Chris Wiggins

English-born Canadian actor (1931–2017)
Chris Wiggins
Born
Christopher John Wiggins

(1931-01-13)January 13, 1931
Blackpool, England
DiedFebruary 19, 2017(2017-02-19) (aged 86)
Elora, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Actor, banker
Years active1954–2015
Known forSwiss Family Robinson
Friday the 13th: The Series
The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar

Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was an English-born Canadian actor.[1]

Career

Wiggins 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 CBC Playhouse, Nightfall, Vanishing Point and dozens of others.

Wiggins also lent his voice to many animated TV series and movies. He was the voice of Thor and his human host Dr. Donald Blake from Marvel Comics in the 1966 The Marvel Super Heroes TV series, the voice of the villain Mysterio in the 1960s animated cartoon Spider-Man, the voice of Will Scarlet on Rocket Robin Hood, the Great Wishing Star in 1986's Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation, and the Care Bears' head villain, No Heart, on the Nelvana version of their TV show. He also voiced the character Dimetro in the 1980s cartoon Dinosaucers. His other roles in animated series and films included ALF Tales, Star Wars: Droids, Rock & Rule, Star Wars: Ewoks, Babar, Babar and the Adventures of Badou, Rupert, Richard Scarry, Franklin, and Redwall.

Death

Wiggins died at a nursing home in Elora, Ontario, on February 19, 2017, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.[4] His wife, Sandra Crysler-Wiggins, predeceased him, and he had no children.[5]

