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 films '' Porky's'', the 1983 sequel '' Porky's II: The Next Day'', and the 1985 sequel '' Porky's Revenge!''. He was also known for his sporadic role as Reverend Diddymoe in the NBC sitcom, '' Amen''.

Life and career

Christmas was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, and later emigrated to Canada. His role as a priest in the 1971 film '' Harold 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 imwant...to vomit." His also had film roles in '' Monte 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), and '' All of Me'' (1984). He also appeared in the episode, "When I'm 64", in the TV series '' ALF'' as Bernie, one of the residents of a retirement home, ''

Bugsy ''Bugsy'' is a 1991 American biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by James Toback. Starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Bebe Neuwirth, and Joe Mantegna, the f ...

'' (1991), ''Almost Dead'' (1994), '' Air Bud'' (1997), and his final feature film ''

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'' (1997). Christmas also made guest appearances on many television shows, including '' Columbo'' (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), ''

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'' (as Jeffrey Haarwood in "The Gum"—Episode 120, first airing on 14 December 1995), ''

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'' (season 7; episode 2), '' Home Improvement'' (as Sir Larry the Magician), '' Coach'' (as Brian Currie), '' The Golden Palace'', ''

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'', '' Booker'', '' Matlock'', '' Walker Texas Ranger'', '' Roseanne'', ''

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'' (as Buzz Carr), '' Major Dad'', '' Ally McBeal''and '' Amen''. From 1995-96 he played Father Francis on '' Days of Our Lives'', a key role in the infamous possession of Marlena Evans. He went to San Diego to teach and to help revive the La Jolla Playhouse, for which he directed '' The 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.''La Jolla Light'', 12 November 1981. Christmas also acted in and directed productions of

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

's Old 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 of '' The Yeomen of the Guard''. During the 1970s and 1980s, Christmas was a drama professor at the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

, and made theatrical presentations at local high schools, including La Jolla Country Day School.

Death

He died on 22 July 2000, from natural causes at the age of 84. He was interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at Santa Barbara, California.

Filmography

*''

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'' (1969, Episode: " Dead Wrong") .... Bobby Dan *'' Monte Walsh'' (1970) .... Colonel Wilson *'' The Andromeda Strain'' (1971) .... Senator from Vermont *'' Johnny Got His Gun'' (1971) .... Corporal Timlon *"The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name of '' The Virginian'' 1971, TV series) .... Parker *'' Harold and Maude'' (1971) .... Priest *'' Columbo'' (1974, Episode: "A Friend in Deed") .... Bruno Wexler *'' The Last Tycoon'' (1976) .... Norman *'' Code Name: Diamond Head'' (1977) .... Father Murphy *'' An Enemy of the People'' (1978) .... Morten Kiil *'' Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'' (1978) .... Senator Polk *'' The Changeling'' (1980) .... Albert Harmon *'' Middle Age Crazy'' (1980) .... Tommy *'' Porky's'' (1981) .... Mr. Carter *'' Porky's II: The Next Day'' (1983) .... Mr. Carter *'' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984) .... Dr. James Longstreet *'' All of Me'' (1984) .... Fred Hoskins *'' Porky's Revenge!'' (1985) .... Mr. Carter *''Happy Hour'' (1986) .... Harry The Guard *''Home Is Where the Hart Is'' (1987) .... Martin Hart *''

'' (1988, TV series) .... Father Barry *'' Amen'' (1989) .... Reverend Diddymoe * '' Night Court'' (1990) .... Pops Durkin *'' Whispers'' (1990) .... Joshua Rinehart *''

'' (1991) .... Ronald the Butler *'' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' (1991) .... Cecil *'' Home Improvement'' (Oct. 1, 1991) .... Sir Larry Houdini *'' Dead in the Water'' (1991) .... Judge Griffin *'' Ed and His Dead Mother'' (1993) .... Mr. Abner *'' Naked Gun : The Final Insult'' (1994) .... Prison Chaplain (scenes deleted) *''Almost Dead'' (1994) .... Father Ambrose *''

'' (1994) .... Stan *''

'' (1995, TV series) .... Geoffrey Haarwood *'' Air Bud'' (1997) .... Judge Cranfield *''

'' (1997) .... Ernie and Lars' Lawyer - Final film role

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas, Eric 1916 births 2000 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English expatriate male actors in the United States English emigrants to Canada 20th-century English male actors Male actors from London University of California, San Diego faculty Burials at Santa Barbara Cemetery