Shaun Williamson

Biography

Born: 4th November 1965 Shaun Williamson is an English actor, singer, media personality and occasional presenter, best known for his former role as Barry Evans in soap opera EastEnders and as a version of himself in BBC sitcom Extras. Shaun attended Darrick Wood School in Bromley, Kent. 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 2003. This was Williamson's second role in the hit soap, he previously had a brief role as a paramedic earlier in 1994. He has recently stated that he has no regrets about leaving the show. Other television roles have included parts in the detective series Inspector Morse and the BBC sitcom Waiting for God. He has more recently been seen playing a comically unemployable version of himself in Ricky Gervais' 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. 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 in December 2003-January 2004 in a pantomime production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, alongside Toyah Willcox. In 2006 he starred in the pantomime Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare. He returned to the Marlowe Theatre December 2007-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 the 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. Williamson was third in the 2007 series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy. Before Comic Relief he had won a hit New Zealand singing show representing England. In 2007, he appeared in the British film Daylight Robbery. In January 2009 Shaun took the leading role in Scoop (TV Show), a 13-part children's comedy drama series on the BBC. From September 2009, Shaun will be touring the UK playing "habitual criminal" Norman Stanley Fletcher in a stage version of the classic TV comedy, Porridge. The script has been newly written by the series' co-authors, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. He also appeared, alongside Stephen Merchant, in the 2009 Ricky Gervais film The Invention of Lying. As of April 2009, Williamson was appearing as Ron Freeman in the Take That musical, Never Forget. Williamson married his wife Melanie in 1997, and they have two children, Sophie Mae and Joseph. They live in Selling, Kent on the outskirts of Faversham. In 2005 he publicly declared that he has undergone cosmetic surgery at the Farjo Medical Centre in order to replace his receding hairline. Williamson is also an avid supporter of Charlton Athletic F.C..