Shaun Williamson

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Shaun Williamson (born 4 November 1964 in Maidstone, Kent) is an English actor, Singer and television personality.

[edit] Career

A former student of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art he is best known for his portrayal of foolish and hapless Barry Evans on the popular 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. 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 Channel Five show Gender Swap, where he was dressed as a woman and was given a prosthetic makeover before being sent speed-dating in his new persona. Shaun also presented the ITV gameshow 24 Hour Quiz, which only lasted for one series.

In 2001 Williamson appeared on a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link, in 2004 he performed as Meatloaf in a Stars in Their Eyes special and won the celebrity edition of Mastermind.

Shaun has also turned to stage acting since leaving EastEnders, playing 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 [1]. In 2006 Shaun starred in the pantomime Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare.

Williamson has recently been seen in the acclaimed BBC3 comedy drama series Funland, as the narrator in the UK stage tour of The Rocky Horror Show and as a guest presenter on The National Lottery Everyone's a winner.

In May 2006, Williamson played the lead in the play Road to Nirvana at The King's Head Theatre London and in October 2006, Shaun Williamson 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 will appear in the new British film Daylight Robbery and as Nathan Detroit in the UK tour and West end run's of Guys and Dolls.

[edit] Personal life

Williamson married his wife Melanie in 1997 and they have two children, Sophie Mae and Joseph.[2] They live on the outskirts of Faversham.[3]

In 2005 Shaun publicly declared that he has undergone cosmetic surgery (hair transplants) in order to replace his receding hairline [4].

Shaun is a supporter of the death penalty. When he was interviewed for Sheffield Today's 'If I Ruled The World'[5], he also revealed his desire for the re-introduction of National Service and dislike of 'left-wingers'.