Michael Leonard Williams (9 July 1935 – 11 January 2001) was a British actor who played both classical and comedy roles. He was best known for co-starring in the sitcom ''
A Fine Romance'' with his wife Dame
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
, and for voicing
Dr. Watson
Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...
in the long-running
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
adaptations for BBC Radio.
Biography
Williams was born on 9 July 1935 in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
.
Williams married
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
on 5 February 1971, the same year in which they co-starred in a stage production of
John Webster
John Webster (c. 1578 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies '' The White Devil'' and ''The Duchess of Malfi'', which are often seen as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. His life and car ...
's ''
The Duchess of Malfi
''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...
'', and, as RSC actors, in ''
Pack of Lies'' and ''Mr. and Mrs. Nobody''. They had one daughter,
Finty Williams
Tara Cressida "Finty" Williams (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress. She is best known as the voice of '' Angelina Ballerina''. Her mother, Judi Dench, voiced Angelina's ballet teacher, Miss Lilly.
Biography
Williams was born on 24 Sep ...
, who is also an actress. Williams was also godfather to the actor
Rory Kinnear.
Williams was the President of the
Roman Catholic Actors' Guild.
Shortly before his death from
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
aged 65, Williams was appointed a
Knight of St Gregory (KSG) by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
for his contribution to Catholic life in Britain. The honour was officially bestowed upon him at home on 10 January 2001. He died the next day, and was buried in the churchyard of St Leonard's, the Anglican parish church of
Charlecote, Warwickshire. Williams was a fan of
Everton FC
Everton Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founded in 1878, the club was a foun ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
Select radio roles
Stage roles
Principal stage appearances; mostly with the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
:
Also appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Theatre-Go-Round Festival, Round House Theatre, London, 1970.
References
External links
*
Performances listed in Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Michael
1935 births
2001 deaths
20th-century English male actors
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Deaths from lung cancer in England
Dench family
English male film actors
English male radio actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
English Roman Catholics
Male actors from Liverpool
People educated at St Edward's College
Royal Shakespeare Company members
Knights of St. Gregory the Great
Actors awarded knighthoods