Father Brown: Season 12 Episode 1 promo trailer
As the popular BBC series Father Brown returns for its 12th season, fans are eager to learn more about the life of its star, Mark Williams, beyond his role as the amateur sleuth.
With the new season premiering on January 10 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, here's a glimpse into Williams' fascinating life.
From humble beginnings
Born in August 1959, Williams grew up on a council estate in Worcestershire, but his academic prowess earned him a spot at Oxford University, which he graduated from.
Despite his passion for acting, Williams' journey to success was not immediate.
He had to juggle various jobs to make ends meet, sharng with MuggleNet: "I've worked as a painter and at a stud farm with bulls. I've worked in a psychogeriatric ward in a mental hospital.
"You may do [an acting] job, but it's only for two weeks. So, I was in my 30s before I got a regular job. For some reason, I stuck it out. It was blind faith and ignorance."
Filming Harry Potter
Although Williams is now synonymous with the title role in Father Brown, he is perhaps even more beloved by fans worldwide for his portrayal of Arthur Weasley in the iconic Harry Potter film franchise.
As the series returns, fans can look forward to seeing Williams reprise his role as the endearing and intrepid Father Brown in the first episode of season 12, "The Battle of Kembleford."
Although Mark Williams didn't appear in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he became a staple in the franchise, starring in all subsequent movies.
He has previously referred to himself as an "honorary lifer" due to his long-standing involvement, despite not being part of the original cast.
Having witnessed the growth of the main stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, on set, Williams has fond memories of their time together.
In an interview with Collider, he reminisced about the challenges of working with the young actors, particularly during their adolescent years.
Williams chuckled: "Well, they all went through adolescence, which was a bit tricky here and there.
"They've been great. We've had great fun. When Dan [Radcliffe] and Rupert [Grint] were little after lunch was always useless.
"Do you remember being at school after lunch in the afternoon...you went kind of tired, and then you went really giggly, and then it was time to go home. You remember?
"This experience was also shared by director Chris Columbus, who would often struggle to get the young actors to focus during this time.
"So there used to be an hour where they'd just be like, okay, okay, Chris Columbus would be like: 'C'mon, you guys, action!' There was nothing you could do. It was great fun."
Influence
In terms of his portrayal of Father Brown, Williams credited Peter Falk's iconic character Columbo as an inspiration.
Speaking to the BBC, he commented: "I have to acknowledge the debt really to Peter Falk. I like his style of being on the back foot and slightly off the beat.
"As an actor, you don't necessarily think that rhythm should be important, but actually it is because if you do everything at the same beat, you will die of boredom. So it's better to vary the rhythm."
The actor Mark Williams drew inspiration from a TV legend for his on-screen persona, fondly recalling: "And Peter Falk was a very big influence for me. I actually got Colombo's catchphrase into one show.
"I was about to leave, and I turned around and said, 'Just one more thing' which I was pathetically pleased about!"
Filming incident
However, filming the series Father Brown isn't always smooth sailing.
Williams recounted a memorable mishap when he took a tumble during filming: "The car chases were very good. But I get car envy because I only have a bike.
"With riding a bike, gravel is your enemy. I went to cycle in gravel and it got deeper at one point.
"We were using this hotel as part of the scene and I thought I would cycle out of shot.
"But, I ploughed into nine inches of gravel and just came to a stop and toppled sideways and fell over in the grass on the gravel!
"There was a young guy who was working as a kitchen porter who could just see out of his sort of prison window.
"He absolutely killed himself laughing at me falling over."
Father Brown season 12 premieres on Friday, January 10, at 2pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
