Line #11 Creator/KennethWilliams


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kenneth_williams.jpg]]
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3	->''"Being nasty doesn't require intellect; any moron can be abusive. The distinguishing factor of great wit is to be nasty with style."''
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5	Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 -- 15 April 1988) was an English actor, comedian and radio personality, mostly known for his 26 appearances in the ''Film/CarryOnSeries'', and several TV appearances.
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7	He joined the army in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and entertained many of the soldiers, realizing he wanted to become an actor. He began in theater in his twenties, appearing in ''Theatre/AnInspectorCalls'' and ''Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest'' as well as other West End stage productions, before being picked up by Creator/TonyHancock to be in ''Radio/HancocksHalfHour'' alongside Creator/HattieJacques and Creator/SidJames to play characters in comedy sketches.
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9	He also appeared in the Kenneth Horne-starring radio series ''Beyond Our Ken'' and its SpiritualSuccessor ''Radio/RoundTheHorne'' in which he played a variety of characters -- including a {{camp}} man alongside Hugh Paddick, and was a fixture of the panel on ''Radio/JustAMinute'' from 1968 to his death twenty years later. In 1958, he appeared as a snobbish National Serviceman in a film project named ''Film/CarryOnSergeant'', which went on to create the ''Film/CarryOn'' franchise, in which Williams appeared in the most films out of the entire recurring cast, portraying {{smug snake}}s and [[SophisticatedAsHell sophisticated middle-class]] characters.
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11	Between the films, Williams continued to appear on television, radio and stage, also appearing as a guest star on many projects (such as ''Series/{{Jackanory}}'') in the media. He eventually gained his own television segment on the show ''An Audience With...'', in which he performed stand-up and had celebrity guests. One of the last things he ever did was voice the characters of ''WesternAnimation/WilloTheWisp1981''.
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13	However, behind the scenes, Williams was facing problems in his personal life. Upon realizing as a young man that he was homosexual, [[{{gayngst}} he spent most of his life resenting and hating himself]], due to being raised Methodist Catholic. Then he began to become depressed and suicidal, eventually being found dead in his flat on April 15th 1988 after an overdose of antidepressants. Whether it was an accident or a suicide is debatable to this day. His diaries from his adulthood were collected up and published, and are loved by thousands of Kenneth Williams fans around the world.
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15	!!Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
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17	[[AC:Films]]
18	* ''Film/CarryOnSergeant'' (1958) -- Private James Bailey
19	* ''Film/CarryOnNurse'' (1959) -- Oliver Reckitt
20	* ''Film/CarryOnTeacher'' (1959) -- Mr. Edwin Milton
21	* ''Film/CarryOnConstable'' (1960) -- Constable Stanley Benson
22	* ''Film/CarryOnRegardless'' (1961) -- Francis Courtenay
23	* ''Film/RaisingTheWind'' (1961) -- Harold Chesney
24	* ''Film/TwiceRoundTheDaffodils'' (1962) -- Henry Halfpenny
25	* ''Film/CarryOnCruising'' (1962) -- First Officer Leonard Marjoribanks
26	* ''Film/CarryOnJack'' (1963) -- Captain Fearless
27	* ''Film/CarryOnSpying'' (1964) -- Agent Desmond Simpkins
28	* ''Film/CarryOnCleo'' (1964) -- UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar
29	* ''Film/CarryOnCowboy'' (1965) -- Judge Burke
30	* ''Film/CarryOnScreaming'' (1966) -- Dr. Olando Watt
31	* ''Film/DontLoseYourHead'' (1967) -- Citizen Camembert
32	* ''Film/FollowThatCamel'' (1967) -- Commandant Maximilian Burger/Lady Jane's Baby
33	* ''Film/CarryOnDoctor'' (1968) -- Dr. Kenneth Tinkle
34	* ''Film/CarryOnUpTheKhyber'' (1968) -- Rhandi Lal, the Khasi of Kalabar
35	* ''Film/CarryOnCamping'' (1969) -- Dr. Kenneth Soaper
36	* ''Film/CarryOnAgainDoctor'' (1969) -- Dr. Frederick Carver
37	* ''Film/CarryOnLoving'' (1970) -- Mr. Percival Snooper
38	* ''Film/CarryOnHenry'' (1971) -- Thomas Cromwell
39	* ''Film/CarryOnAtYourConvenience'' (1971) -- Mr. W.C. Boggs
40	* ''Film/CarryOnMatron'' (1972) -- Sir Bernard Cutting
41	* ''Film/CarryOnAbroad'' (1972) -- Mr. Stuart Farquhar
42	* ''Film/CarryOnDick'' (1974) -- Captain Desmond Fancey
43	* ''Film/CarryOnBehind'' (1975) -- Professor Roland Crump
44	* ''Film/ThatsCarryOn'' (1977) -- AsHimself
45	* ''Film/CarryOnEmmannuelle'' (1978) -- Emile Prévert
46	* ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' (1993) -- Goblet/Tickle
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48	[[AC:Series]]
49	* ''Series/HancocksHalfHour'', 6 episodes:
50	** "The Alpine Holiday" (1957) -- Yodeller of Dulwich
51	** "Lady Chatterley's Revenge" (1957) -- Rep Company Producer
52	** "The Russian Prince" (1957) -- Prince Nicolai
53	** "The New Neighbour" (1957) -- Policeman
54	** "The Pianist" (1957) -- Prince Paul
55	** "The Auction" (1957) -- Old Man
56	* ''Series/{{Jackanory}}'', 69 episodes (1968-86) -- Storyteller
57	* ''{{WesternAnimation/Willo the Wisp\|1981}}'', 26 episodes (1981) -- Narrator
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60	* AllGaysLoveTheater: In his stand-up, he once said that his father was against him going into the performing arts because "all the actors were poofs".
