Mark Williams (actor)

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Mark Williams
Stuttgart 2021 -Comic Con Germany- by-RaBoe 168 (cropped).jpg
Williams in 2021
Born
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England
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 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.

Contents

Early life

Williams was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England [1] [2] and grew up in Sidemoor. [3] He was educated at North Bromsgrove High School and then Brasenose College Oxford, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1978, [4] [5] , and was president of the college's Junior Common Room. [6]

Career

Williams' acting work began in small-scale touring theatre, and he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. [7]

Williams came to wider public attention in the 1990s through the BBC sketch comedy programme The Fast Show , in which he was one of the central performers. [7] He has said that for a while "people seemed to assume I was a comedian, which I've never been". [7]

He played 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. [8]

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.[ citation needed ]

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; [5] 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. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
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
TBADream HackerEdgar WainwrightPost-production
TBAThe Dark ChannelMabusePost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988CoppersConstable Spud Murphy
The Storyteller Fearnot's brotherEpisode: "Fearnot"
Red Dwarf Olaf PetersenThree episodes: "The End", "Balance of Power" and "Stasis Leak"
Alexei Sayle's Stuff First series, six episodes
Tumbledown Lumpy
1990 Making Out ManfredEpisodes 1 and 2
KYTV Episode: "Launch"
1991Merlin of the Crystal CaveCerdic
Bottom BorisEpisode: "Accident"
1992 Kinsey DannySix episodes
1993 The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer Don PowellSeven episodes 1993–1995
1994 Health and Efficiency StevenEpisode: "Cinderella Rockafella"
The Fast Show Various characters23 episodes 1994–2000
Chef! Policeman 2Episode: "Masterchef"
1995The Big GameTommy Hollis
Searching Gerald
Peak Practice Roland GroganEpisode: "Life and Soul"
1998 The Fast Show Live Various characters
The Canterbury Tales ChanticleerEpisode: "Leaving London" – voice
Ted & Ralph Confirmed Bachelor
1999 Hunting Venus Peter
2000 Gormenghast Professor Perch
The Strangerers Cadet FlynnNine episodes
2001 Fun at the Funeral Parlour Larry NazarethEpisode: "The Jaws of Doom"
Industrial Revelations HimselfTwo series (as presenter)
2002 Shackleton Dudley Docker[ citation needed ]
2003 Grass BenSix episodes
2004Mark Williams on the RailsHimselfPresenter
Carrie and Barry KirkTwelve episodes
2006Mark Williams' Big BangsHimselfPresenter
Saxondale DeggsyOne episode
2007 A Room with a View Mr BeebeTV movie
2008 Sense and Sensibility (2008 TV series) Sir John Middleton
2009 Inspector George Gently Joe BishopEpisode: "Gently into the Night"
Blood in the Water Jerry Hourihan
Agatha Christie's Marple Claud EvansEpisode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"
New Tricks David BeaumontEpisode: "The Truth is out There"
2010 The Indian Doctor Richard Sharpe [9] Five episodes
Merlin Voice of the GoblinEpisode: "Goblin's Gold"
2011 Frankenstein's Wedding Alphonse Frankenstein
2012 Being Human Regus
Hustle Dale Ridley
Doctor Who Brian WilliamsEpisodes "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "The Power of Three"
2013 Blandings Sebastian BeachSix episodes
Still Open All Hours Planter's Salesman
2013–present Father Brown Father BrownTitle 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 ConstableEpisode: "Redtop"
2017 Hospital People TonyEpisode: "The Local Millionaire"
2021 Midsomer Murders Pat EverettEpisode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy"
The Dumping Ground Les VegasEpisode: "Old Friends"
2022 Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Himself HBO Max Special
Sister Boniface Mysteries Father BrownCameo; episode: "My Brother's Keeper"

Music videos

YearTitleRole
2023"Weirdo" by Girl Scout  [ sv ] [10] Clown

Video games

YearTitleVoice role
2016 Lego Dimensions Arthur Weasley (voice)

Theme park rides

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Arthur WeasleyFace capture & voice only (stunt double used in pre-show)

Voice-over

References

  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". BirminghamWorld. 9 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "North Awards 2023". North Bromsgrove High School & Sixth Form. 2023.
  4. ↑ Chen, Peter (2022–2023). "The Arts Committee" (PDF). The Brazen Nose. 57. bnc.ox.ac.uk: 34. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mark Williams: Captain of industry". The Independent . 16 July 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Sophie Gunning (2018–2019). "Careers Report" (PDF). The Brazen Nose. 53: 53.
  7. 1 2 3 "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.
  8. ↑ "Other Series 7 stars announced". Tardis Times. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.
  9. ↑ Ian Wolf. "The Indian Doctor – Production Details". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  10. ↑ Odgers, Eliot (1 February 2023). "Start Listening To: Girl Scout". Still Listening. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
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