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Eric Christmas | |
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 Eric Christmas onThe Golden Palace, 1993 | |
| Born | Eric Cuthbert Christmas (1916-03-19)19 March 1916 London, England |
| Died | 22 July 2000(2000-07-22) (aged 84) Camarillo, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Santa Barbara Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1938–2000 |
| Spouse(s) | Donelda Marion Neufeld (1958–1982; divorced; 2 children) Marcia J. (Marcy) Mattox (?–2000; his death) |
Eric Cuthbert Christmas (19 March 1916 – 22 July 2000) was an English actor, with over 40 films and numerous television roles to his credit. He is probably best known for his role as Mr. Carter, the principal of Angel Beach High School, in the 1981 comedy filmsPorky's, the 1983 sequelPorky's II: The Next Day, and the 1985 sequelPorky's Revenge!. He was also known for his sporadic role as Reverend Diddymoe in theNBC sitcom,Amen.
Christmas was born inLondon, England, and later emigrated to Canada.[1] His role as a priest in the 1971 filmHarold and Maude includes a memorable monologue to an off-camera Harold, in which he discusses, with increasing nausea and disgust, how the thought of Harold's sexual affair with a much older woman "makes [him] want...to vomit." His also had film roles inMonte Walsh (1970),The Andromeda Strain (1971),Johnny Got His Gun (1971),The Last Tycoon (1976),An Enemy of the People (1978),Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978),The Changeling (1980),Middle Age Crazy (1980),The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), andAll of Me (1984). He also appeared in the episode, "When I'm 64", in the TV seriesALF as Bernie, one of the residents of a retirement home,Bugsy (1991),Almost Dead (1994),Air Bud (1997), and his final feature filmMouse Hunt (1997).
Christmas also made guest appearances on many television shows, includingColumbo (as a sardonic Jeweler in "A Friend in Deed"),Adventures in Rainbow Country,Due South,ER,Misfits of Science,Night Court,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,Wiseguy (as Harry "The Hunch" Shanstra),Seinfeld (as Jeffrey Haarwood in "The Gum"—Episode 120, first airing on 14 December 1995),Cheers (season 7; episode 2),Home Improvement (as Sir Larry the Magician),Coach (as Brian Currie),The Golden Palace,The X-Files,Booker,Matlock,Walker Texas Ranger,Roseanne,L.A. Law (as Buzz Carr),Major Dad,Ally McBealandAmen. From 1995-96 he played Father Francis onDays of Our Lives, a key role in the infamous possession ofMarlena Evans.
He went to San Diego to teach and to help revive theLa Jolla Playhouse, for which he directedThe Man Who Came to Dinner in temporary space at La Jolla High School, with equity actor Larry Seaman in the lead role, and also starring Robert Zimmerman (BHP-San Francisco Faculty) as the reporter and James Pearson as Banjo.[2] Christmas also acted in and directed productions ofSan Diego, California'sOld Globe Theatre's Shakespeare Festivals for many years. In 1983 Christmas played and sang the role of "Jack Point" in the San Diego Gilbert and Sullivan Repertory Company's production ofThe Yeomen of the Guard.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Christmas was a drama professor at theUniversity of California, San Diego, and made theatrical presentations at local high schools, includingLa Jolla Country Day School.
He died on 22 July 2000, fromnatural causes at the age of 84. He was interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at Santa Barbara, California.
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