Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was a Canadian actor.[1]
Chris Wiggins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Christopher John Wiggins January 13, 1931 Blackpool, England |
| Died | February 19, 2017 (aged 86) Elora, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–2015 |
| Spouse(s) | Sandra Crysler-Wiggins (m. 19??; died 2009) |
Career
editWiggins was born January 13, 1931, in Blackpool, England.[2] He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada, where he moved in 1952.
Wiggins is probably best recognized for his role as Jack Marshak, the benevolent, resourceful expert on the occult in the syndicated television horror show Friday the 13th: The Series, and which ran from 1987 to 1990. Another well known role was Johann Robinson (Father) on Swiss Family Robinson.
He won a Canadian Film Award in 1969 for Best Actor in a Non-Feature for his role in The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar.[3]
In addition to his television and film work, Wiggins was also a very popular radio actor, making over 1,200 appearances in various series over the years, particularly on CBC Radio. One of his most popular roles was that of Dante, the insufferably brilliant (and insufferably arrogant) computer that ran the Aleph-9: the high-speed interdimensional spacecraft belonging to Johnny Chase: Secret Agent of Space. Wiggins also made numerous guest appearances on such CBC Radio programs as Nightfall, Vanishing Point and dozens of others.
Wiggins also lent his voice to many animated TV series and movies. He was the voice of the villain Mysterio in Spider-Man, Will Scarlet on Rocket Robin Hood, the Great Wishing Star in 1986's Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation, and the villain No Heart on the Nelvana version of Care Bears. He also voiced the character Dimetro in Dinosaucers. His other roles in animated series and films include ALF Tales, Star Wars: Droids, Rock & Rule, Star Wars: Ewoks, Babar, Babar and the Adventures of Badou, Rupert, Richard Scarry, Franklin, and Redwall.
Death
editWiggins was married to Sandra Crysler-Wiggins, who died in 2009, and had no children. He died at a nursing home in Elora, Ontario, on February 19, 2017, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.[4][5]
Selected filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar | Emery | |
| 1970 | King of the Grizzlies | Colonel | |
| 1973 | The Neptune Factor | Captain Williams | |
| 1977 | Welcome to Blood City | Gellor | |
| 1977 | Why Shoot the Teacher? | Lyle Bishop | |
| 1978 | High-Ballin' | King Caroll | |
| 1978 | Two Solitudes | Captain Yardley | |
| 1979 | Murder by Decree | Doctor Hardy | |
| 1979 | Jigsaw | MacKenzie | |
| 1979 | Fish Hawk | Marcus Boggs | |
| 1980 | Virus | Dr. Borodinov | |
| 1983 | Rock & Rule | Toad (voice) | [6] |
| 1984 | The Bay Boy | Charlie McInnes | |
| 1986 | Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation | Great Wishing Star (voice) | [6] |
| 1989 | Babar: The Movie | Cornelius (voice) | [6] |
| 1991 | Married to It | Dave | |
| 1995 | Butterbox Babies | Senator Danver | |
| 1995 | Voices | Angus Fergusson | |
| 1997 | Pippi Longstocking | Fridolf (voice) | [6] |
| 1999 | Babar: King of the Elephants | Cornelius (voice) | [6] |
| 2001 | Franklin's Magic Christmas | Mr. Collie (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2002 | The Snowman Who Saved Summer | Santa Claus (voice) | Direct-to-video |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954–1961 | General Motors Theatre | Jonah Grundeen, Sweeney, George, Sgy. Wyeth, Booking Agent | |
| 1957 | Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans | Mort Bailey, Major Conn, Major Duffy, Mr. Travers, Sheriff Peterson, Jess Adams | 6 episodes |
| 1958–1959 | The Unforeseen | King, Monfort | 7 episodes |
| 1959–1960 | R.C.M.P. | George Needham, Kurt Hummel, Bush Pilot Watt, Martinson | 4 episodes |
| 1961 | The United States Steel Hour | Charles Blake | 2 episodes |
| 1961–1964 | Playdate | Heinrich, Grandpa, Vanderkemp, Dr. Bahn | 5 episodes |
| 1965 | The Forest Rangers | Professor Mandell, Porter | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | Moment of Truth | Dexter | 1 episode |
| 1966 | The Marvel Super Heroes | Balder, Grey Gargoyle, Thor, additional voices | [6] |
| 1966 | Julius Caesar | Cassius | Television film |
| 1967–1968 | Rocket Robin Hood | Will Scarlet, Infinata, Baron Blank (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 1967–1970 | Spider-Man | Mysterio, Infinata, Harley Clivendon (voice) | 8 episodes |
| 1968 | Wojeck | Gilbert | 3 episodes |
| 1969 | Adventures in Rainbow Country | Fred Vincent | Episode: "The Eye of the Needle" |
| 1971–1972 | Paul Bernard, Psychiatrist | Paul Bernard | Main role |
| 1973 | Tom Sawyer | Lawyer | Television film |
| 1974 | The National Dream | Donald Smith | 4 episodes |
| 1974–1976 | Swiss Family Robinson | Johann Robinson, Buckley | 26 episodes |
| 1977 | A Cosmic Christmas | Mayor (voice) | Television special[6] |
| 1978 | The Devil and Daniel Mouse | Beelzebub (voice) | Television special[6] |
| 1979 | Riel | Middleton | Television film |
| 1979 | Intergalactic Thanksgiving | Pa Spademinder (voice) | Television special[6] |
| 1979 | An American Christmas Carol | Nathaniel Brewster | Television film |
