William Christopher from MASH, passes away at the age of 84

William Christopher, one of the stars of the groundbreaking television show M*A*S*H* died in his home in Pasadena on December 31, 2016 according to ABC. Christopher was 84 years old and died of non-lung small cell carcinoma, according to his son John.

Christophers' acting career began in the mid-60's when he landed a few guest appearances on shows like The Andy Griffith Show and Hogans Heroes, until finally landing his first recurring role as Private First Class Lester Hummel Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.

In 1972, Christopher auditioned for the role of Father Mulcahy on MASH, where he decided to improvise rather than reading the script given to him. Although he was successful and played the role for the shows running time of 11 years and 2 spin offs, he was not the original pick for the role, George Morgan had originally played the role in the pilot but the producers felt Christopher was more suited for the role.

During his life, Christopher gave much of his time to the National Autistic Society, in honor of his son Ned who is on the autism spectrum. He and his wife published a book about their experiences raising Ned in 1985 called Mixed Blessings.Christopher leaves behind his wife Barbara and sons John and Ned. He will be missed.