date=May 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717104531/http://www.troupeamerica.com/current_CBLTour.html|archive-date=July 17, 2011}}</ref>  One of Christopher's last roles was that of a priest (Father Tobias) on the daytime drama ''[[Days of Our Lives]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/49127/days-and-mash-alum-william-christopher-dead-at-84|title=Days and M*A*S*H alum William Christopher dead at 84|website=soaps.sheknows.com|date=January 2, 2017 |access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref>

==Charity work==
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 1988, his wife Barbara and he wrote ''Mixed Blessings'', a book about their experiences in raising Ned.<ref name="variety">{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/mash-william-christopher-dead-84-father-mulcahy-1201950747/ | title = 'M*A*S*H' Star William Christopher Dies at 84 | first = Cynthia | last = Littleton | date = December 31, 2016 | access-date = January 1, 2017 | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Christopher met his future wife Barbara on a blind date. They married in 1957 and the couple adopted two sons.<ref name="tcm bio"/> The two appeared together in the [[M*A*S*H (season 4)|''M*A*S*H'' season 4]] episode "Dear Mildred", where they sang the song "All Dressed Up and No Place to Go" in a duet.<ref>{{cite web |title=A blind date in college led to the most charming duet on M*A*S*H |url=https://www.metv.com/stories/a-blind-date-in-college-led-to-the-most-charming-duet-on-m-a-s-h |website=Me-TV Network |access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref>

==Death==
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 [[non-small-cell lung carcinoma|non-small-cell carcinoma]] (lung cancer).<ref name="ABC7 Christopher">{{cite web | title = William Christopher, Father Mulcahy on 'M*A*S*H,' dies at 84 | work = ABC7 Los Angeles | access-date = January 1, 2017 | url = http://abc7.com/entertainment/william-christopher-father-mulcahy-on-mash-dies-at-84/1680901/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dunham|first1=Will|title=Actor William Christopher, ''M*A*S*H'' chaplain, dead at 84|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-christopher-idUSKBN14L0OZ|website=Reuters|date=December 31, 2016}}</ref> He had been diagnosed with cancer about 18 months earlier, according to his New York-based agent Robert Malcolm. He died exactly one year after fellow ''M*A*S*H'' cast member [[Wayne Rogers]].

==Partial filmography==
*1965: ''[[Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)|12 O'Clock High]]'' (TV series, Episode: "Then Came the Mighty Hunter") as Patient
*1965: ''[[Hank (1965 TV series)|Hank]]'' (TV series, Episode: "Candidate") as Elwood
*1965: ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' (TV series, 2 episodes) as Mr. Heathcote, IRS
*1965–1968: ''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'' (TV series) as recurring character [[List of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. characters#Private First Class Lester Hummel|Private Lester Hummel]]
*1965: ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' (TV series, 4 episodes) as multiple characters in 1965, 1966 and 1968
*1966: ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]'' (TV series, Episode: "Three Little Kittens") as Man
*1966: ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' as Intern
*1967: ''[[The Perils of Pauline (1967 film)|The Perils of Pauline]]'' as Doctor (uncredited)
*1967: ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' (TV series, 1 episode) Thomas Peterson, MD
*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
*1969: ''[[That Girl]]'' Season 4, Episode 14 as Chippy Dolan 
*1972: ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' Season 5, Episode 15 (January 5, 1972), uncredited appearance, performing improv skits as a student from [[Harvey Lembeck]]’s workshop with Carol White, and Shelia Bartold, introduced by Burnett as Bill Christopher 
*1972–1983: ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' (TV series) as [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Father John Mulcahy|Father John Mulcahy]]
*1974: ''[[Movin’ On]]'' (TV series, Episode: "Grit") as Jewelry Clerk
*1975: ''[[Hearts of the West]]'' as Bank Teller
*1975: ''[[Good Times]]'' (TV series, Episode: "The Enlistment") as The Doctor, Major Bullock
*1983–1985: ''[[AfterMASH]]'' (TV series) as Father 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)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0160639}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher, William}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:Male actors from Evanston, Illinois]]
[[Category:Male actors from Pasadena, California]]
[[Category:Writers from Evanston, Illinois]]
[[Category:Autism activists]]
[[Category:Wesleyan University alumni]]
[[Category:New Trier High School alumni]]