Editing Michael Williams (actor)

{{short description|British actor (1935–2001)}}
{{Other people|Michael Williams}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| pre-nominals       = 
| name = Michael Williams
| honorific_suffix  = [[Knight of St Gregory|KSG]]
| image = 
| caption = Williams (left) as [[Dr. Watson]] and [[Clive Merrison]] as [[Sherlock Holmes]]
| birth_name = Michael Leonard Williams
| birth_date = {{Birth-date|9 July 1935}} 
| birth_place = [[Liverpool]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date =  {{death date and age|df=y|2001|1|11|1935|7|9}}
| death_place = [[Hampstead]], [[London]], England
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Judi Dench]]|1971}}
| children = [[Finty Williams]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1961–1999
}}

'''Michael Leonard Williams''' {{post nominals|country=GBR|KSG|size=100%}} (9 July 1935 – 11 January 2001) was a British actor who played both classical and comedy roles. He was best known for co-starring in the sitcom ''[[A Fine Romance (1981 TV series)|A Fine Romance]]'' with his wife Dame [[Judi Dench]], and for voicing [[Dr. Watson]] in the long-running [[Sherlock Holmes]] [[Sherlock Holmes (1989 radio series)|adaptations for BBC Radio]].

==Biography==
Williams was born on 9 July 1935 in [[Liverpool]], [[Lancashire]].

Williams married [[Judi Dench]] on 5 February 1971, the same year in which they co-starred in a stage production of [[John Webster]]'s ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]'', and, as RSC actors, in ''[[Pack of Lies]]'' and ''Mr. and Mrs. Nobody''.<ref>Senter, Al. A Brief Biography. Booklet accompanying 'The Judi Dench Collection'. BBC Worldwide, 6-DVD set, 2007.</ref> They had one daughter, [[Finty Williams]], who is also an actress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4710259/My-grandson-was-a-big-surprise.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126051611/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4710259/My-grandson-was-a-big-surprise.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2015|title=My grandson was a big surprise|date=22 August 1997|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> Williams was also godfather to the actor [[Rory Kinnear]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/rory-kinnear-good-show-sweet-prince-6541358.html|title=Rory Kinnear: Good show, sweet prince|date=10 April 2012 |publisher=standard.co.uk|access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref>

Williams was the President of the [[British Catholic Stage Guild|Roman Catholic Actors' Guild]].<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/459290.stm|title=Michael Williams: End of the fine romance|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2001-01-16|quote = A devout Catholic, Michael Williams was a former President of the Roman Catholic Actors' Guild.|access-date=2010-09-13}}</ref>

[[File:Michael William's grave.jpg|thumb|200px|Williams' grave]]
Shortly before his death from [[lung cancer]] aged 65, Williams was appointed a [[Knight of St Gregory]] (KSG) by [[Pope John Paul II]] for his contribution to Catholic life in Britain. The honour was officially bestowed upon him at home on 10 January 2001. He died the next day,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1114233.stm |work=[[BBC News]]|date = 15 January 2001|access-date = 23 July 2021|title=Actor Michael Williams dies}}</ref> and was buried in the churchyard of St Leonard's, the Anglican parish church of [[Charlecote]], Warwickshire. Williams was a fan of [[Everton FC]].

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|1962 || ''[[The Trial of Joan of Arc]]'' || Englishman || Uncredited
|-
|1967 || ''[[Marat/Sade (film)|Marat/Sade]]'' || Herald ||
|-
|1968 || ''[[Tell Me Lies (film)|Tell Me Lies]]'' || Guest || Documentary
|-
|1972 || ''[[Eagle in a Cage]]'' || Barry O'Meara ||
|-
|1974 || ''[[Dead Cert (1974 film)|Dead Cert]]'' || Sandy Mason ||
|-
|1982 || ''[[Enigma (1982 film)|Enigma]]'' || Hirsch, Limmer's Assistant ||
|-
|1983 || ''[[Educating Rita (film)|Educating Rita]]'' || Brian ||
|-
|1989 || ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'' || [[Michael Williams (Henry V)|Michael Williams]] ||
|-
|1999 || ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'' || British Consul ||
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|1962 || ''[[Z-Cars]]'' || Norbert Nuttall || 1 episode
|-
|1970 || ''[[A Family at War]]'' || Eddie Chappell || 1 episode
|-
|1971 || ''[[Elizabeth R]]'' || [[François, Duke of Anjou|François, Duke of Anjou and Alençon]] || 1 episode
|-
|1975 || ''[[The Hanged Man (TV series)|The Hanged Man]]'' || Alan Crowe || 8 episodes
|-
|1979 || ''[[My Son, My Son (TV series)|My Son, My Son]]'' || William Essex || 8 episodes
|-
|1980 || ''[[Love in a Cold Climate (1980 TV series)|Love in a Cold Climate]]'' || Davey Warbeck || 8 episodes
|-
|1981–1984 || ''[[A Fine Romance (1981 TV series)|A Fine Romance]]'' || Mike Selway || 26 episodes
|-
|1987 ||''Blunt: The Fourth Man'' <ref>''Blunt: the fourth man'', DVD video listing at [[WorldCat]]. {{OCLC|54436975}}</ref> || [[Goronwy Rees]]||
|-
|1988 || ''[[Double First]]'' || Norman 'N.V.' Standish || 7 episodes
|-
|1988-1989 || ''[[Charlie Chalk]]'' || Charlie Chalk, Lewis T. Duck, Trader Jones and Litterbug (voice) || 13 episodes
|-
|1989 || ''[[Screen Two]]'' - ''Angel Voices'' || Michael Darlow || 1 episode
|-
|1999 || ''Can you hear me thinking'' || Kevin || 90 minute BBC TV film
|-
|1993–1994 || ''[[Conjugal Rites]]'' || Barry Masefield || 13 episodes
|-
|1993–1995 || ''[[September Song (TV series)|September Song]]'' || Billy Balsam || 20 episodes
|-
|1996 || ''[[Kavanagh QC]]'' || DCI Knowland || 1 episode
|-
|1996-2000 || ''[[The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge|Brambly Hedge]]'' || Mr. Apple || 8 episodes
|-
|1997 || ''[[A Dance to the Music of Time (TV series)|A Dance to the Music of Time]]'' || Ted Jeavons || 2 episodes
|-
|1999 || ''[[The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns]]'' || Father Daley || 2 episodes, (final appearance)
|}