61	* ArmoredClosetGay: Despite his {{camp}} mannerisms and portrayals, there were many that didn't know he was homosexual until his death.
62	* BuryYourGays: Some of his ''Carry On'' roles made him the villain that always lost.
63	* CampStraight: His many film roles ended up as this.
64	* CountryMatters: He got away with a long semi-serious rant against ''Just A Minute'' radio show host Nicholas Parsons, repeatedly calling one of Britain's national treasures a "complete cult" and variations on this theme in front of a live audience. He got away with this by pointing to the undeniable fact the genial veteran entertainer Nicholas was indeed enjoying cult status among students and younger listeners, and all he was doing was drawing attention to the fact, with no adverse or alternative inferences intended.
65	* DrivenToSuicide: Debatable over whether his death was this or just an accident.
66	* DuelingStarsMovie: [[invoked]] There was an alleged hatred between Williams and Sid James, possibly due to social background (Sid was a former lieutenant from the South African army who emigrated to England to escape accusations of cheating on his two wives and having secret love children) and classism. This is possibly why they rivalled each other in ''Carry On'' movies, but because of Sid's popularity with the audience, Williams ended up losing.
67	* GayBestFriend: Was either this to other actors, and had several ones himself. He never dated any of them because he believed in celibacy. Many assume it was because homosexual activity was illegal in the UK until 1967 so he couldn't be held against any references of "promoting" it if it was found in his writing (such as, if his diaries were to be eventually published, for example).
68	* JockDadNerdSon: Williams didn't have a good relationship with his father due to clashing interests. His dad was interested in boxing, playing darts and drinking beer in the pub with friends, whereas Kenneth enjoyed training to be an actor and performing to an audience. The day his father died, Kenneth was due on stage at the local theatre, but he refused to go and see him because of this.
69	* LemonyNarrator: In his appearances on ''Series/{{Jackanory}}'', Williams was reading children's stories. His narration style was ''magnificently'' over the top, hurling himself into the role of each speaking character in turn.
70	* OddFriendship: With Creator/MaggieSmith, before she became a world-famous Oscar-winning actress. Williams said his friendship with her was a "knot" that he didn't want to ever be untied.
71	* OldShame: [[invoked]] One of the most famous cases from the ''Carry On'' series. Williams wanted to be credited as a serious actor who occasionally did the odd comedic role, however, after appearing in a few movies in the film series, he began to get [[TypeCasting typecast]]. In his diaries, he wrote about how he hated being in the series and how much it had wrecked his career, from the measly salary he earned (despite being a regular) to the characters he had to portray, but he hated how he would agree to be in the next movie without hesitation. This is probably why he refused to be in anything associated with the franchise outside of the movies.
72	* PerformanceArtist
73	* ProfaneLastWords: The final entry in his diaries records the status of various medical ailments, but then abruptly cuts off with five words that have fuelled speculation that his death was no accident:
74	--> "Oh, what's the bloody point?"
75	* RefugeInAudacity: Frequently. His defence of his ''you complete cult!'' outburst against Nicholas Parsons is a good example.
76	* SadClown: His published diaries had entries of him having suicidal thoughts, talking about depression, and his last entry ended with the words "What's the bloody point?!"
77	* SignatureLaugh: Though not as famous as Sid James' laugh, Kenneth Williams had a very distinctive high-pitched cackle if he found something especially funny. Sterling examples can be found in the IntoxicationEnsues scene in ''Film/CarryOnTeacher'' and many episodes of ''Radio/JustAMinute'', particularly when jokes are being made at the expense of chairman Nicholas Parsons (of whom Kenneth was none too fond).
78	* StarMakingRole: Mostly remembered today as a smug uptight man from ''Carry On''.
79	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
80	** Was apparently approached by Creator/OrsonWelles to fly to Hollywood to appear in one of his films, but Williams turned it down because he didn't like the US.
81	** After an early run of stage successes, including a leading role in Shaw's ''St Joan'', Williams was hailed as a rising star in British serious drama and as a straight actor who, potentially, could be as good as Creator/LaurenceOlivier or Creator/MichaelRedgrave. Unfortunately for his serious ambitions, the comic roles took over and he was ever after typecast as a camp gay comedian. This was thought of as being incompatible with serious theatrical ambitions, and the radio comedy roles he only took for the money and because he genuinely liked his co-stars became the only work he could get.

Context Creator / KennethWilliams