Lee Williams (born 3 April 1974) is a British actor, Voice Over artist, director, screenwriter and former model from Bangor,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Early life

Lee Williams was born in Bangor. Early in his life he lived in

Holyhead Holyhead (; , "Cybi's fort") is a historic port town, and is the list of Anglesey towns by population, largest town and a Community (Wales), community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales. Holyhead is on Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island ...

with his mother and grandmother and grandfather. He went to a comprehensive school in

Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. He did an art foundation at

Lancaster and Morecambe College Lancaster and Morecambe College is a further education College situated on Torrisholme Road, between Lancaster and Morecambe, Lancashire, England. The college has been providing the local area with access to further and higher education since ...

, then enrolled to study fine art and fashion at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Fashion in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It was whilst working for

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, ''Sky Arts'' ranked her the ...

, where he worked at the World's End shop and then helping in her designer shows in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

; it was here that the photographer

Steven Meisel Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in '' Vogue'' and '' Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, '' Sex''. He is ...

encouraged Lee to pursue modelling.

Career

Modelling

He was discovered by

in Paris when he was working for

. Represented by Models One, he went on to model with top photographers

Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva Order of the British Empire, OBE Royal Photographic Society#Distinctions and qualifications, HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in ...

, Bruce Webber,

David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Bailey has also directed several televisio ...

Paolo Roversi Paolo Roversi (born September 25, 1947) is an Italian-born fashion photographer who lives and works in Paris. Early life Born in Ravenna on September 25, 1947, Paolo Roversi's interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family v ...

, Meisel, Nick Knight - who shot him for the album cover 'Coming up' for the band

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...

. He was the 'it' male model of the 90s, where he modelled with

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

for W magazine, as well as numerous appearances in The Face, Sky,

Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

, Vogue Homme, L'uomo Vogue and Runway Shows and Campaigns for CK Jeans, Versace, D&G, Dries Van Notes, Yohji Yamamoto, Thierry Mugler, Lagerfeld, Anne Demeulemeester, Raf Simmons. He was friends with Alexander McQueen and featured in his first two fashion shows wearing the infamous 'bumsters', and the mannequin company 'Adele Rootstein' immortalised him as a shop mannequin where he was seen in the windows of

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of upmarket department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1908. The historic Daniel Burnham-designed Self ...

and

Harvey Nichols Harvey Nichols Group Limited ( trading as Harvey Nichols) is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey; it is headquartered at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections ...

. Williams worked as a model for two and a half years at the time when the heroin chic look was in popular demand and was being popularised by

, and used in

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...

advertisements. He was tall, skinny, had long hair and looked androgynous; a perfect candidate to model. Williams worked in many big magazines and was used as a model for '' The Face'', ''

I-D ''i-D'' is a British biannual magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art, film and youth culture. The magazine was launched in 1980 by Terry Jones, originally as a hand-stapled fanzine it has since evolved into a glossy publication. In 2023 the ...

'', ''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

'', ''

'', ''L'uomo''. He also worked with top photographers such as

, Bruce Weber and

. He did campaigns for

and fashion shows for

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...

and

Dolce and Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, cosmetics, ...

. During his modelling career he lived in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

. He is on the cover of Suede's album ' Coming Up', photographed by Nick Knight.

Acting

Williams was encouraged by his drama teacher to pursue acting, but instead chose to attend an art school in London, putting acting on hold. He eventually trained at The Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York and The Actors Centre in London, where he focused on The Meisner Technique. He has over 40 screen acting credits, many of them leading roles in some critically acclaimed programmes and films. As an actor he's best known for playing Jon Forsyte in ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

'', Ewan in Channel 4's

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

, Jack the manager of '' Hotel Babylon'', as well as starring roles in numerous other tv shows. He was nominated for a Gemini award (Canadian equivalent of an Oscar) for best Lead Actor in ''

No Night Is Too Long ''No Night Is Too Long'' is a 2002 BBC dramatisation based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Barbara Vine (a pseudonym of Ruth Rendell), with a screenplay by Kevin Elyot. The title comes from a line in Richard Strauss's opera ''Der Rosenk ...

'' alongside

Marc Warren Marc Warren (born 20 March 1967) is an English actor, known for his British television roles. His roles have included Albert Blithe in ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers'' (2001), Danny Blue (Hustle), Danny Blue in ''Hustle (TV ...

. He auditioned for the role of

Tom Riddle Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997) and returns either in pers ...

in the film ''

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ...

'' but lost out to

Christian Coulson Christian Peter Coulson is an English actor known for playing young Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort) in the 2002 fantasy film ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''. Early life Coulson was born in Manchester. He attended Arnold House ...

in the final stages. It was also between him and James Mcavoy for the role of 'Mr Tumnus' in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In 2011, he played Henry Mynors in

Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen. Early life Edmu ...