== Select radio roles ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Title !! Role
|-
|1973 || ''The War Between Men and Women'' || reader
|-
|1989–1998 || '' [[Sherlock Holmes (1989 radio series)|Sherlock Holmes]] '' || [[Dr. Watson]]
|-
|1990 || ''The Forsyte Chronicles '' || Young Jolyon Forsyte
|-
|1995–1996 || '' [[Change at Oglethorpe]] '' || Rocket
|-
|1995–1999 || '' [[The George Cragge series]] '' || George Cragge
|-
|1997 || ''[[Mansfield Park]]'' || Sir Thomas Bertram
|-
|1998–1999 || '' Old Dog and Partridge '' || Jack
|-
|1999–2000 || ''[[Bristow (cartoon)|Bristow]]'' || Bristow
|}

==Stage roles==
Principal stage appearances; mostly with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/the-stage|title=The Stage in British Newspaper Archive|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=18em|
* ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1963)
* ''[[The Beggar's Opera]]'' (1963)
* ''[[The Deputy|The Representative]]'' (1963)
* ''[[King Lear]]'' (1964)
* ''[[The Comedy of Errors]] '' (1964)
* ''[[Marat/Sade]]'' (1964)
* ''[[The Jew of Malta]] '' (1964)
* ''Don't Make Me Laugh'' (1965)
* ''[[Timon of Athens]]'' (1965) - Painter
* ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1965)
* ''Tango'' (1966)
* ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1967) - Petruchio
* ''[[As You Like It]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Troilus and Cressida]] '' (1968) - Troilus
* ''[[London Assurance]]'' (1970)
* ''[[The Merchant of Venice]] '' (1971)
* ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'' (1971) - Henry V
* ''[[Toad of Toad Hall]]'' (1972)
* ''Content to Whisper ''  (1973)
* ''[[Charles Wood (playwright)|Jingo]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Too True to Be Good]] '' (1975)
* ''[[The Comedy of Errors (1976 musical)|The Comedy of Errors]]'' (1976) - Dromio of Syracuse
* ''[[The Winter's Tale]]''  (1976)
* ''[[Schweik in the Second World War]]''  (1977)
* ''The Montrous Regiment'' (1978)
* ''A Village Wooing''  (1981)
* ''[[Quartermaine's Terms]]'' (1982)
* ''Pack of Lies'' (1983/4)
* ''[[Two into One]]'' (1984)
* ''Mr and Mrs Nobody'' (1986/7)
* ''[[Out of Order (play)|Out of Order]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1995)
* ''The Round Dozen'' (1996)
* ''[[Brief Lives (play)|Brief Lives]] ''  (1997/8)
* ''The Forest'' (1999)
}}
Also appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Theatre-Go-Round Festival, Round House Theatre, London, 1970.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/63/Michael-Williams.html|title=Michael Williams Biography (1935-)|website=www.filmreference.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0931302|name=Michael Williams}}
*[http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/search/people_sub_plays_all?forename=Michael&amp;surname=WILLIAMS&amp;job=Actor&amp;pid=4248&image_view=Yesamp;x=19amp;y=17 Performances listed in Theatre Archive, University of Bristol]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Michael}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in England]]
[[Category:Dench family]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male radio actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Male actors from Liverpool]]
[[Category:People educated at St Edward's College]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]
[[Category:Knights of St. Gregory the Great]]
[[Category:Actors awarded knighthoods]]