Kenneth Williams is an idol of mine and someone whom I feel a great affinity to. An outstanding raconteur, best known for his appearances in the Carry On... films (a series he later grew to dislike despite the fame and financial security it...
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Kenneth Williams is an idol of mine and someone whom I feel a great affinity to. An outstanding raconteur, best known for his appearances in the Carry On... films (a series he later grew to dislike despite the fame and financial security it brought him) but was also a stage actor, a radio personality- Round The Horne and Just A Minute-, a regular on talk shows- where he would always effortlessly tell interesting and sometimes risque stories- and the voice of Willo The Wisp.

His flaring nostrils and unique manner of speaking- sweeping from a posh tone to a jeering Cockney (often within the course of a sentence)- certainly marked him out. A very cultured and erudite man, he was self-taught and enjoyed poetry and classical music. His roles in the Carry On... films ranged from educated English teachers to mad scientists and Wild West sheriffs to even playing Julius Caesar, but there is an undeniable joy in all of his performances (especially as he declaims 'infamy! infamy! they've all got it in for me!')

Despite his outwardly camp and sometimes manic demeanour, he was often crippled by bouts of despondency, as well as physical ailments. His diaries- which make for fascinating reading- paint a portrait of a man ill at ease with his own desires, which makes him all the more compelling and his diaries all the more heartbreaking. A talented and extremely funny man and the world lost a great talent when he died.