R.I.P., 'Father Mulcahy' (William Christopher)

[Kamino_Neko]

@Amateur_Barbarian

They left his nickname out of the series - “Dago Red” (after communion wine)

It came up once or twice in the first season, like several other elements from the movie that were eventually dropped (like Spearchucker).

I feel bad for being relieved upon reading the full thread title - seeing just ‘RIP Father Mulcahy’, I had a moment of worry that Rene Auberjonois had passed - but this is quite a loss.

[Typo_Knig]

One more good person taken by 2016. I hope his family and friends are comforted by the joy his work brought millions.

[cochrane]

I think the title of the final MAS*H episode says it well.

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen, William Christopher, aka “the Padre.”

[ftg]

@Northern_Piper

Jamie Farr has lost a life-long friend in real life.

Both Farr and Christopher had roles as hippies (!) in With Six You Get Eggroll. 1968, 4 years before MASH.

(Ken Osmond also had a small role in that. That’s a lovely set of rosary beads you have, Father Mulcahy.)

[janis_and_c0]

One of my favorite characters from my favorite show of all time, and a tireless advocate for the voiceless.

RIP Padre.

[Tom_Tildrum]

@Kamino_Neko

I feel bad for being relieved upon reading the full thread title - seeing just ‘RIP Father Mulcahy’, I had a moment of worry that Rene Auberjonois had passed - but this is quite a loss.

It was only upon reading of Mulcahy’s death that I learned that that role had been played in the movie by the changeling from Deep Space Nine. Small world.

[Annie-Xmas]

My absolutely most favorite line from MAS*H was Father Mulcahy’s “I am frequently mistaken for being absent.” I’ve used it about a thousand times.

[burpo_the_wonder_mutt]

“This isn’t one of my sermons; I expect you to listen.”

[Andy_L]

@ftg

Both Farr and Christopher had roles as hippies (!) in With Six You Get Eggroll. 1968, 4 years before MASH.

Yeah, I remember recognizing them in that.

@Tom_Tildrum

It was only upon reading of Mulcahy’s death that I learned that that role had been played in the movie by the changeling from Deep Space Nine. Small world.

Worth noting that one other person has played Father Mulcahy (George Morgan in the first broadcast episode, in which the Father wins the raffle, with the prize being a weekend in Seoul with one of the nurses).

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Dewey_Finn

I remember the episode in which the characters were interviewed for a documentary for American television. The reporter asked him a question, to which he replied something like “When the doctors cut into a patient and it’s cold, you know the way it is now, today, steam rises from the body and the doctor will will warm himself over the open wound. Could anyone look on that and not feel changed?”

Very moving, and from what I heard, they were told this anecdote by someone who worked in a real MASH unit in Korea. (They had technical advisors who served in similar real-life roles.)

I remember the episode, and Christopher nailed that line.

A talented actor in just the right role. May he rest in peace.

[Richard_John_Marcej]

Over the Christmas holiday I was watching a few episodes of a sitcom binge that the station Decades were running. They were airing a run of Gomer Pyle, USMC. I hadn’t seen that show in years and forgot that William Christopher was an occasional supporting character recruit on that series.

[Richard_John_Marcej]

I was curious about learning more about his career and just checked on imdb to see that after his long run as Father Mulcahy on MAS*H he played:

A priest on Heaven Sent 1994
A chaplain on Mad About You 1998
Father Tobias on the soap Days of Our Lives 2012

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Too bad those imam and rabbi parts proved so elusive…

[terentii]

@Dewey_Finn

I remember the episode in which the characters were interviewed for a documentary for American television. The reporter asked him a question, to which he replied something like “When the doctors cut into a patient and it’s cold, you know the way it is now, today, steam rises from the body and the doctor will will warm himself over the open wound. Could anyone look on that and not feel changed?”

Very moving, and from what I heard, they were told this anecdote by someone who worked in a real MASH unit in Korea. (They had technical advisors who served in similar real-life roles.)

In later years, the show had a research staff who would phone Korean War vets around the country and ask if they had any memorable stories that could be used on MASH***.