Shaun Williamson

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 2004. This was Williamson's second role in the hit soap; he previously had a brief role as a paramedic earlier in 1994. In 2009, he stated that he had no regrets about leaving the show.[1]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2001 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel on the set of EastEnders.[2]

Williamson finished third in the 2007 series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy.

From 2009 Williamson played the leading role of hapless journalist Digby Digworth in Scoop, a children's comedy drama series for the BBC.[3]

In April 2009, Williamson was appearing as Ron Freeman in the Take That musical, Never Forget.[1]

Other television roles have included parts in the detective series Inspector Morse, the ITV drama London's Burning and the BBC sitcom Waiting for God.

In 2005 and 2006 he played a comically unemployable version of himself in Ricky Gervais' and Stephen Merchant's 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. He also appeared in the BBC Three comedy Funland. Shaun also made a guest appearance in ITV 1 show The Bill. He played gang leader Dave Monks, who comes under scrutiny during an international drugs smuggling investigation. The two episodes were aired in August 2008. In 2010 he recorded the second (and final) series of 13 episodes of children's programme Scoop on CBBC (Children's BBC) with Hacker T Dog.[3]

He played Martin Fallon in an episode of New Tricks, in 2011, and he again played a fictionalised version of himself in the Gervais/Merchant series Life's Too Short in a recurring role. The series aired in November–December 2011,[4] with an Easter special airing in 2013 to act as a finale in which Williamson again starred (alongside Les Dennis and Keith Chegwin, both of whom had also previously played versions of themselves in Extras).[5]

In 2013, he made an appearance in a sketch for Russell Howard's Good News. In 2014, he appeared in an episode of Plebs called "The Best Men" as a depressed driving instructor. He also starred in the miniseries Houdini.

He competed in Celebrity Big Brother 20, and became the eighth housemate to be evicted, on day 23.

2018 saw him compete on David Mitchell's team in the fifth episode of series 12 of Would I Lie To You? [6]

In 2019 he appeared as the publican in Al Murray's Great British Pub Quiz on Quest and in Celebrity Five Go Barging on Channel 5.

In 2020 he appeared as recurring character Chris Smith, future father-in-law to the titular character played by Spencer Jones in the BBC Two sitcom, Mister Winner. He reprised the role from the pilot which had previously been broadcast in 2017 on BBC One.[7]

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 from December 2003 to January 2004 in a pantomime production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, alongside Toyah Willcox.[8] In 2006 he starred in the pantomime Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare. He returned to the Marlowe Theatre from December 2007 to January 2008, in Aladdin, alongside Stephen Mulhern. During 2008 he played Nathan Detroit in the touring production of Guys and Dolls, having already appeared in the part in the West End. In 2008–2009, he was again appearing in Aladdin, this time at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. 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.[9]

In 2009, Williamson toured the UK playing habitual criminal Norman Stanley Fletcher in a stage version of the classic TV comedy Porridge. The script had been newly written by the series' co-authors, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.[10]

In 2012, he toured in a stage revival of the Ealing Studios film The Ladykillers.

He also played the roles of Baron Bomburst and Lord Scrumptious in the UK tour production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.[11]

In 2007, he appeared in the British film Daylight Robbery where he played the role of a police chief.

He also appeared, alongside Stephen Merchant, in the 2009 Ricky Gervais film The Invention of Lying.

During a 2012 interview with Mark Boosey of The British Comedy Guide Williamson revealed that he would be working on a new comedy film. He stated "I'm working with Mark Noyce on a film called This Is Jayde: The One Hit Wonder. I'm writing a few of the scenes and appearing as a twisted 'Simon Cowell version' of myself.[12] A video was later released announcing further information about the film's plot and characters.[13]

In 2016 Williamson appeared in the Mark Noyce film The Blazing Cannons.[14]

In 2018, Williamson wrote a BBC radio drama series titled Eden's End, set in the Kent hop picking season of 1939. The series starred Shane Taylor (Band of Brothers), Steve Nallon (Spitting Image) and Candis Nergaard (Call the Midwife). The murder mystery series was directed by award-winning director Samuel Supple and produced by Violafilms.