Timothy Watson
{{short description|British actor}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Timothy Watson
| image = Timothy Watson at Kupocon Retropom February 2022.jpg
| alt = Timothy Watson appearing at the KupoCon Final Fantasy fan convention in London, February 2022
| caption = Watson in 2022
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| birth_place = Berkshire, England
| death_date =
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| nationality = British
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| occupation = Actor
| alma_mater = Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
| spouse =Helen Grace
| children = 2
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}}
Timothy Watson is a British actor best known for his role as Rob Titchener in BBC Radio 4's long-running soap opera The Archers, and voice roles as Mumkhar in Xenoblade Chronicles and Urianger Augurelt in Final Fantasy XIV.
Early life
Watson was born in Berkshire, England, and grew up in Hertfordshire. He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London from the age of 17.{{cite web | title= BBC Radio 4 The Archers: Rob Titchener – Timothy Watson|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/46YLs7cHdMpF1xhpXQHFFwF/rob-titchener| author=| publisher= BBC | access-date= 3 April 2016 }}
Career
Before becoming known for The Archers, Watson was an experienced theatre and radio actor, appearing in numerous other radio dramas for the BBC, including adaptations of Return of the Native, Wives and Daughters and A Dance to the Music of Time. {{cite web | title= Timothy Watson CV: Spotlight Interactive | url=https://app.spotlight.com/4377-5618-0175 }} He starred with Honeysuckle Weeks in the 2008 BBC Radio 4 drama The Incomparable Witness, about the case of murderer Dr Crippen.{{cite news |author= Phil Daoust |title= Pick of the day |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jun/12/tvandradio.phildaoust| date= 6 July 2014|newspaper= The Guardian |location=London| access-date= 4 April 2016 }}
Watson voiced the characters of both James Bond and Auric Goldfinger in the 2012 video game 007 Legends based on the James Bond movies. He voiced the characters Mumkhar and Metal Face in the video game Xenoblade Chronicles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Xenoblade-Chronicles/|title=Xenoblade Chronicles|website=Behind The Voice Actors|access-date=9 January 2019}} He replaced Gideon Emery as the voice of the character Urianger in Final Fantasy XIV.
On television, he played the role of the Maitre d' of the Palm Court Restaurant, Mr Perez, in the first series of Mr Selfridge.
Watson joined The Archers playing Rob Titchener in 2013. In 2015, the audience at the Radio Times Festival greeted him by booing in response to the plotline involving his character.{{cite news |author=Hannah Furness | title= Archers villain has to delete social media|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11893942/Archers-villain-has-to-delete-social-media.html| date= 26 September 2015| newspaper= The Daily Telegraph |location=London| access-date= 5 February 2017 }} He later reportedly told The Observer's Vanessa Thorpe, "I have now removed all social media from my house because some of the things people said were quite awful. […] The strength of feeling took me by surprise. And then it starts to impact on your own personal life. I would rather not see it."{{cite news |author=Vanessa Thorpe| title= Actor who plays Archers villain in shock at social media onslaught |url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/sep/26/actor-who-plays-archers-villain-in-shock-at-social-media-onslaught| date= 26 September 2015 |newspaper= The Observer |location=London| access-date=4 April 2016 }}
The same year, he appeared in the National Theatre's production of The Beaux' Stratagem.{{cite web | title= Timothy Watson | url= http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/discover-more/artists/timothy-watson | author= | date= March 2015 | publisher= Royal National Theatre | access-date= 3 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}
In February 2017, to mark the end of his time on the programme, Watson participated in live interviews to answer BBC Radio 4 listeners' questions about his experience of acting in The Archers.{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4xf7b4hRqVNPmWXR3KBkyVR/13-things-we-learned-from-our-live-interview-with-timothy-watson-aka-rob-titchener|title= 13 things we learned from our live interview with Timothy Watson aka Rob Titchener |author= |date= 3 February 2017|publisher= BBC | access-date= 5 February 2017 }}{{cite episode| title= Radio 2 Schedule Changes| series= Feedback | series-link= Feedback (radio series)| credits= Presenter: Roger Bolton; Producer: Katherine Godfrey | network= BBC| station= BBC Radio 4| url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08fhv33 | airdate= 24 January 2017| minutes= 16:48| access-date= 24 February 2017 }} The following year, he played the part of Sbirro in Stanley Ellin's short story The Speciality of the House and the title character in Carl Stephenson's Leiningen Versus the Ants, in a series of Halloween-themed radio adaptations for BBC Radio 4's 15 Minute Drama programme, based on the second book in the Pan Book of Horror Stories series.