Mark Williams, best known for playing Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films, recently visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter to celebrate 25 years since the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In an interview, he shared behind-the-scenes stories, his thoughts on catchphrases, and his current role in Father Brown.
Memories from the Harry Potter Set
Williams recalled the best and worst moments of filming the Harry Potter series. "The worst part was being away from home and the long hours. The best bit was the work and talking to the other actors. I look back with great fondness on that." He shared anecdotes about his co-stars, including Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, and Richard Griffiths. "Michael Gambon was the king of stories. He’d start a joke and you never knew where he was going. But he’d hone them; they were finely crafted – some of his best work was backstage."
He also remembered Maggie Smith's sharp wit. "I remember at one premiere I wore this blazer a friend had made for me and could see her glinting across the room. Then she bowled over and went: ‘Have you just been at Henley?’ She was delighted with herself for that." With Robbie Coltrane, Williams enjoyed browsing Plant Trader, a magazine for heavy equipment. "We never purchased anything, but we came close."
Unexpected Encounters
Williams shared a surprising story about recognizing an extra on set. "We were shooting in the Ministry of Magic... this guy walked past me and I thought: that’s my accountant. When we’d stopped shooting I went over and said: ‘Harry? Harry Nash? What are you doing?’ He said: ‘Oh, it’s a group of us. We just come and do supporting artist extra work for a laugh. That guy over there is a high court judge, and he’s a contract law specialist.’ I told the assistant directors: never underestimate the extras."
He stays in touch with some cast members, especially the "dark side" – death eaters like Nick Moran and Jason Isaacs. He also worked with the Weasley twins on one of their documentaries. "We went to Singapore: very nice, too."
On Catchphrases and Fame
Williams is famous for his Fast Show catchphrases like "Suits you, sir" and "Which was nice." He recalled an amusing encounter at Clapham Junction: "A train pulled up. The driver was level with me and he looked at me once. The train waited for a while. Then, just before the whistle blew, the driver leant sideways and went: ‘You ain’t seen me, right.’ Which I thought was majestic timing."
His favorite catchphrase from another show is Catherine Tate's "How very dare you?" He said, "I just love it. You’ve just got so much politics in there."
Father Brown and Future Projects
Williams plays Father Brown in the BBC series, which he describes as "heading towards superhero status." He compared his portrayal to Alec Guinness's, saying, "I think he’s terrible at Father Brown. He does the same voice as he does for the bishop in Kind Hearts and Coronets. He sort of acts clerical – and that’s not the point of Father Brown."
He expressed interest in hosting a documentary about maritime culture. "I’d like to do something about the maritime culture of the British Isles. I’m very, very interested in that. I’d like to deal with the nuts and bolts of the technology, the how and why."
Personal Favorites
Williams revealed his love for battenberg cake: "Best of all is battenberg: a great cake. Big fan of marzipan. I love that sugar sheath. But I don’t unwrap it separately. I just eat it." He also mentioned his desire to ride the maglev train in China. "Why aren’t we using them here? We’re so unjoined-up with our concerns and angers. We need to stop protesting and start working together, and putting maglevs in airports."
The Warner Bros Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter runs now.
