William Christopher

William Christopher: (on the continued success of M*A*S*H) I'm sure everyone is surprised to see M*A*S*H continue in reruns with such strength.

William Christopher: (on the show AfterMASH) I was a bit disappointed with the lack of a meaningful show in AfterMASH. I think the desire to make a 'zany' comedy got the writing off track.

William Christopher: (on his relationship with deceased M*A*S*H costar Larry Linville) Larry was always fun and hard working. We had a good time seeing each other in the days since the show too. We all miss him, just as we miss McLean Stevenson.

William Christopher: (on the relationship between M*A*S*H cast members) The relationship was excellent and still continues today.

William Christopher: (when asked if he had much input in the development of his character, Father Mulcahey) Yes, I did have input into the development of character. Writers for television usually rely on actors greatly for this if there is a long run.

William Christopher: (when asked if he ever considered writing or directing an episode of M*A*S*H) I knew the writers and had constant dialog with them about Mulcahy plot possibilities. That was close enough. Regarding directing, in the live theater I would feel quite at home. Not so with film.

William Christopher: (on being known for his role as Father Mulcahy and not for other roles) It doesn't bother me to be to be remembered for the part. After all, I was seen in that role by millions of people. Also, I think all of us on the series are proud of it.

William Christopher: (on his M*A*S*H character, Father Mulcahy) I love the character. I love his imperfections especially.

William Christopher: (on researching the role of Father Mulcahy) I did do research, mostly by talking to priests. I found the clergy very willing to be helpful.

Mike Farrell: (on William Christopher) A wonderful man and a good friend. He's very droll, very funny when you get to know him. An intellectual with an in-depth understanding and appreciation of classical music and literature. He reads Homer in the original Greek and studies languages for fun. He's married to an artist with very similar tastes. They raised two adopted boys, one of whom is Autistic, so they became - and remain - very active in working to raise awareness of the problem of Autism. Lovely people.

William Christopher: The show has been off the air now for 20 years but people still come up to me and say 'I've just become a M*A*S*H fan'. I appreciated it but I consider M*A*S*H very much in the past.

William Christopher: (Talking about his book, Mixed Blessings) Edward (or Ned) is 34 years old now. He lives at a Devereux Facility near Santa Barbara. He lives in a group home that helps people with these disabilities, people with these problems. We're a pretty lucky family. We had a lot of other resources to help us. The state of California has wonderful laws in place entitling disabled people to many services. I also had M*A*S*H, going on during a great deal of Ned's growing up time. We really wanted to share our experiences with this book, as I have found that when you share your experiences with other people, you get a little bit of extra strength. You both grow stronger for the sharing.

William Christopher: I've often wondered about people that come to the profession late in life. I've wanted to be an actor since the first grade. I watched a play being performed by the third grade class, and it was... magic.