Chris Wiggins

For the American data scientist, see Chris Wiggins (data scientist).
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
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2015
Spouse(s)Sandra Crysler-Wiggins
(m. 19??; died 2009)

Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was a 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 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

Wiggins 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

Film

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

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

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Warriors: Legends of Troy Anchises, Theseus [6]

References

  1. ^ StarPulse Page on Wiggins Retrieved 2013-08-01[dead link‍]
  2. ^ Langan, Fred (March 5, 2017). "Remembering prolific actor Christopher Wiggins". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ^ 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.
  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.
  6. ^ 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.