William Christopher


William Christopher 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.

Early life

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

Career

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.
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. Christopher was a student at Harvey Lembeck’s famed L.A. improvisational workshop in the early 1970s during which time he performed improv skits 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. Immediately following M*A*S*H, Christopher continued the role for the two seasons of the short-lived spin-off AfterMASH.
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. 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.
After gaining attention for M*A*S*H, Christopher appeared in various other television series, including Good Times 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. 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. In 2008–2009, he toured with Church Basement Ladies. One of Christopher's last roles was that of a priest on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.

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 1985, he and his wife Barbara wrote Mixed Blessings, a book about their experiences in raising Ned.

Personal life

Christopher met his future wife Barbara on a blind date. They married in 1957 and the couple adopted two sons, John and Ned. The two appeared together in the 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.

Death

Christopher died at his home in Pasadena, California on December 31, 2016 exactly 1 year after the death of former M*A*S*H star Wayne Rogers. According to his son John Christopher, the 84-year-old actor died as the result of small-cell carcinoma.
He had been diagnosed with cancer about 18 months earlier, according to his New York-based agent Robert Malcolm.

Partial filmography