Mark Williams

Mark Williams is an English actor, comedian, presenter and screenwriter. He first achieved widespread recognition as one of the central performers in the BBC sketch show The Fast Show. His film roles include Horace in 101 Dalmatians and Arthur Weasley in seven of the Harry Potter films. He appeared in Doctor Who and Red Dwarf. Since 2013, Williams has portrayed the title character in the long-running BBC series loosely based on the Father Brown short stories by G. K. Chesterton.

Early life Williams was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England and grew up in Sidemoor. He was educated at North Bromsgrove High School and then Brasenose College, Oxford, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1978, and was president of the college's Junior Common Room.

Career Williams' acting work began in small-scale touring theatre, and he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.

He played Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, making his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002. Other high-profile appearances include the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Stardust alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Claire Danes in 2007 and a 2012 role in Doctor Who as Brian Williams, father of the Doctor's companion, Rory.

Since 2013, he has appeared in the lead role in the BBC costume drama Father Brown. Williams also featured in the first series of Blandings, the BBC TV adaptation of the P. G. Wodehouse Blandings Castle stories, broadcast in 2013, in which he played Beach, the Emsworths' tipsy butler.

In 2014 and 2015, he presented the BBC daytime game show The Link. The show ran for two series. His other film roles include 101 Dalmatians and The Borrowers, both with Hugh Laurie.

Williams has also presented several documentary programmes exploring industrial history which is his passion; Five episodes Merlin Voice of the Goblin Episode: "Goblin's Gold" |2011 Frankenstein's Wedding Alphonse Frankenstein

Being Human Regus Hustle Dale Ridley Doctor Who Brian Williams Episodes "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "The Power of Three"

Blandings Sebastian Beach Six episodes Still Open All Hours Planter's Salesman 2013–present Father Brown Father Brown Title character, 130 episodes 2014–2015 data-sort-value="Link, The" | The Link Presenter BBC daytime game show 2015 Drunk History Robert Catesby Episode: "Episode Four" 2016 data-sort-value="Comic Strip Presents..., The" | The Comic Strip Presents... Chief Constable Episode: "Redtop" 2017 Hospital People Tony Episode: "The Local Millionaire" 2018 Twirliwoos Waiter Episode: This Way, That Way

Midsomer Murders Pat Everett Episode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" data-sort-value="Dumping Ground, The" | The Dumping Ground Les Vegas Episode: "Old Friends"

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Himself HBO Max Special Sister Boniface Mysteries Father Brown Cameo; episode: "My Brother's Keeper"

Music videos Year Title Role 2023 "Weirdo" by Clown

Video games Year Title Voice role 2016 Lego Dimensions Arthur Weasley (voice)

Theme park rides Year Title Role Notes 2019 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Arthur Weasley Face capture & voice only (stunt double used in pre-show)

Voice-over Power Rangers Operation Overdrive - Big Mouth Monster (episode: "Both Sides Now") Merlin - The Goblin (episode: "Goblin's Gold") Power Rangers Samurai - Eyescar (episode: "The Rescue") Lego Dimensions - Arthur Weasley We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Dad Early Man - Barry