View source for Frank Williams (actor)

{{Short description|English actor (1931–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Frank Williams
| image              = Frank Williams cropped.jpg
| caption            = Williams in 2011
| birth_name         = Frank John Williams
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1931|07|2|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Edgware]], [[Middlesex]], England
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2022|6|26|1931|7|2|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[London]], England
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1953–2022
| notable_works      = ''[[The Army Game]]'', ''[[Dad's Army]]''
| spouse             =
}}
'''Frank John Williams''' (2 July 1931 – 26 June 2022) was an English actor, best known for playing the Reverend [[Timothy Farthing]] in the [[BBC]] television [[British sitcom|sitcom]] ''[[Dad's Army]]'' (1969–1977).
Often cast as a member of the [[clergy]], Williams appeared in similar roles in sitcoms including ''[[The Worker (TV series)|The Worker]]'', ''[[Vanity Fair (1987 TV serial)|Vanity Fair]]'', ''[[Hi-de-Hi!]]'' and ''[[You Rang, M'Lord?]]'' and film ''[[What's Up Nurse!]]''. Williams reprised his role of the Reverend Mr. Farthing in the [[Dad's Army (2016 film)|2016 film adaptation]] of ''Dad's Army''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0930595/|title=Frank Williams|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=11 January 2017}}</ref>
==Early life==
Williams was born in [[Edgware]], [[Middlesex]], on 2 July 1931,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-27 |title=Frank Williams obituary |language=en |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/frank-williams-obituary-g3hkg5lrs |url-access=subscription |access-date=2022-06-27 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> to William Williams, a Welsh [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]], and his wife Alice (née Myles).<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Coveney |first=Michael |date=2022-06-26 |title=Frank Williams obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/26/frank-williams-obituary |access-date=2022-06-27 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>GRO Registers of Birth: SEP 1931 1a 774 HAMPSTEAD – Frank J. Williams, mmn = Myles</ref> He was educated at a school which temporarily functioned in St Andrew's Church, Edgware, and two private schools before attending [[Ardingly College]], West Sussex, and [[Hendon School]] (then Hendon County School).<ref name=":1" /> Williams was an only child and in 1956 bought a house one and a half miles away from his parents' house.<ref name=":1"/>
==Career==
Williams started his acting career in [[repertory theatre]] and worked with the [[Watford Palace Theatre]], which was being run by [[Jimmy Perry]], the creator of ''[[Dad's Army]]'', some years later. Williams also met many of his future co-stars, including [[Michael Knowles (actor)|Michael Knowles]], [[Colin Bean]], [[Donald Hewlett]] and [[Mavis Pugh]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Permission To Speak, Sir! Dads Army Appreciation Society Magazine|publisher=DAAS|year=2013}}</ref>
At the time, television was in its infancy and it was this sector of the industry that Williams wished to enter. He made several television appearances throughout the 1950s; during series one of ''[[The Army Game]]'' he made various small appearances and in 1957 was invited back as a regular character, the commanding officer Captain Pocket. Williams continued to play the role until the series ended in 1960. In total, he appeared in 116 episodes of ''The Army Game'' which were transmitted weekly.
His first film appearance was as an uncredited extra in ''[[The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan]]'' in 1953, his first larger role came in 1956 with the film ''[[The Extra Day]]'' in which he played the role of Sid. Williams went on to appear in three films with [[Norman Wisdom]] including: ''[[The Square Peg]]'' (1958), ''[[The Bulldog Breed]]'' (1960) and ''[[A Stitch in Time (1963 film)|A Stitch In Time]]'' (1963). He then  appeared in films such as: ''[[Inn for Trouble]]'' (1960), ''[[Just for Fun (film)|Just for Fun]]'' (1963), ''[[Hide and Seek (1964 film)|Hide and Seek]]'' (1964), ''[[Headline Hunters (1968 film)|Headline Hunters]]'' (1968), ''[[One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing]]'' (1975), ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977), ''[[What's Up Nurse!]]'' (1977), ''[[The Human Factor (1979 film)|The Human Factor]]'' (1979) and ''[[Oh! Heavenly Dog]]'' (1980). He had a leading role in the BBC TV series ''Diary of a Young Man'' (1964), which was partly directed by [[Ken Loach]], in addition to small parts in numerous TV series of the 1950s and 1960s.
