BIO

Simon Channing Williams was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England in 1945.   His father was a decorated major-general in the British army.   While still in school, Williams developed an interest in both acting and pub-crawling.

Keen to develop his acting talents, he joined the local repertory theatre as an assistant stage manager, but was dissuaded by the artistic director in his initial career choice.

Williams joined BBC television as a press operator and by the time his was 30, in the mid-1970s, had worked his way up to production assistant.

He left the BBC in 1980 and worked with the director Tony Palmer as an associate producer before teaming up with director Mike Leigh and producing Leigh’s second film in 1988.   The pair formed Thin Man Films in 1988 and the company has produced all of Mike Leigh’s films to date.

As a producer, Williams received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for Secrets & Lies (1996).   He has also received 13 BAFTA Award nominations - all for films he produced with Mike Leigh through 2005.

He also owned two pubs and a film catering service.

Williams married three times:

1. Shirley Boakes (d. 2007), makeup artist, (m. 1971-?), divorced;
2. Dorothy King, (m. ?-?), three children, divorced;
3. Annie Long, costume designer, (m. ?-2009), two children.   They are the film directors Dan Channing Williams and Dom Channing Williams.

Williams died of cancer in Cornwall, England, in 2009, at the age of 63.

Additional biographical information is available at:

NOTED FILMS