"M.A.S.H." star William Christopher has died. He was 84. Christopher's agent Robert Malcom said the actor died at 5:10 a.m. Saturday at his home in Pasadena, California. He tells The Associated Press that Christopher's wife says her husband died peacefully. Malcom said Christopher was diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago and had been in hospice since the beginning of the week. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and his two sons. Christopher is best known for the role of Father Francis Mulcahy on "M.A.S.H.," the 1970s TV show set during the Korean War. "Everyone adored him," said fellow "M.A.S.H." actor Loretta Swit. "A great sense of humor and a great humanitarian. He became TV's quintessential padre as Father Mulcahy on M.A.S.H. It was the most perfect casting ever known."
William Christopher "When auditioning for his M*A*S*H (1972) role, Christopher essentially ignored the monologue prepared for him and instead ad-libbed a rambling speech in a priestly tone. While the producers were disappointed that he didn't deliver his prepared lines, they liked his performance and manner well enough to offer him the role--on the condition that from then on, he would stay with the script". Quote: The show [M*A*S*H (1972)] has been off the air now for 20 years but people still come up to me and say, "I've just become a 'MASH' fan". I appreciated it but I consider "MASH" very much in the past.