's adaptation of '' Anna of the Five Towns'' on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

. The same year he appeared in '' Four Nights in Knaresborough'' (Morville) at the Southwark Playhouse.Archive of Four Nights in Knaresborough at the Southwark Playhouse site
accessed 1 November 2022. Williams most recently directed an adaptation of Kafka's 'The Trial' at the Edinburgh Festival and has been part of the writers programme at The Marlow Theatre in Canterbury, where his first play won a competition and they commissioned him to write a new original piece called 'SNUFF'. He has numerous television and film scripts in development.

Voice Overs

Williams is also a prolific voice over artist, represented by the agency Yakety yak in London. Clients include Virgin, HMV, Rimmel, VO5, Nivea, Dove men, Alton Towers, DHL, as well as many documentaries and promos for the BBC, ITV, Disney and the History Channel.

Filmography

*''

Grantchester (TV series) ''Grantchester'' is a British ITV detective drama set in the 1950s in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester. Its first series was broadcast in 2014. The series originally featured Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers ( James Norton); subsequent ...

'' Episode #1.4 (2014)- Dominic Taylor *'' White Settlers'' (2014) – Ed *''

When Calls the Heart ''When Calls the Heart'' is a Western drama television series inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her ''Canadian West'' series and created by Michael Landon Jr. and Brian Bird. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel ...

'' (2013) – Thomas Higgins *'' Delhi in a Day'' Feature Film – Jasper (2010) *''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' Robert Testwood (2009) *'' Hotel Babylon'' (2008) – Jack Harrison *''

Casualty (TV series) ''Casualty'' (stylised as ''CASUAL+Y'' since 1997) is a British medical drama series broadcast on BBC One. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it first aired in the United Kingdom on 6 September 1986. The show was originally produced ...

'' (2008–2011) – Brian *'' Lena: The Bride of Ice'' (2008) – Johnny *''Kimono (2007)'' – Narrator *'' The Waiting Room'' – Brian *'' New Street Law'' – Joe Stevens (12 episodes, 2006–2007) *'' Miss Marie Lloyd – Queen of The Music Hall'' (2007) (TV) – Freddie Lloyd *''

Popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns, or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The term also refers to the snack food produced by the expansion. It is one of the oldest snacks, with evidence of p ...

'' (2007) – Emil *''

The Trial ''The Trial'' () is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously on 26 April 1925. One of his best-known works, it tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, wi ...

'' (TV) – Clay *''

No Angels No Angels are an all-female Pop music, pop group from Germany, formed in 2000. Originally a quintet, consisting of band members Nadja Benaissa, Ludmilla Diakovska, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, Vanessa Petruo, and Jessica Wahls, they originat ...

'' – Patrick (2 episodes, 2006) *''

Ideal Ideal may refer to: Philosophy * Ideal (ethics), values that one actively pursues as goals * Platonic ideal, a philosophical idea of trueness of form, associated with Plato Mathematics * Ideal (ring theory), special subsets of a ring considered ...

'' – Luke (4 episodes, 2007) *'' Coming Up'' (2006) (TV) – Clay *'' Stalking Pete Doherty'' (2005) (TV) – Narrator *''

'' – Ewan Doherty (Series 4, 2004) (9 episodes) *''

Murder in Suburbia ''Murder in Suburbia'' is a British television drama series first broadcast on ITV on 13 March 2004. The series focuses on the work of DS Emma Scribbins (Lisa Faulkner) and DI Kate Ashurst ( Caroline Catz), police detectives assigned to the m ...

'' – Jamie Finch (1 episode, 2004) *'' The Debt'' (2003) (TV) – James Hilden *'' The Forsyte Saga: To Let'' (2003) (TV mini-series) – Jon Forsyte *'' The American Embassy'' – Drew Barkley (3 episodes, 2002) *''

'' (2002) (TV film) – Tim Cornish *''Vallen'' (2001) – Lucas *'' Me Without You'' (2001) – Ben *'' In His Life: The John Lennon Story'' (2000) (TV) –

Stuart Sutcliffe Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a British painter and musician from Edinburgh, Scotland, best known as the original bass guitarist of the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a pa ...

*''Losing It'' (2000) (TV) – Jude *''

Urban Gothic Urban Gothic is a sub-genre of Gothic fiction, film horror, and television dealing with industrial and post-industrial urban society. It was pioneered in the mid-19th century in Britain, Ireland, and the United States, before being developed i ...

'' – Carter (1 episode, 2000) *''A Many Splintered Thing'' (2000) – Simon *''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age Comedy film, comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the fi ...

'' (2000) – Tutor 4 *'' Canone Inverso'' (2000) – David Blau *''Mauvaise passe'' (1999) – Customer in cafe *'' Elephant Juice'' (1999) – George *'' Boyz Unlimited'' (1999) – Scott LeTissier *'' The Wolves of Kromer'' (1998) – Seth *'' Still Crazy'' (1998) – Young Keith

External links

BBC Drama faces Lee Williams
*

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Lee 1974 births Living people Welsh male television actors Actors from Bangor, Gwynedd British male models Male actors from Gwynedd