Shaun Williamson

Infobox actor
name = Shaun Williamson
birthdate = Birth date and age|1964|11|4|df=y
birthplace = Maidstone, Kent, England flagicon|England
spouse = Melanie (1997 - present)

Shaun Williamson (born 4 November 1964 in Maidstone, Kent) is an English actor, singer and television personality who achieved fame during the 1990s and early 2000s with the role of Barry Evans in EastEnders.

Career

A former student of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art he is widely known for his portrayal of foolish and hapless Barry Evans in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders", a role that he played from 1994 to 2003. This was Williamson's second role in the hit soap, he previously had a brief role as a paramedic earlier in 1994. Other television roles have included parts in the detective series "Inspector Morse" and the BBC sitcom "Waiting for God". He has more recently been seen playing a comically unemployable version of himself in Ricky Gervais' BBC sitcom, "Extras". He also took part in the Five programme "Gender Swap", where he was dressed as a woman and was given a prosthetic makeover before being sent speed-dating in his new persona, and presented the short-lived ITV gameshow "24 Hour Quiz".

Stage roles have included Monty the DJ in the West End run and UK tour of Saturday Night Fever and appearing at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre in December 2003-January 2004 in a pantomime production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", alongside Toyah Willcox [http://www.marlowetheatre.com/archive.asp?id=14] . He is back at the Marlowe Theatre December 2007-January 2008, in Aladdin, alongside Stephen Mulhern. In 2006 he starred in the pantomime Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare. He is currently playing Nathan Detroit in the touring production of Guys and Dolls, having already appeared in the part in the West End.

Williamson has recently been seen in the acclaimed BBC Three comedy drama series "Funland", as the narrator in the UK stage tour of "The Rocky Horror Show" and as a guest presenter on "".

In May 2006, Williamson played the lead in the play "Road to Nirvana" at The King's Head Theatre London and in October 2006, appeared in a sketch as part of the charity benefit The Secret Policeman's Ball which was staged at the Royal Albert Hall.

Williamson was third in the 2007 series of "Comic Relief does Fame Academy". Before Comic Relief he had won a hit New Zealand singing show representing England.

In 2007, he will appear in the new British film "Daylight Robbery".

Shaun is to make a guest appearance in ITV 1 show The Bill. He will play gang leader Dave Monks, who comes under scrutiny during an international drugs smuggling investigation. The two episodes were aired in August 2008

Personal life

Williamson married his wife Melanie in 1997 and they have two children, Sophie Mae and Joseph. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20040704/ai_n12901416] They live on the outskirts of Faversham. [http://www.kent.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/494933CA-D011-4196-87A2-87FEB57EEDBD/0/kenttrailsissue9.pdf]

In 2005 he publicly declared that he has undergone cosmetic surgery in order to replace his receding hairline [http://www.rogersclinic.co.uk/newsview.asp?fdArticleId=54&fdColour=CAD5E6] . His political views include supporting the death penalty [http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=5131&ArticleID=1772158] .

External links

* [http://www.shaun-williamson.com/index.htm Official website]
*imdb|0932143|Shaun Williamson

Interviews
* [http://www.wgazette.com/int-barry.html Shaun Williamson interview]
* [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1979997,00.html Shauny's show] The Observer interview