William Christopher

William Christopher
Christopher as Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H, 1977
Born	(1932-10-20)October 20, 1932 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 31, 2016(2016-12-31) (aged 84) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Small-cell carcinoma
Alma mater	Wesleyan University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965–2012
Spouse(s)	Barbara O'Connor
Children	2

William Christopher (October 20, 1932 – December 31, 2016) was an American actor, 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.

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 surburbs, including Winnetka, 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 college, he participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club, and was initiated as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

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

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.