William Christopher Dies: Father Mulcahy Actor On ‘M.A.S.H.’ Was 84

[Commander Wallace]

William Cristopher who played the character " Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy " on the TV series " M*A*S*H " has passed away following a battle with lung cancer. William was 84.

the 4077th Mash unit was a fictitious field hospital that modeled itself after a real unit.

William Cristopher joins Harry Morgan who played Col. Sherman T potter, Larry Linville as Maj. Frank Burns, McLean Stevenson as Col. Henry Blake, Allan Arbus as Maj. Sidney Freedman and Edward Winter as Col. Flagg as characters on the TV series who have passed away.





Rest in Peace William and thanks for the laughs.


The series has garnered many awards for it's outstanding work

Awards[edit]
M*A*S*H was nominated for over 100 Emmy Awards during its 11-year run, winning 14:
1974 — Outstanding Comedy Series – M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
1974 — Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda
1974 — Best Directing in Comedy – Jackie Cooper: "Carry On, Hawkeye"
1974 — Actor of the Year, Series – Alan Alda
1975 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "O.R."
1976 — Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler: "Welcome to Korea"
1976 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "Welcome to Korea"
1977 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda: "Dear Sigmund"
1977 — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Gary Burghoff
1979 — Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series – Alan Alda: "Inga"
1980 — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Loretta Swit
1980 — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Harry Morgan
1982 — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda
1982 — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Loretta Swit


The show won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) in 1981. Alan Alda won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) six times: in 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. McLean Stevenson won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1974.


The series earned the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series seven times: 1973 (Gene Reynolds), 1974 (Reynolds), 1975 (Hy Averbeck), 1976 (Averbeck), 1977 (Alan Alda), 1982 (Alda), 1983 (Alda).
The show was honored with a Peabody Award in 1975 "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." M*A*S*H was cited as "an example of television of high purpose that reveals in universal terms a time and place with such affecting clarity."[45]

Writers for the show received several Humanitas Prize nominations, with Larry Gelbart winning in 1976, Alan Alda winning in 1980, and the team of David Pollock and Elias Davis winning twice in 1982 and 1983.
The series received 28 Writers Guild of America Award nominations - 26 for Episodic Comedy and two for Episodic Drama. Seven episodes won for Episodic Comedy in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1981.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M*A*S*H_%28TV_series%29

[Von Due]

Real bummer. M*A*S*H is still to this day one of only 2 tv series I'll watch whenever I can, and Father Mulcahy was indeed a core character.

M*A*S*H is also to blame for me spending too much on rc helicopters.

Thanks for all the laughs, William.

[STEED]

The celebs dropping has started!

Farewell William Christopher you were the gentle and one heck of a left hook Father Mulcahy.

[eddie]

What a way to start the year, may he rest in peace.

[razark]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

William Cristopher joins Harry Morgan who played Col. Sherman T potter, Larry Linville as Maj. Frank Burns, McLean Stevenson as Col. Henry Blake, Allan Arbus as Maj. Sidney Freedman and Edward Winter as Col. Flagg as characters on the TV series who have passed away.

And Wayne Rogers as Capt. Trapper John McIntyre, who passed away a year prior, Dec. 31, 2015.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by STEED

The celebs dropping has started!

Farewell William Christopher you were the gentle subtle and one of a heck left hook Father Mulcahy.

Originally Posted by eddie

What a way to start the year, may he rest in peace.

Not that it really matters, but he died on Saturday which makes him dying at the end of 16.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by razark

And Wayne Rogers as Capt. Trapper John McIntyre, who passed away a year prior, Dec. 31, 2015.

You're right. I forgot about Wayne Rodgers. Thanks for the correction. Mash was more a success than the movie, which inspired it. I think it was the quality of excellent writers and the gifted actors who starred in it that made the show what it was. While William Christopher as father Mulcahy was rather quiet in demeanor, his portrayal added a huge dimension of humanity to the brutalities of war and played a role in the success of the series.


No matter how many times I watch MASH, I always laugh.

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

Mash was more a success than the movie, which inspired it. I think it was the quality of excellent writers and the gifted actors who starred in it that made the show what it was.
.

The time in which it was made was a stroke of luck for the series too and one other thing:
M*A*S*H is to my knowledge the only tv show ever that had the spine to go full metal satire on a topic so grim. So much is called satire now but swear words alone do not satire make (The Onion, I'm looking at you). M*A*S*H was comedy that made you think and question things. It is not something anyone have the spine to create now. In the setting of the series, the Father really added to it with his demeanor. Keep Calm And Carry On With The Madness.

[Jimbuna]

Never realised he was that old.

RIP Christopher