Michael Williams (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons named Michael Williams, see Michael Williams (disambiguation).

Michael Williams
Born	Michael Leonard Williams July 9, 1935 Liverpool, England
Died	January 11, 2001 (aged 65) Hampstead, London, England
Spouse(s)	Judi Dench (1971-2001)

Michael Leonard Williams (9 July 1935 – 11 January 2001) was a British actor.

Although best known as the husband of Dame Judi Dench, Williams had a distinguished career of his own, as both a classical and a comedy actor.

Born into an Irish Catholic family in Liverpool^{[citation needed]}, he attended St. Edward's College and worked as an insurance assessor before going into the theatre.

His first film appearance was in 1962, and he subsequently appeared frequently on television (notably in Elizabeth R), and in British films such as Educating Rita (1983) and (along with Dench) Henry V (1989). (In the latter, in perhaps an irresistible casting decision, he played Shakespeare's character Michael Williams!) In 1967 he played in Peter Whitehead's documentary Benefit of the Doubt on Peter Brook's anti-Vietnam play "US", along with Peter Brook and The Royal Shakespeare Company.

His many radio roles included crime reporter George Cragge in In the Red and its sequels, and Dr Watson in the BBC's complete run of Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

Williams provided voices for the Woodland Animations BBC Television series Charlie Chalk, created by Ivor Wood.

He married Dench in 1971, the same season that they co-starred in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. They had one daughter, Tara Cressida Williams (known as "Finty Williams"), who is also an actor. Williams chaired the British Catholic Stage Guild for a number of years before he was incapacitated by illness. Finty has a son, Sam.

Although Williams was a Roman Catholic^{[citation needed]} and Dench is a Quaker, theirs was one of the most successful showbiz marriages, and they worked together on several series of the situation comedy, A Fine Romance, from 1981 onwards.

Williams served as an enthusiastic supporter of the project to build the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia. A plaque commemorating Williams' contributions hangs in the completed playhouse.

Shortly before his death from lung cancer at the age of 65, Williams was awarded a Knighthood of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II.