His best-known role was in ''Dad's Army'' as the vicar.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/2275643/Original-cast-of-Dads-Army-reunited.html|title=Original cast of Dad's Army reunited|first=Nicole Martin, Digital and Media|last=Correspondent|access-date=11 January 2017|date=9 July 2008}}</ref> His first appearance on the show was in the episode "[[The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones]]", which was the first episode of series three. He had worked with producers [[David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft]] before on ''[[Hugh and I]]'', and  Jimmy Perry at the Watford Palace Theatre. He thought he had come to make a one-off appearance and did not realise that he would become a regular fixture of the show. He would go on to appear in half of the 80 episodes and both feature films. In 2021, Williams said of his time working on ''Dad's Army'' that "it was the happiest period of my professional life."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Webber|first=Richard|date=6 July 2021|title=Dad's Army star Frank Williams on life after the show that made him famous|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1459031/Dads-Army-Frank-Williams-comedy-vicar-captain-mainwaring-corporal-jones|access-date=17 July 2021|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref> Coincidentally, while at Hendon County, Williams wrote in his memoir, he had played the lead in the school play of his final year, ''[[The Ghost Train (play)|The Ghost Train]]'', written nearly thirty years earlier by [[Arnold Ridley]], who would also appear in ''Dad's Army''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Frank|last2=Sidney|first2=Chris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RmtIWK8Sx7EC&pg=PA152|title=Vicar to Dad's Army: The Frank Williams Story|location=Norwich|publisher=Canterbury Press|orig-year=2002|year=2003|pages=50, 152|isbn=9781853115431}}</ref>
Williams featured with [[Tessie O'Shea]] in the short-lived sitcom ''[[As Good Cooks Go]]'' (1970). He appeared in an episode of ''[[All Gas and Gaiters]]'' as one of the vicars choral in episodes broadcast in 1967 and 1971. At the height of his ''Dad's Army'' fame, he had a cameo role in ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' (1972), and later appeared as a record producer in the [[Rutles]] movie ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'' (1978). He appeared in the short-lived television sitcom ''[[High & Dry (1987 TV series)|High & Dry]]'' (1987) as a bank clerk, and he made a cameo appearance in 'Minder', playing a tobacconist. He had a recurring role in ''[[You Rang, M'Lord?]]'',<ref>[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a123562657334b2e93b7e6dfe1c8db71 BBC Genome listing for 2 December 1990 episode]</ref> a later series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Williams played Lord Bishop Charles appearing in 14 out of a total of 26 episodes.
Williams was a guest on ''[[This Morning (TV programme)|This Morning]]'' on Thursday 31 July 2008, talking about ''Dad's Army'' with fellow cast members [[Ian Lavender]] and [[Bill Pertwee]]. He also appeared on BBC1's ''Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army'' show on Sunday 3 August 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't panic – it's our Dad's Army gallery|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/gallery/2008/jul/30/bbc.television|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=3 March 2016|date=30 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army (2008)|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8ccacf81|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311154022/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8ccacf81|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 March 2016|website=bfi.org.uk|publisher=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]|access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref>
With other surviving members of the ''Dad's Army'' cast he walked in the 100th Birthday parade for [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]], because ''Dad's Army'' was her favourite programme. He was the author of several plays, including ''The Playing Fields'' and ''Murder Weekend'', some of which have been performed in the pro-amateur theatre. His [[autobiography]], ''Vicar to Dad's Army: the Frank Williams story'', was published in 2002.
In 1993, Williams co-founded with [[Bill Pertwee]] the [[Dad's Army Appreciation Society]]. He was the society's vice president until the death of Bill Pertwee in 2013 when Williams became the President, attending many society events until his death.
Williams reprised his role of the vicar for the 2016 reboot of ''Dad's Army''.  He recalled his time on set of the new film: "It meant four days work, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The film was pretty successful but received a mixed reaction from ''Dad's Army'' fans because seeing other people playing roles made famous by the likes of Arthur and John wasn't easy to accept."<ref name=":0" />
==Personal life==
Williams was the patron of Veneratio, a charity established to prevent the social isolation of the elderly.<ref>[http://www.veneratio.org.uk Veneratio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222205444/http://veneratio.org.uk/ |date=22 February 2012 }}; Veneratio.org.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2012</ref>{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
In 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Williams reported that "I share the house with my good friend Ronald Grainge, who I met on the ''Dad's Army'' stage show way back in 1975, so the two of us have been self-isolating and watching TV. We enjoy good dramas, and catch up with an old film occasionally." He then went on to say that the programmes which he enjoyed the most are "older comedies, but programmes like ''[[Would I Lie to You? (British game show)|Would I Lie to You?]]'' are great fun. And chat programmes where comedy people get together."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Braxton|first=Mark|title=Frank Williams on lockdown and laugh|publisher=DAAS|year=2020|pages=26}}</ref>
In a 2017 ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' interview, he answered a question on his best financial decision with "buying a house. ... Initially, I rented out the downstairs rooms and it produced some money but there were problems, like tenants not paying the rent. So, about ten years ago, my great friend Ronnie Grainge, who was in the ''Dad's Army'' stage show, moved in."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/frank-williams-earn-dads-army-now-made|title = Frank Williams: 'I earn more from Dad's Army now than when it was made'|newspaper = The Daily Telegraph|date = 30 April 2017|last1 = Webber|first1 = Richard}}</ref>
==Death==
[[File:Frank Williams Actor gravestone.jpg|alt=Frank Williams gravestone|thumb|Frank Williams - Actor best known as the Vicar in TV series Dads Army, Devoted Christian 02.07.1931 - 26.06.2022 Son of William and Alice - St Margaret of Antioch, Edgware, London UK]]
Williams died on 26 June 2022, aged 90.<ref name="telegraphobit">{{cite news |title=Frank Williams, actor best remembered as the vicar Timothy Farthing in Dad's Army – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/06/26/frank-williams-actor-who-long-career-best-remembered-vicar-dads/ |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date = 26 June 2022 |access-date=26 June 2022|url-access = subscription}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> A statement was released on [[Facebook]] saying "so sorry to say that our beloved friend, colleague and actor Frank Williams, passed away this morning."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=Dad's Army star Frank Williams has died aged 90 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/frank-williams-death-cause-dads-army-b2109798.html |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0930595|name=Frank Williams}}
*{{British Comedy Guide|people|frank_williams}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Frank}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:English Anglicans]]
[[Category:English male radio actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:Members of the General Synod of the Church of England]]
[[Category:People educated at Ardingly College]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Barnet]]
[[Category:People from Edgware]]