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.
Early life Williams was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England and grew up in Sidemoor. He was educated at North Bromsgrove High School and then Brasenose College, Oxford, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1978, and was president of the college's Junior Common Room.
Career Williams' acting work began in small-scale touring theatre, and he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.
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. He has said that for a while "people seemed to assume I was a comedian, which I've never been".
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.
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.
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; 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.
Filmography
Film 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 Thornton2001 High Heels and Low Lifes Tremaine Second Star To The Left Duke2002 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 Edgar Wainwright Post-production data-sort-value="Dark Channel, The" Mabuse Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes1988CoppersConstable Spud Murphy The StorytellerFearnot's brotherEpisode: "Fearnot"Red DwarfOlaf PetersenThree episodes: "The End", "Balance of Power" and "Stasis Leak"Alexei Sayle's StuffFirst series, six episodesTumbledownLumpy1990Making OutManfredEpisodes 1 and 2KYTVEpisode: "Launch"1991Merlin of the Crystal CaveCerdicBottomBorisEpisode: "Accident"1992KinseyDannySix episodes1993 The Smell of Reeves and MortimerDon PowellSeven episodes 1993–19951994Health and EfficiencyStevenEpisode: "Cinderella Rockafella" The Fast ShowVarious characters 23 episodes 1994–2000Chef!Policeman 2Episode: "Masterchef"1995 The Big GameTommy HollisSearchingGeraldPeak PracticeRoland GroganEpisode: "Life and Soul"1998 The Fast Show LiveVarious characters The Canterbury TalesChanticleerEpisode: "Leaving London" – voiceTed & RalphConfirmed Bachelor1999Hunting VenusPeter2000GormenghastProfessor Perch The StrangerersCadet FlynnNine episodes2001Fun at the Funeral ParlourLarry NazarethEpisode: "The Jaws of Doom"Industrial RevelationsHimselfTwo series (as presenter)2002ShackletonDudley Docker2003GrassBenSix episodes2004Mark Williams on the RailsHimselfPresenterCarrie and BarryKirkTwelve episodes2006Mark Williams' Big BangsHimselfPresenterSaxondaleDeggsyOne episode2007 A Room with a ViewMr BeebeTV movie2008Sense and Sensibility (2008 TV series)Sir John Middleton 2009Inspector George GentlyJoe BishopEpisode: "Gently into the Night"Blood in the WaterJerry HourihanAgatha Christie's MarpleClaud EvansEpisode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"New TricksDavid BeaumontEpisode: "The Truth is out There"2010 The Indian DoctorRichard SharpeFive episodesMerlinVoice of the Goblin Episode: "Goblin's Gold" 2011Frankenstein's WeddingAlphonse Frankenstein2012Being HumanRegusHustleDale RidleyDoctor WhoBrian WilliamsEpisodes "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "The Power of Three"2013 Blandings Sebastian Beach Six episodesStill Open All HoursPlanter's Salesman 2013–present Father Brown Father Brown Title character, 130 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"2018TwirliwoosWaiterEpisode: This Way, That Way2021 Midsomer Murders Pat Everett Episode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" The Dumping GroundLes VegasEpisode: "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"
Music videos Year Title Role 2023 "Weirdo" by Clown
Video games Year Title Voice role 2016 Lego Dimensions Arthur Weasley (voice)
Theme park rides 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 Power Rangers Operation Overdrive - Big Mouth Monster (episode: "Both Sides Now") Merlin - The Goblin (episode: "Goblin's Gold") Power Rangers Samurai - Eyescar (episode: "The Rescue") Lego Dimensions - Arthur Weasley We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Dad Early Man - Barry
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