Simon Williams

Simon Williams (born 16 June 1946) is a British actor known for playing James Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. Frequently playing upper middle class or aristocratic upper class roles, he is also known for playing Charles Cartwright in the sitcom Don't Wait Up and Charles Merrick in medical drama Holby City. Since 2014, he has played the character of Justin Elliott in the long-running BBC Radio 4 series The Archers. Early life and education Simon Williams was born in Windsor in 1946; his parents were actor Hugh Williams and actress and model Margaret Vyner. His sister Polly married his Don't Wait Up co-star and friend Nigel Havers. His brother is the poet Hugo Williams. Williams was educated at Harrow School. He trained in repertory at Worthing, Birmingham and Bath, and later joined the Theatre Workshop. Career Williams has appeared on stage in many productions, and has also directed a number of plays. He first appeared on television in 1967 in Man in a Suitcase, and in 1969 played the lead role in Slim John. He got his big break in 1971 when he made his first appearance as James Bellamy in the Upstairs, Downstairs episode "Board Wages". Williams would go on to appear in 37 episodes until the penultimate episode "All the King's Horses" in 1975. Following this, he appeared in Wodehouse Playhouse. From 1979 to 1981, he played Laurence Lucas in Agony, a role he reprised in 1995 in Agony Again. His film career includes appearances in The Touchables (1968), The Breaking of Bumbo (1970), The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), Three for All (1976), The Incredible Sarah (1976), Jabberwocky (1977), The Uncanny (1977), The Odd Job (1978), and the Peter Sellers films The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), and The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980). He also played Nigel Pennington-Smythe in the TV reunion film Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983). In 1996, he voiced the Bishop in The Willows in Winter.