Kenneth Williams

Kenneth Charles Williams ( born February 22, 1926 in London, † April 15, 1988 ) was a British actor and comedian.

Life

Williams had his breakthrough as a comedian in 1954 when he became a permanent member of the radio comedy show Hancock 's Half Hour alongside Tony Hancock and Sidney James, the more long-lived radio programs such as Beyond our Ken, Round the Horne (both with Kenneth Horne ) and the BBC game show Just a minute should follow. Many programs are now available on DVD and Williams still make one of the most popular radio comedian England.

In addition, Williams had numerous appearances in movies, especially in productions of Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas. Rogers and Thomas turned 30 comedies of varying quality, in terms of the Commedia dell'arte, the always same role types are almost always the same actors embodies presented and their tracks are always with carry-on ... began in the original. There, Kenneth Williams played often the counterpart of fellow actor Sidney James, with whom he had a lifelong mutual antipathy. In 25 films of which Williams embodied the nasal snob, often in a starring role - thereby handing the range of roles from the chief physician ( Carry on Doctor) on a British frigate captain at the time of Nelson's ( Carry on Jack ), the Khasi of Calabar ( Carry on. up the Khyber .. ) or a Frankenstein cartoon ( Carry on Screaming ) to parodies of historical figures such as Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex ( Carry on Henry) or Julius Caesar ( Carry on Cleo ). Although Williams of the quality of the productions had a very negative opinion, he especially enjoyed working with the other comedians and the production staff at Rogers and Thomas. In addition, he often lent his voice to animated films ( so all the figures in Willow the Wisp / Willo the forest light).

Kenneth Williams died on 15 April 1988 by an overdose of drugs.

In addition to some biographical books by and about Kenneth Williams also his collected diaries are now published. In 2006, his diaries as a television film Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! filmed. Kenneth Williams is here played by Michael Sheen.

Filmography (selection)

Writings (selection )

  • Acid Drops. London 1980.
  • Backdrops. Pages From a Private Diary, London 1983.
  • Just Williams. An Autobiography. London 1985.
  • The Kenneth Williams Diaries. edited by Russell Davies, London 1993.
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