William Christopher (October 20, 1932 – December 31, 2016) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

[1] He spent his youth in several of Chicago's northern suburbs,[2] including Winnetka, Illinois, where he attended New Trier High School.

[2] Christopher graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Arts in drama, focusing on Greek literature.

[1][3] While at university, he participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club, and was initiated as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

The comedy film With Six You Get Eggroll is notable for fans of M*A*S*H because Jamie Farr and Christopher appear in it together, both playing hippies, five years before they co-starred in the series.

[1] He also remained active in the theater, including a tour of the United States in the mid-1990s with Farr, performing Neil Simon's The Odd Couple on stage.