Selected filmography

  • General Motors Presents (1954-1961, TV Series) .... Jonah Grundeen / Sweeney / George / Sgt Wyeth / Second booking agent
  • Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957, TV Series) .... Mort Bailey / Major Conn / Major Duffy / Mr. Travers / Sheriff Peterson / Jess Adams
  • The Unforeseen (1958-1959, TV Series) .... King / Monfort
  • R.C.M.P. (1959-1960, TV Series) .... George Needham / Kurt Hummel / Bush Pilot Watt / Martinson
  • Playdate (1961-1964, TV Series) .... Heinrich / Grandpa / Vanderkemp / Dr. Bahn
  • The United States Steel Hour (1961, TV Series) .... Charles Blake
  • William Lyon Mackenzie: A Friend to His Country (1961, Short) .... Jeweller?
  • Vacation Time (1962, TV Series) .... Co-host (1964)
  • The Forest Rangers (1963-1966, TV Series) .... Prof. Mandell / Porter
  • Moment of Truth (1964, TV Series) .... Dexter
  • The Marvel Super Heroes (1966-1969) .... Balder (voice)
  • Julius Caesar (1966, TV Movie) .... Cassius
  • Once Upon a Prime Time (1966, Short)
  • Hatch's Mill (1967, TV Series) .... Donegan
  • Rocket Robin Hood (1967-1968, TV Series) .... Will Scarlet / Infinata / Baron Blank
  • Spiderman (1967-1970, TV Series) .... Mysterio / Harley Clivendon / Infinata (voice)
  • Wojeck (1968) .... Gilbert
  • The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar (1969) .... Emery
  • Adventures in Rainbow Country (1969, TV Series) .... Fred Vincent
  • King of the Grizzlies (1970) .... The Colonel
  • Paul Bernard, Psychiatrist (1971, TV Series) .... Dr. Paul Bernard
  • Follow the North Star (1972, TV Series) .... Dudley
  • Tom Sawyer (1973, TV Movie) .... Lawyer
  • The Neptune Factor (1973) .... Capt. Williams
  • The National Dream: Building the Impossible Railway (1974, TV Mini-Series documentary) .... Donald Smith
  • Swiss Family Robinson (1974-1976, TV Series) .... Johann Robinson / Buckley
  • Welcome to Blood City (1977) .... Gellor
  • Why Shoot the Teacher? (1977) .... Lyle Bishop
  • A Cosmic Christmas (1977, TV Short) .... Mayor (voice)
  • High-Ballin' (1978) .... King Caroll
  • Two Solitudes (1978) .... Captain Yardley
  • Voice of the Fugitive (1978, Short) .... Silas
  • The Devil and Daniel Mouse (1978, TV Movie) .... B.L. Zebub / The Devil (voice)
  • Johnny Chase: Secret Agent of Space (1978-1981, TV Series)
  • Murder by Decree (1979) .... Doctor Hardy
  • Jigsaw (1979) .... MacKenzie
  • Riel (1979, TV Movie) .... Middleton
  • Fish Hawk (1979) .... Marcus Boggs
  • Intergalactic Thanksgiving (1979, TV Short) .... Pa Spademinder (voice)
  • An American Christmas Carol (1979, TV Movie) .... Mr. Nathaniel Brewster
  • The Littlest Hobo (1979-1981, TV Series) .... Ed Thompson / Grandpa
  • The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog (1980, TV Movie) .... Dr. Vic Walker
  • Easter Fever (1980, TV Movie) .... Santa Claus / Baker (voice)
  • Virus (1980) .... Dr. Borodinov
  • Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper (1981, TV Movie) .... John Sheardown
  • Titans (1981, TV Series) .... Galieo
  • Billy Goat's Bluff (1981) .... Narrator
  • Shocktrauma (1982, TV Movie) .... Dr. McCall
  • Mazes and Monsters (1982, TV Movie) .... King
  • Hangin' In (1982-1986, TV Series) .... Ward / Abe
  • Faerie Tale Theatre (1982-1987)
  • Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise (1983, TV Movie) .... Mr. Sun (voice)
  • Rock & Rule (1983) .... Toad (voice)
  • Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole (1983, TV Movie) .... Roberts
  • A Case of Libel (1983, TV Movie) .... Colonel Douglas
  • Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name (1984, TV Movie) .... Mr. Sun / Narrator (voice)
  • The Bay Boy (1984) .... Chief Charlie McInnes
  • Star Wars: Droids (1985, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins (1985, TV Movie) .... Mr. Sun (voice)
  • Jimmy Valentine (1985, TV Short) .... Victor Adams
  • The Edison Twins (1985-1986, TV Series) .... Lafayette / Old Trainer
  • Star Wars: Ewoks (1985-1986, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • Night Heat (1985-1986, TV Series) .... Picard / Maxim Gates
  • Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986) .... Great Wishing Star (voice)
  • Barnum (1986, TV Movie) .... Olmstead
  • Spearfield's Daughter (1986, TV Mini-Series) .... Sylvester Spearfield
  • Adderly (1986, TV Series) .... Belkin
  • The Care Bears Family (1986-1988, TV Series) .... No Heart (voice)
  • The Liberators (1987, TV Series) .... Flour Merchant
  • Ford: The Man and the Machine (1987, TV Movie) .... Malcolmson
  • Mariah (1987, TV Series) .... Captain Timothy Quinlan
  • Dinosaucers (1987, TV Series) .... Dimetro (voice)
  • Friday the 13th: The Series (1987-1990, TV Series) .... Jack Marshak
  • ALF: The Animated Series (1987-1988, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • ALF Tales (1988-1989, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • Keroppi and Friends (1989-1994, TV Series) Narrator (voice)
  • Babar: The Movie (1989) .... Cornelius (voice)
  • Babar (1989-1991, TV Series) .... Cornelius (voice)
  • Divided Loyalties (1990) .... Sir William Johnson
  • Counterstrike (1990-1991, TV Series) .... Kistler / Police Inspector / Sgt. Luther
  • Street Legal (1990-1992, TV Series) .... Ronald Spencer Sr. / Judge Ritter
  • Maniac Mansion (1990, TV Series) .... Santa Claus
  • Married to It (1991) .... Dave
  • Sweating Bullets (1991, TV Series) .... Corliss
  • Mark Twain and Me (1991, TV Movie) .... Captain
  • Rupert (1991, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • Hello Kitty and Friends (1991-1995, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • Road to Avonlea (1992, TV Series) .... Mr. McCorkadale
  • A Cry in the Night (1992, TV Movie) .... Clyde
  • By Way Of The Stars (1992-1993, TV Mini-Series) .... Captain Harris
  • Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1993, TV Series) .... Mike West
  • The Busy World of Richard Scarry (1993-1996, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • RoboCop: The Series (1994, TV Series) .... Dr. Roger Yung
  • Tales from the Cryptkeeper (1994, TV Series) ... Slim (voice)
  • Scales of Justice (1994, TV series) - Lawyer, episode "L'Affaire Belshaw"
  • Butterbox Babies (1995) .... Senator Danver
  • Black Fox (1995, TV Movie) .... Ralph Holtz
  • Black Fox: The Price of Peace (1995, TV Movie) .... Ralph Holtz
  • Voices (1995) .... Angus Fergusson
  • Ultraforce (1995, TV Series) .... (voice)
  • The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1995–1998, TV Series) .... Robert Cansington (voice)
  • Sailor Moon (1995, TV Series) .... Narrator / Mr. Baxter (voice)
  • The Neverending Story (1995, TV Series) .... Mr. Correander (voice)
  • Little Bear (1995-2001, TV Series) .... Mr. Wind (voice)
  • Sins of Silence (1996, TV Movie) .... Father Flannigan
  • Pippi Longstocking (1997) .... Fridolf (voice)
  • Fast Track (1997, TV Series) .... Carl Scannel
  • Freaky Stories (1997, TV Series) .... Narrator ("Battleship")
  • Windsor Protocol (1997, TV Movie) .... Sir Charles Ferguson
  • Earth: Final Conflict (1998, TV Series) .... Tim O'Malley
  • Evidence of Blood (1998, TV Movie) .... Horace Talbott
  • Thunder Point (1998, TV Movie) .... Charles Ferguson
  • Pippi Longstocking (1998, TV Series) .... Fridolf (voice)
  • The Defenders: Taking the First (1998, TV Movie)
  • Birdz (1998, TV Series) .... Officer Pigeon (voice)
  • Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend (1998-1999, TV Series) .... King Proetus / Elderly Stable Hand / Great Oracle
  • Babar: King of the Elephants (1999) .... Cornelius (voice)
  • Redwall (1999-2002, TV Series) .... Abbot Mortimer / Mangiz the Seer / Crow (voice)
  • Franklin (2000-2004, TV Series) .... Mr. Groundhog
  • Franklin's Magic Christmas (2001, Video) .... Mr. Collie (voice)
  • Pecola (2001-2003, TV Series) ... (English version, voice)
  • The Snowman Who Saved Summer (2002, Video short) .... Santa Claus
  • The Piano Man's Daughter (2003, TV Movie) .... James Kilworth
  • ReGenesis (2005, TV Series) .... Vascily Popov
  • Our Fathers (2005, TV Movie) .... Angelo's Old Priest
  • Four Minutes (2006, TV Movie) .... Burnett
  • Babar and the Adventures of Badou (2010-2015, TV Series) .... Cornelius (voice), (final appearance)

References

  1. ^ StarPulse Page on Wiggins Retrieved 2013-08-01
  2. ^ Langan, Fred (March 5, 2017). "Remembering prolific actor Christopher Wiggins". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7737-3238-1.
  4. ^ Vlessing, Etan (February 24, 2017). "Chris Wiggins, Veteran Character Actor, Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "Christopher John Wiggins Obituary". Toronto Star. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.

External links

  • Chris Wiggins at IMDb
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