{{cite episode| title= The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: The Speciality of the House | series= 15 Minute Drama| credits= Costain: Samuel Barnett; Vincent: Kenneth Collard; Sbirro: Timothy Watson; Haysou: Adam James; Writer: Stanley Ellin; Adapted by: Anita Sullivan; Director & Producer: Karen Rose| network= BBC| station= BBC Radio 4| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000y8q | airdate= 30 October 2018| access-date= 1 November 2018}}{{cite episode| title= The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories: Leiningen Versus The Ants| series= 15 Minute Drama| credits= Leiningren: Timothy Watson; Rica: Kathryn Drysdale; Luiz: Adam James; Writer: Carl Stephenson; Adapted by: Anita Sullivan; Director & Producer: Karen Rose| network= BBC| station= BBC Radio 4| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000xqm| airdate= 1 November 2018| access-date= 1 November 2018}} On stage, he played Sir Robert Morton in The Winslow Boy at the Chichester Festival Theatre.{{cite web | title= Fighting for Real Life Justice|url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/arts-and-culture/fighting-for-real-life-justice-836397| author=| publisher= Sussex Express | date= 31 January 2018 | access-date= 24 April 2025 }}
In 2022, he appeared in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (Chichester Festival Theatre, then Bath Theatre Royal). {{cite web| title =Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express at Chichester Festival Theatre | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000y8q | access-date= 30 April 2025}}
Watson briefly returned to The Archers in 2023, {{cite web| title =Like a rock star coming into the building: Return of The Archers' most iconic villain | publisher=The Guardian |author=Emine Saner | url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/16/the-archers-bbc-radio-4-interview-rob-helen-titchener-timothy-watson-louiza-patikas | access-date= 30 April 2025}} when Rob Titchener was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and died. {{cite web| title=The Archers announces death of iconic villain Rob Titchener | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2023/the-archers-announces-death-of-iconic-villain-rob-titchener | publisher=BBC |access-date= 30 April 2025}}
In 2025, Watson played Norfolk in A Man For All Seasons (Bath Theatre Royal). {{cite web| title =Review: A Man For All Seasons at Bath Theatre Royal | publisher=The Guardian |author=Arifa Akbar | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000y8q | access-date= 30 April 2025}}
Personal life
Watson is married to former actress Helen Grace, who now works in the travel industry. {{cite web |title=Far & Wide Ltd (trading as Simpson Travel): People |website=company-information.service.gov.uk|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04392264/officers|access-date=24 April 2025 |language=en}} They have two children and live in West Sussex.{{cite web | title= Fighting for Real Life Justice|url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/arts-and-culture/fighting-for-real-life-justice-836397| author=| publisher= Sussex Express | date= 31 January 2018 | access-date= 24 April 2025 }} Their daughter is a singer-songwriter.{{cite web | title=Timothy Watson (@timothywatson_actor) Instagram post |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C-iEp9iowXD/?igsh=bDNoYnVpczdvbzU3 | date= 11 August 2024 |access-date=23 April 2025}}
Watson has written several travel articles about his family holidays.{{cite news |author=Timothy Watson | title= Why I stay in the same Greek holiday resort every summer |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/articles/the-archers-rob-titchener-staying-in-the-same-resort-every-summer/
| date=September 2016| work= Daily Telegraph |location=London| access-date= 1 May 2025 }}
| date= 30 January 2019|access-date= 1 May 2025}}
| date= January 2022| work= Daily Telegraph |location=London|access-date= 1 May 2025}}
He is a vegetarian. In 2016, speaking about The Archers, he told Radio Times' David Brown, "I support Compassion in World Farming. I hate mega dairies, they're appalling things. I've got no interest in country pursuits, I've never held a cricket bat, even though as Rob I've managed to cheat during the single wickets in Ambridge. And I hate hunting. I would probably have been standing with the hunt saboteurs instead of falsely accusing one of assaulting me. So the real me probably wouldn't fare too well in Ambridge."{{cite news |author=David Brown | title= The Archers: "I'm evil personified," says Rob Titchener actor Timothy Watson|url= http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-03-29/the-archers-im-evil-personified-says-rob-titchener-actor-timothy-watson| date= 29 March 2016| work= Radio Times |location=London| access-date= 5 February 2017 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234642/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba86ef7b9 Timothy Watson] at the British Film Institute
- {{IMDb name|0914907}}
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Category:British male film actors
Category:British male television actors
Category:British male video game actors
Category:British male voice actors
Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century British male actors