Andrew Williams (actor)

{{Infobox person

| name = Andrew Williams

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|31|1994|07|10}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-plum-role/55369085/|title=Plum roll|last=Thomas|first=Brett|date=10 July 1994|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=4 July 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}

| birth_place = Llwynypia, Wales

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Actor
Dharma teacher
Musician

}}

| years_active = 1991–1999 (acting)

}}

Andrew Williams is a Welsh-Australian actor and musician. Williams began performing and writing music in his teens, before forming a band and later embarking on a solo career. He was also a model and appeared in a number of television commercials, before he was cast as Guy Carpenter in the television soap opera Neighbours in 1991. His character was introduced amidst a decline in ratings. Williams chose to leave after a year, as he felt his character was not going anywhere and he wanted to continue pursuing a career in music. Williams reprised the role for a guest appearance in March 2015. After Neighbours, Williams joined E Street as Jack Brown, the "bad boy" brother of Reverend Bob (Tony Martin). He had to relocate to Sydney for the role. After the cancellation of E Street in 1993, Williams moved to Los Angeles and joined the supporting cast of Melrose Place as fashion buyer Chris Marchette. He also guested in episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond and Acapulco H.E.A.T., as well as self appearances in Burke's Backyard and Club Buggery. Williams stopped his acting career in 1998 in order to focus on his Dharma studies and his music career. He became a Dharma teacher and a Buddhist prison chaplain.

Early life

Williams was born at Glyncornel, Llwynypia to Kay and Bill.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004696/19920528/001/0001|title=Andrew's set to bid G'day|date=28 May 1992|work=Rhondda Leader|access-date=30 June 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} The family left Wales when Williams was six years old and they eventually settled in Australia.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004696/19940120/001/0001|title=Back amongst real neighbours|date=20 January 1994|work=Rhondda Leader|access-date=2 July 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} His parents lived on Phillip Island, Victoria. Williams was given his first guitar by his parents when he was 10 years old, and he began performing as a singer when he was 15. Four years later, Williams began a modelling career, which saw him travel around the world on assignments. He also set up a band called New York Classique and they played venues in Melbourne and Sydney. When the band broke up two years later, Williams gained a positive reputation as a solo performer.

Career

Williams first appeared in a number of television commercials. His prominence as a musician led to his casting as Guy Carpenter in the television soap opera Neighbours despite his lack of acting experience. He joined the cast after failing to secure a record contract, and said that he almost rejected the role, as he was "still in music mode".{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61018077/melrose-places-new-neighbour/|title=Melrose Place's new neighbour|last=Browne|first=Rachel|date=9 April 1995|work=The Sun-Herald|access-date=30 June 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} His character was one of three created as part of a large revamp of the serial, which had seen a large decline in ratings and a number of other characters written out.{{cite magazine|last=Camp|first=Chrissie|date=11 May 1991|title=The Great Ramsay St Shake-up!|magazine=TV Week|issue=45|pages=6–7}} Guy was introduced as Erinsborough's new recreational officer. Not long after joining Neighbours, Williams decided to leave in order to continue pursuing a career in music.{{cite magazine|date=October 1992|title=Andrew defects|magazine=Inside Soap|issue=1|page=25}} Williams later said that Neighbours had been learning opportunity for him, but his character did not seem to be going anywhere.{{cite magazine|date=August 1992|title=Meet the Street's new bad guy|magazine=TV Soap|page=29}} Williams would later reprise the role for a guest appearance during the show's 30th anniversary in March 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a613056/neighbours-nine-more-stars-returning-for-30th-anniversary/|title=Neighbours: Nine more stars returning for 30th anniversary|last=Rigby|first=Sam|date=28 November 2014|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=4 July 2025}}

After leaving Neighbours, Williams joined the main cast of fellow soap opera E Street mid-1992 as Jack Brown. Williams had to relocate from Melbourne to Sydney for the role. Billed as a "bad boy", Jack was Reverend Bob's (Tony Martin) estranged brother and recently released from prison. Williams spoke out about younger viewers idolising his character, who was known for his heavy drinking and chain smoking. Tierri Abraham of TV Soap reported that Williams was "mobbed" by children in shopping centres, as they thought Jack was "cool". However, Williams did not want them to hero worship his character and revealed that the cigarettes he had to smoke contained very little tobacco and the scotch Jack drinks was actually cold tea.{{cite magazine|last=Abraham|first=Tierri|date=April 1993|title=St Andrew!|magazine=TV Soap|page=14}} For his work in E Street, Williams was included on the longlist for Most Popular Actor at the 1993 Logie Awards.{{cite magazine|date=2 January 1993|title=The countdown begins!|magazine=TV Week|page=13}}

