# Christopher Stone (actor)
**Christopher Stone** was an American film and television actor, born Thomas Edward Bourassa in [Manchester, New Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/manchester-new-hampshire), who worked steadily from the late 1960s until his death in 1995. He was best known for the recurring roles of Dr. Pooch Hardin on the CBS hospital series *The Interns*, Dave Stratton on *Dallas*, and William Horton on *Days of our Lives*, and for co-starring with his wife, actress [Dee Wallace](https://www.edgepedia.org/dee-wallace), in the horror films *The Howling* (1981) and *Cujo* (1983)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) • [2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas Edward Bourassa, born in Manchester, New Hampshire[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) |
| Born | October 4, 1940, per IMDb and TV Insider; Hungarian and Polish databases give 1942[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) • [3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) • [4](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/christopher-stone.html) |
| Died | October 20, 1995, in Los Angeles, California, of a heart attack, at age 55[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/) |
| Signature early role | Dr. Jim "Pooch" Hardin on *The Interns* (CBS, 1970), a 24-episode single season[3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) |
| Marriage | Married actress Dee Wallace on June 28, 1980; one daughter, Gabrielle, born 1988[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/faq/) |
| Best-known films | *The Howling* (1981) as R. William "Bill" Neill and *Cujo* (1983) as Steve Kemp[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) |
| Late series work | William Horton on *Days of our Lives* (1987-1988); Chris McCullough on *The New Lassie* (1989-1992, 36 episodes)[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/) • [3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) |
## Early life
Stone was born Thomas Edward Bourassa to C. Edward Bourassa, a former shoe worker who later became registrar of probate for [New Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-hampshire), and Mildred (Stone) Bourassa. He attended Trinity High School and Central High School in Manchester and played [Babe Ruth](https://www.edgepedia.org/babe-ruth), high school, and [American Legion](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-legion) baseball. His father described him as "very sports-minded." A former U.S. Marine, he served on Okinawa; a fellow Marine there records his service in the Corps as running from 1958 to 1961[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/).
According to the obituary in the *Union Leader* of Manchester, he was "discovered" in Hollywood when he and some friends stopped to help a man whose car was stuck. The man said he was a producer and, after Stone declined payment, handed over his business card and told him to report to the studio the next day[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/).
## Television career
**First series roles.** Starting in 1968 Stone played minor roles on *The Outcasts*, followed by appearances in series including *Here Come the Brides*, *The Mod Squad*, *Medical Center*, and *Mission: Impossible*[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/). His first major role came as Dr. Pooch Hardin on *The Interns* (1970), a CBS hospital series based on the film of the same name; in the 1970-71 season he appeared alongside [Broderick Crawford](https://www.edgepedia.org/broderick-crawford) as the irascible hospital administrator, [Mike Farrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-farrell) as Dr. Sam Marsh, and [Skip Homeier](https://www.edgepedia.org/skip-homeier) as Dr. Hugh Jacoby, in a single 24-episode season[3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html). He played Cass Garrett in *Spencer's Pilots* (CBS, 1975-76) and appeared in the TV movie *Nakia* (ABC, 1973-74)[3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-stone/).
**Recurring and later roles.** Stone played the character Dave Stratton, a Westar employee and friend of Cliff Barnes, on *Dallas* from 1981 to 1984[4](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/christopher-stone.html). From 1987 to 1988 he played William Horton on *Days of our Lives*[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/). As Chris McCullough on the family series *The New Lassie* (1989-1992) he appeared in 36 episodes, and he also directed 6 episodes and wrote 5 during that run[3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/faq/). Guest shots through the 1980s included *Murder, She Wrote*, *Simon and Simon*, *T.J. Hooker*, *The Bionic Woman*, *MacGyver*, *Hunter*, and *Airwolf*[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-stone/). In 1973 he starred in an unsold ABC pilot, "Operation Hang-Ten", as an undercover police officer[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/faq/).
## Film work
Stone's film roles ran from the dramatic adaptation *The Grasshopper* (1970) with [Jacqueline Bisset](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacqueline-bisset) through *The Howling* (1981), *The Junkman* (1982), *Cujo* (1983), *The Shepherd* (1984), and *The Annihilators* (1985), to later appearances in *Huck and the King of Hearts* (1993) and the TV movie *Dying to Remember* (1993-94)[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-stone/) • [3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html). His final screen appearance was as Col. Jerry Cutter in *Invisible Mom* (1996)[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-stone/).
**Work with Dee Wallace.** In 1980 he married actress Dee Wallace (born Deanna Bowers), later known for playing the mother in [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/) • [7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stone-dee-wallace-1949-dee-wallace-dee-wallace-stone). The two co-starred in *The Howling* (1981), in which Wallace played Karen White and Stone her husband Bill Neill, and in *Cujo* (1983), where Wallace played Donna Trenton and Stone played Steve Kemp. They also shared top billing in *The New Lassie*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/faq/).
## Death
Stone died unexpectedly on October 20, 1995, at his Los Angeles home, of a heart attack in his sleep after watching Game 6 of the [World Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-series). He had suffered an aneurysm in 1975 and had recently been hospitalized for a bypass operation. He was 55; he was survived by his wife, his daughter Gabrielle, and two sisters[2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/).
## Notes on the record
Sources disagree on Stone's birth year: IMDb, TV Insider, and the Manchester obituary material give 1940, while the Hungarian Mafab and Famous Birthdays listings give 1942[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) • [2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/) • [3](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html) • [4](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/christopher-stone.html). All agree on the October 20, 1995 death in Los Angeles, and most sources state his age at death as 55, which matches a 1940 birth year[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/) • [2](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/).
## References
1. [Christopher Stone, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/)
2. [Manchester New Hampshire Actor: Thomas Edward Bourassa, aka Christopher Stone (1940-1995), Cow Hampshire (reprinting the Union Leader obituary)](https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2006/09/27/manchester-new-hampshire-actor-thomas-edward-bourassa-aka-christopher-stone-1940-1995/)
3. [Christopher Stone, Mafab.hu](https://www.secure.mafab.hu/people/christopher-stone-279932.html)
4. [Christopher Stone, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/christopher-stone.html)
5. [Christopher Stone FAQ, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831791/faq/)
6. [Christopher Stone, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/christopher-stone/)
7. [Stone, Dee Wallace 1949-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stone-dee-wallace-1949-dee-wallace-dee-wallace-stone)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Sm to Su*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license