'M*A*S*H' star blessed to be playing a clergyman - again
William Christopher, best known for playing the role of Father Mulcahy for 11 seasons on the popular 1970s-80s television series "M*A*S*H," will again take on the role of a clergyman in the musical comedy "Church Basement Ladies."
The show opens today, Sept. 11, at The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Christopher, 75, recently chatted about his newest stage production, his Chicago-area roots and his memories of "M*A*S*H" - and in the process, learned about a famous fan he never knew he had.
Q. In "Church Basement Ladies," you play E.L. Gunderson, the pastor of a Lutheran church in rural Minnesota. So many people identify you with your character of Father Mulcahy on "M*A*S*H." Is it odd to be playing another clergyman?
A. Oh, I know it amuses people that I'm a clergyman again - and that's sort of fun. I'm playing a pastor - a very jovial pleasant sort of person. Whenever I'm asked if I object to being typecast, I say it does not matter. I've had a wonderful career, and if I get to play a clergyman again, that's just fine.
Q. What is "Church Basement Ladies" about?
A. It's a musical comedy about the ladies who are down in a church's basement preparing meals for weddings, funerals, etc. It's about their bantering and their lives, their values and the progress you see them make as they change over the years. I'm having a wonderful time with the four ladies who perform in this with me - and I actually sing.
Q. Is this your first time singing onstage?
A: Producers assume that actors can do anything, so I'm just doing what I'm asked to do. I sang a long time ago when I was starting my career. I think I tried out for the chorus of "My Fair Lady." I certainly didn't get any jobs from my labors of trying to sing.
Q. You live in California, but coming to the Chicago area is really like coming home for you.
A. Yes. I was born at Evanston Hospital. My parents moved to Wilmette, and I went to New Trier in Winnetka. And my wife went to Northwestern University. The Chicago area was a lovely place to grow up. I still have family there - some nieces. The last time I was there was about four years ago for a family reunion in Deerfield.
Q. Let's talk about "M*A*S*H" for a moment. The show has been hailed by many TV critics and fans as perhaps the best television sitcom ever created. Did you and the other cast members know you were part of something so special when the show started?
A. We had no idea. When the first season finished, we were all sure that it would not be renewed for a second year. And after the second year, we never thought it would go as long as it did (from 1972-1983). And it has had this wonderful rerun life. Today, we have a lot of "M*A*S*H" fans who were not even born when the show was originally on.
Q. What was the secret to the show's incredible success?
A. I would attribute it to the fact that "M*A*S*H" had such good writing - and it hasn't become dated. "M*A*S*H" did have a serious side to it - a strong statement against war. And the writers did a wonderful job of balancing that comedy and seriousness.
Q. Did the cast get along as well as they seemed to on-screen?
A. Yes, we were (and are) great friends. There wasn't a feeling of competition among us. And we keep in touch.
Q. Recently, Entertainment Weekly magazine asked the presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama what their favorite television shows are. McCain mentioned "Seinfeld" and "The Wire." Obama said he likes "M*A*S*H" reruns and the "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
A. That's news to me! I'm delighted with Barack Obama. I think he is wonderful - and I didn't know he thought I was terrific too!