It can be difficult to picture anyone except William Christopher (and René Auberjonois) in the role of Father John Mulcahy, however, there was a period of time when Christopher's place in the show wasn't set in stone.

The original series pilot was actually shot with an entirely different actor, and Christopher was only invited to audition when it was decided that the role should be recast.

Even at the audition, the role wasn't a sure guarantee for Christopher, as he told the Chicago Tribune. Christopher explained that, at the audition, he thought that he'd take a chance and do a bit of improv, but it wasn't well received by the M*A*S*H casting directors, as Christopher went against the script to write his own lines.

Luckily, promise was still seen in the actor, who was again offered an opportunity to audition, under one condition: No improvisation. Once Christopher was able to stick to the script, he won the role in no time.

Interestingly enough, while Christopher's desire to improvise wasn't necessarily welcome, the actor acknowledged that in real life, he and Father Mulcahy were actually slightly similar.

"I tend to say things like 'Oh dear me,' or 'My goodness' or 'Goodness gracious' because that's the way I talk," Christopher said. "If Mulcahy talks that way, that's fine. That comes easily to me."

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William ChristopherM*A*S*H

William Christopher would read classic poetry in its original Greek while he was on the set of M*A*S*H

Mulcahy and Christopher also share a desire to keep the faith, even if things look a bit worse for wear. "I'm a great believer in positive thinking," he said. "Things happen in the craziest ways. You have to be open and receptive to that possibility, and it will happen. That's sort of Mulcahy's attitude. He has faith that he will be able to find an answer."

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