Wil Johnson

Not to be confused with the American musician Will Johnson (see Will Johnson (musician))

Wilbert "Wil" Johnson (born 1965) is an English actor, who has had notable television roles in Waking the Dead and Babyfather, and on stage in Othello. He currently stars as Dom Andrews in Emmerdale.

Early life

Wil Johnson was born in Muswell Hill and raised in Tottenham.^[1] His mother was invested in stocks and his father a worker at UPS.^[2] Johnson had no interest in singing while he was in primary school, after he filled in a role for an absent drummer, he changed his mind.^[3] He did not go to drama school, but instead went to Mount View (Theatre Drama group and school in Crouch End). He also joined another drama group at 'The Haringey Theatre'. He also went to a dance group and learned ballet, contemporary dancing and break dancing which he preformed for about 7 years. He also attended National Youth Theatre for three years.^[1]

Career

Johnson's first professional acting role came in the play Four Seasons at the 1985 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[2] For the rest of the 1980s he made minor appearances in television series such as Casualty and London's Burning, before playing detective Stevie Johnson in the London Weekend Television series Anna Lee. From 1994 to 1995 he played the supporting role of Detective Constable Skelton in Cracker. Between roles, Johnson worked for a local undertakers, driving the hearse and acting as a pallbearer. At one funeral, a mourner recognised him from Cracker and asked for his autograph.^[4]

In 2000, he appeared in the BBC One television pilot Waking the Dead, as Detective Sergeant Spencer Jordan, a member of a specialised police unit tasked with investigating "cold cases". Waking the Dead returned for a complete series in 2001, and Johnson has been a main cast member since, until the series ended in 2011. From 2000 to 2002, he appeared as Steve Robinson in Paul Abbott's popular drama series Clocking Off. From 2001 to 2002, he appeared as a main cast member in two series of the BBC's Babyfather.^[5]

In 2004, Johnson played the title character in the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company's Othello.

He also played Marcus Kirby in the BBC One Drama Waterloo Road. He departed in the second half of series.

In 2010, he appeared in In a Better World (film) as 'Dr. Najeeb'.^[6]

He also performed in a play, called ‘The Swallowing Dark’ at the Liverpool Playhouse and Theatre 503. In 2011, he also starred as gangster boss Big Mike in Anuvahood and in 2008 as Big Man in Adulthood

In Nov 2011, Johnson appeared as 'Sean Dolan' a Consultant paediatrician in BBC One's Holby City.^[6]

In 2012 it was announced that Johnson would be joining Emmerdale as single Dad Dominic Andrews in the later part of the year. ^[7]

In 2013, he appeared as an gangster in a film thriller called Life Outside.^[6] He also was a special guest DJ at a 'MonologueSlam' event (actors showcase) at 'The Green Carnation' cocktail lounge, Soho.^[8]

In 2013, he also co-produced with Christian Ashaiku a film called "Disorientated Generation" (about a Nigerian man living in London). The film was partially funded by Enfield Council,^[1] with a small grant from UK Film Council. The film was originally shot in 2006.^[9]

Filmography

Television

Personal life

Johnson has seven children.^[2] His eldest daughter (aged 25) lives in New York,^[1] as a musician singer songwriter composer while she attends the Manhattan School of Music.^[10] He is an advocate of colour-blind casting in British television:

"There are a lot more black and Asian actors who the nation knows by name, which is fantastic [...] [Colour-blind casting] happens regularly in theatre, but in mainstream television it could be implemented a lot more. I'm tentative to use the word 'stereotyping', because a lot of the black roles emerging on television I wouldn't categorise as stereotypical: my role in Waking the Dead certainly wasn't."^[11]

References

External links

• Official website
• Wil Johnson at the Internet Movie Database