In December 1992, Williams appeared in his first pantomime – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – at The Sands Centre in Carlisle.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003909/19921016/031/0031|title=Carlisle panto|date=16 October 1992|work=Dumfries and Galloway Standard|access-date=3 July 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} The following month, he began a supporting role as Mick in R.F.D.S..{{cite web|url=http://www.australiantelevision.net/rfds/episodes.html|title=R.F.D.S.: episode guide|publisher=Australian Television Information Archive|access-date=4 July 2025}} From 20 December 1993 until 9 January 1994, he starred alongside fellow soap actors Aidan Brosnan and Rebekah Elmaloglou in a production of Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp at Leicester's De Montfort Hall, where he played the role of the Chinese Policeman.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000760/19930415/012/0012|title=Show's touch of soap|date=15 April 1993|work=Leicester Mercury|access-date=2 July 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000760/19931018/025/0025|title=A guide of Dining and Special events for Christmas 1993|date=18 October 1993|work=Leicester Mercury|access-date=5 July 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}}

When E Street was cancelled, Williams moved to Los Angeles in late 1993 to focus on his acting career. Within six weeks, he was cast in the recurring role of Chris Marchette in Melrose Place, after impressing producer Aaron Spelling.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-boys-on-a-roll/55362017/|title=Boys on a Roll|last=Schembri|first=Jim|date=26 January 1995|work=The Age|access-date=4 July 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} Williams said that he worked hard at securing a job and attended acting classes instead of bars and parties. His character is an Australian fashion buyer, who becomes a love interest for series regular Jane Mancini (Josie Bissett). He told Jim Schembri of The Age that the role initially had him playing "the charming guy", with another actor playing a "bad guy", however, the producers realised that he could play both. While he was in LA, Williams auditioned to play James Bond in a future film, but as he was 28 years old at the time, he was considered too young for the role. He also signed a recording deal during his time in LA. He was to work with music producer Trevor Veitch to make his first album in January 1996. He also planned to make his action film debut which would make use of his martial arts skills.

In April 1995, Williams was the celebrity gardener on Burke's Backyard.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-green-guide-friday-28-april/175918156/|title=Green Guide Friday 28 April|date=27 April 1995|work=The Age|access-date=4 July 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} Later that year, he appeared on car show Behind the Wheel in which he showed presenter James Morrison around his garage,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-thursday-june/175919111/|title=Thursday June 15|date=12 June 1995|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=4 July 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} and he was a guest on Club Buggery.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-hill-ducks-in/175919373/|title=Hill ducks in for some bunker banter|last=Anderson|first=Doug|date=16 June 1995|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=4 July 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}} In 1997, Williams guested in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.{{cite news|url=https://tv.apple.com/pt/episode/high-school/umc.cmc.5foqtt6s4nv2ycba2kb70ud2j?showId=umc.cmc.6u71oc2i9xonb73wtftcd2lg6&l=en|title=Everybody Loves Raymond – High School|publisher=Apple TV+|access-date=4 July 2025}} He also appeared in an episode of Acapulco H.E.A.T..{{cite web|url=https://againwiththispodcast.com/awtclub/lets-watch-andrew-chris-marchette-williams-in-acapulco-h-e-a-t/|title=Let's Watch Andrew 'Chris Marchette' Williams In Acapulco H.E.A.T.!|date=20 May 2022|publisher=Again With This Podcast|access-date=4 July 2025}} A long-term practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, Williams chose to stop his acting career in 1998 in order to focus on his Dharma studies and his music career.{{cite news|url=https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/the-sound-of-the-dharma-exclusive-interview-with-andrew-williams/|title=The Sound of the Dharma: Exclusive Interview with Andrew Williams|last=Cannon|first=John|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Buddhistdoor Global|access-date=4 July 2025}} He has created a number of annual Vesak musicals and Buddhist music albums. He is also a Dharma teacher and a Buddhist prison chaplain at Fulham Correctional Centre.{{cite web|url=https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/buddhist-prison-chaplain-an-interview-with-andrew-williams/|title=Buddhist Prison Chaplain: An Interview with Andrew Williams|last=Cannon|first=John|date=13 December 2013|publisher=Buddhistdoor Global|access-date=5 July 2025}}

Personal life

Williams studied martial arts from the age of 10 and practised tai chi and meditation.

Williams was engaged to actress Melissa Thomas. They lived together in Sydney and Williams proposed in early 1993.{{cite magazine|last=Abraham|first=Tierri|date=February 1993|title=We're getting married!|magazine=TV Soap|page=6–7}} They planned to marry in March 1994, but ended their engagement in late 1993, so Williams could relocate to the United States to further his acting career.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000641/19931211/148/0015|title=Love takes a back seat|date=11 December 1993|work=Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette|access-date=2 July 2025|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} He made a permanent return to Australia in the early 2000s to be closer to his parents.

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
scope="row"\| 1991–1992, 2015 \| Neighbours \| Guy Carpenter \| Main cast
scope="row"\| 1992–1993 \| E Street \| Jack Brown \| Main cast
scope="row"\| 1993–1994 \| R.F.D.S. \| Mick the Accountant \| Recurring
scope="row"\| 1994 \| Melrose Place \| Chris Marchette \| Recurring
scope="row"\| 1997 \| Everybody Loves Raymond \| Cool Guy \| Episode: "High School"
scope="row"\| 1999 \| Acapulco H.E.A.T. \| Keith McHenry \| Episode: "Code Name: Juice"

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

scope="row"| 1991–1992, 2015

| Neighbours

| Guy Carpenter

| Main cast

scope="row"| 1992–1993

| E Street

| Jack Brown