| 1979–1981 | The Littlest Hobo | Ed Thompson | 2 episodes |
| 1980 | The Courage of Kavik the Wolf Dog | Vic Walker | Television film |
| 1980 | Easter Fever | Santa Claus (voice) | Television film |
| 1981 | Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper | John Sheardown | Television film |
| 1981 | Titans | Galieo | Episode: "Galieo" |
| 1982 | Shock Trauma | Dr. McCall | Television film |
| 1982 | Mazes and Monsters | King | Television film |
| 1982–1986 | Hangin' In | Ward, Abe | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise | Mr. Sun (voice) | Television film |
| 1983 | Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole | Roberts | Television film |
| 1983 | A Case of Libel | Colonel Douglas | Television film |
| 1984 | Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name | Mr. Sun, Narrator (voice) | Television film |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Alderman | Episode: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" |
| 1985 | Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins | Mr. Sun (voice) | Television film |
| 1985 | Jimmy Valentine | Victor Adams | Television short |
| 1985–1986 | The Edison Twins | Lafayette, Old Trainer | 2 episodes |
| 1985–1986 | Night Heat | Picard, Maxim Gates | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Barnum | Olmstead | Television film |
| 1986 | Spearfield's Daughter | Sylvester Spearfield | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Adderly | Belkin | Episode: "Mailman" |
| 1986–1988 | The Care Bears Family | No Heart (voice) | 46 episodes |
| 1987 | Ford: The Man and the Machine | Malcolmson | Television film |
| 1987 | Mariah | Timothy Quinlan | 7 episodes |
| 1987 | Dinosaucers | Dimetro (voice) | 18 episodes |
| 1987–1990 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Jack Marshak | 72 episodes |
| 1989–1991 | Babar | Cornelius (voice) | 65 episodes[6] |
| 1989–1994 | Keroppi and Friends | Narrator (voice) | |
| 1990 | Divided Loyalties | William Johnson | Television film |
| 1990 | Maniac Mansion | Santa Claus | Episode: "Good Cheer on Ya" |
| 1990–1991 | Counterstrike | Kistler, Police Inspector, Sgt. Luther | 3 episodes |
| 1990–1992 | Street Legal | Ronald Spencer, Judge Ritter | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Mark Twain and Me | Captain | Television film |
| 1992 | Road to Avonlea | Mr. McCorkadale | Episode: "Aunt Janet Rebels" |
| 1992 | A Cry in the Night | Clyde | Television film |
| 1992–1993 | By Way of the Stars | Captain Harris | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Mike West | Episode: "Blind Eye" |
| 1994 | RoboCop | Roger Yung | Episode: "Prime Suspect" |
| 1994 | Tales from the Cryptkeeper | Slim (voice) | Episode: "The Haunted Mine" |
| 1994 | Scales of Justice | Lawyer | Episode: "L'Affaire Belshaw" |
| 1995 | Black Fox | Ralph Holtz | Miniseries |
| 1995 | Sailor Moon | Narrator, Mr. Baxter (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | The Neverending Story | Mr. Correander, Thonkas | 11 episodes[6] |
| 1995–1998 | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Robert Cansington (voice) | |
| 1996 | Sins of Silence | Father Flannigan | Television film |
| 1997 | Fast Track | Carl Scannel | Episode: "Triangle" |
| 1997 | Windsor Protocol | Charles Ferguson | Television film |
| 1997–1998 | Freaky Stories | Narrator (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Earth: Final Conflict | Tim O'Malley | Episode: "The Secret of Strandhill" |
| 1998 | Pippi Longstocking | Fridolf (voice) | 2 episodes[6] |
| 1998 | Birdz | Officer Pigeon (voice) | Episode: "One Giant Leap"[6] |
| 1998 | Evidence of Blood | Horace Talbott | |
| 1998 | Thunder Point | Charles Ferguson | Television film |
| 1998–1999 | Mythic Warriors | Elderly Stablehand, King Proteus, Great Oracle (voice) | 2 episodes[6] |
| 1999–2002 | Redwall | Abbot Mortimer (voice) | 39 episodes[6] |
| 2000–2004 | Franklin | Mr. Groundhog (voice) | 4 episodes[6] |
| 2001–2003 | Pecola | Pecolias (voice) | 12 episodes[6] |
| 2003 | The Piano Man's Daughter | James Kilworth | Television film |
| 2005 | ReGenesis | Vascily Popov | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | Our Fathers | Priest | Television film |
| 2006 | Four Minutes | Burnett | Television film |
| 2010–2011 | Babar and the Adventures of Badou | Cornelius (voice) | 17 episodes |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Warriors: Legends of Troy | Anchises, Theseus | [6] |
References
edit- ^ StarPulse Page on Wiggins Retrieved 2013-08-01[dead link]
- ^ Langan, Fred (March 5, 2017). "Remembering prolific actor Christopher Wiggins". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Topalovich, Maria (1984). "The Canadian Film Awards 1949–1984 | 1969". A Pictorial History of the Canadian Film Awards. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 0-7737-2036-7. Retrieved July 24, 2024 – via Internet Archive text collection.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (February 24, 2017). "Chris Wiggins, Veteran Character Actor, Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Christopher John Wiggins Obituary". Toronto Star. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Chris Wiggins (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 19, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
