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Mark Williams (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mark Williams
Williams in 2021
Born
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • presenter
  • screenwriter
Years active1982–present
Children1

Mark Williams is an English actor, comedian, presenter and screenwriter. He first achieved widespread recognition as one of the central performers in the popular BBC sketch show The Fast Show. His film roles include Horace in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and Arthur Weasley in seven of the Harry Potter films. He appeared in Doctor Who and Red Dwarf. Since 2013, Williams has portrayed the title character in the long-running BBC series loosely based on the Father Brown short stories by G. K. Chesterton.

Early life

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Williams was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.[1][2] Educated at North Bromsgrove High School and then Brasenose College, Oxford.[3]

Career

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Williams' acting work began in small-scale touring theatre, and he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.[4]

Williams came to wider public attention in the 1990s through the BBC television sketch comedy programme The Fast Show, in which he was one of the central performers.[4] He has said that for a while "people seemed to assume I was a comedian, which I've never been".[4]

His most famous cinema role is as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, making his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002. Other high-profile appearances include the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Stardust alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Claire Danes in 2007 and a 2012 role in Doctor Who as Brian Williams, father of the Doctor's companion, Rory.[5]

Since 2013, he has appeared in the lead role in the BBC costume drama Father Brown. Williams also featured in the first series of Blandings, the BBC TV adaptation of the P. G. Wodehouse Blandings Castle stories, broadcast in 2013, in which he played Beach, the Emsworths' tipsy butler. Interviewed in 2014 by the Lancashire Evening Post, when asked if some people still saw him as a comedy actor, Williams replied, "Well, it's only a few people in the BBC. In America, they see me as a major British character actor, but unfortunately, the BBC is pretty parochial and people are institutionalised here."[6]

In 2014 and 2015, he presented the BBC daytime game show The Link. The show ran for two series. His other film roles include 101 Dalmatians and The Borrowers, both with Hugh Laurie.

Williams has also presented several documentary programmes exploring industrial history which is his passion;[3] Mark Williams' Big Bangs on the history of explosives, a follow-up to the previous series Mark Williams on the Rails, Industrial Revelations and More Industrial Revelations.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Privileged Wilf
1987 Out of Order PC
1988 High Season Benny
1994 Prince of Jutland Aslak
1996 101 Dalmatians Horace
1997 The Borrowers Exterminator Jeff
1998 Shakespeare in Love Wabash
1999 Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? Roland Thornton
2001 High Heels and Low Lifes Tremaine
Second Star To The Left Duke
2002 Anita and Me The Reverend 'Uncle' Alan
The Final Curtain Declan Farrell
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Arthur Weasley
2004 Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London Inspector Crescent
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Arthur Weasley
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2006 A Cock and Bull Story Ingoldsby
2007 Stardust Billy the Innkeeper
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Arthur Weasley
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Flutter Raymond
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Arthur Weasley
Albert Nobbs Sean
2016 Golden Years Phil (Publican)
2018 Early Man Barry (voice)
2022 Surprised by Oxford Professor Nuttham
2024 Robin and the Hoods The Mayor
TBA Dream Hacker Edgar Wainwright Post-production
TBA The Dark Channel Mabuse Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 Coppers Constable Spud Murphy
The Storyteller Fearnot's brother Episode: "Fearnot"
Red Dwarf Olaf Petersen Three episodes: "The End", "Balance of Power" and "Stasis Leak"
Alexei Sayle's Stuff First series, six episodes
1989 Tumbledown Lumpy
1990 Kinsey Danny
Making Out Manfred Episodes 1 and 2
KYTV Episode: "Launch"
1991 Merlin of the Crystal Cave Cerdic
Bottom Boris Episode: "Accident"
1993 The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer Don Powell Seven episodes 1993–1995
1994 Health and Efficiency Steven Episode: "Cinderella Rockafeller"
The Fast Show Various characters 23 episodes 1994–2000
Chef! Policeman 2 Episode: "Masterchef"
1995 The Big Game Tommy Hollis
Searching Gerald
Peak Practice Roland Grogan Episode: "Life and Soul"
1998 The Fast Show Live Various characters
The Canterbury Tales Chanticleer Episode: "Leaving London" – voice
Ted & Ralph Confirmed Bachelor
1999 Hunting Venus Peter
2000 Gormenghast Professor Perch
The Strangerers Cadet Flynn Nine episodes
2001 Fun at the Funeral Parlour Larry Nazareth Episode: "The Jaws of Doom"
Industrial Revelations Himself Two series (as presenter)
2002 Shackleton Dudley Docker[citation needed]
2003 Grass Ben Six episodes
2004 Mark Williams on the Rails Himself Presenter
Carrie and Barry Kirk Twelve episodes
2006 Mark Williams' Big Bangs Himself Presenter
Saxondale Deggsy One episode
2007 Tumbledown Lumpy
2008 Sense and Sensibility (2008 TV series) Sir John Middleton
2009 Inspector George Gently Joe Bishop Episode: "Gently into the Night"
Blood in the Water Jerry Hourihan
Agatha Christie's Marple Claud Evans Episode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"
New Tricks David Beaumont Episode: "The Truth is out There"
2010 The Indian Doctor Richard Sharpe[7] Five episodes
Merlin Voice of the Goblin Episode: "Goblin's Gold"
2011 Frankenstein's Wedding Alphonse Frankenstein
2012 Being Human Regus
Hustle Dale Ridley
Doctor Who Brian Williams Episodes "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "The Power of Three"
2013 Blandings Sebastian Beach Six episodes
Still Open All Hours Planter's Salesman
2013–present Father Brown Father Brown Title character, 100(+) episodes
2014–2015 The Link Presenter BBC daytime game show
2015 Drunk History Robert Catesby Episode: "Episode Four"
2016 The Comic Strip Presents... Chief Constable Episode: "Redtop"
2017 Hospital People Tony Episode: "The Local Millionaire"
2021 Midsomer Murders Pat Everett Episode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy"
The Dumping Ground Les Vegas Episode: "Old Friends"
2022 Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Himself HBO Max Special
Sister Boniface Mysteries Father Brown Cameo; episode: "My Brother's Keeper"

Video games

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Year Title Voice role
2016 Lego Dimensions Arthur Weasley (voice)

Theme park rides

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Year Title Role Notes
2019 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Arthur Weasley Face capture & voice only (stunt double used in pre-show)

Voice-over

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References

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  1. ^ "Harry Potter star Mark Williams talks Bromsgrove, carol concerts and success". Bromsgrove Advertiser. 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ "The 10 famous faces who were born and bred in Bromsgrove".
  3. ^ a b c "Mark Williams: Captain of industry". The Independent. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Mark Williams: I'm not a comedian". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 12 January 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Other Series 7 stars announced". Tardis Times. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.
  6. ^ "I'm a British character actor – not a comedian". Lep.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  7. ^ Ian Wolf. "The Indian Doctor – Production Details". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
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