Eric Christmas
Encyclopedia
Eric Cuthbert Christmas (March 19, 1916 – July 22, 2000) was a British
stage and screen actor
, with over 40 films and several more television roles to his credit. He was well-known for his role as Mr. Carter, the principal of Angel Beach High School, in the 1982 hit comedy Porky's
, the 1983 sequel Porky's II: The Next Day
, and the 1985 sequel Porky's Revenge!. He was also well-known for his sporadic role as Reverend Diddymoe in the NBC
sitcom, Amen
.
Christmas was born in London
, UK
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 [him] want...to vomit." His other film roles include The Philadelphia Experiment
(1984), Bugsy
(1991), Almost Dead (1994), Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994), Air Bud
(1997), and his final feature film MouseHunt (1997).
Christmas also made guest appearances in many television shows, including Adventures in Rainbow Country
, Due South
, ER
, Night Court
, Wiseguy (as Harry "The Hunch" Shanstra), Seinfeld
, Cheers
, Home Improvement (as Sir Larry the Magician), Coach
, The X-Files
, Booker
, Matlock
, Walker Texas Ranger, Roseanne
, Major Dad
and Ally McBeal
. He also acted in and directed productions of San Diego, California
's Old Globe Theatre
's Shakespeare Festivals for many years.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Christmas was a drama professor at the University of California, San Diego
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stage and screen actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, with over 40 films and several more television roles to his credit. He was well-known for his role as Mr. Carter, the principal of Angel Beach High School, in the 1982 hit comedy Porky's
Porky's
Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...
, the 1983 sequel Porky's II: The Next Day
Porky's II: The Next Day
Porky's II: The Next Day is the 1983 sequel to the 1982 film Porky's. The film is written and directed by Bob Clark.-Plot:After dealing to Porky the "fatal" blow that was coming to him, the gang from Angel Beach is ready for a new challenge: The High School Drama Club is producing a Shakespeare...
, and the 1985 sequel Porky's Revenge!. He was also well-known for his sporadic role as Reverend Diddymoe in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom, Amen
Amen (TV series)
Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...
.
Christmas was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and later emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His role as a priest in the 1971 film Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude is a 1971 American dark comedy film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama, with a plot that revolves around the exploits of a young man intrigued with death, Harold...
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 other film roles include The Philadelphia Experiment
The Philadelphia Experiment (film)
The Philadelphia Experiment is a 1984 science fiction film. It is directed by Stewart Raffill and stars Michael Paré, Bobby Di Cicco, and Nancy Allen.-Overview:...
(1984), Bugsy
Bugsy
Bugsy is a 1991 American crime-drama film which tells the story of mobster Bugsy Siegel. It stars Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, Bebe Neuwirth, and Bill Graham....
(1991), Almost Dead (1994), Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994), Air Bud
Air Bud
Air Bud is a 1997 American family/dramedy film that sparked the franchise centered on the real-life dog, Buddy, a Golden Retriever. The film's title may in fact be wordplay with "Air Jordan", a nickname of basketball superstar Michael Jordan. It is the first film to be distributed together by...
(1997), and his final feature film MouseHunt (1997).
Christmas also made guest appearances in many television shows, including Adventures in Rainbow Country
Adventures in Rainbow Country
Adventures in Rainbow Country was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television in 1970 and 1971.A half hour family drama, the show starred Lois Maxwell as Nancy Williams, a widow raising her children Billy and Hannah in rural Northern Ontario...
, Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, Wiseguy (as Harry "The Hunch" Shanstra), Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Home Improvement (as Sir Larry the Magician), Coach
Coach (TV series)
Coach is an American television sitcom that aired for nine seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1997. The series starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, head coach of the fictional Division I-A college football team, the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles...
, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Booker
Booker (TV series)
Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street...
, Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
, Walker Texas Ranger, Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
, Major Dad
Major Dad
Major Dad is an American sitcom created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens that originally ran from 1989 to 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly...
and Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
. He also acted in and directed productions of San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
's Old Globe Theatre
Old Globe Theatre
The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
's Shakespeare Festivals for many years.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Christmas was a drama professor at the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
.