Humanitarian of the Week: Simon Williams

Since his television debut in the 1967 program Man in a Suitcase, Simon Williams has been enchanting audiences with both his ability to handle true drama and his remarkable comic timing. Over forty years later, Williams is still delighting audiences as a performer as well as a writer.

Best known to American audiences for playing James Bellamy in the original Upstairs, Downstairs for thirty-seven episodes from 1971-1975, Williams, at first, didn’t care much for the character, but soon began to grow protective of the misguided aristocrat.Williams wasn’t just protective of James Bellamy. He has always cared very deeply about the well-being of others. To this end, he has spent countless hours offering his support to a variety of causes which are dear to him. For thirty years, Williams has served on The Actors’ Charitable Trust, and for fifteen of those years he worked as the charity’s Co-Chairman. Mr. Williams’ loyalty to his fellow actors led him to work closely with Denville Hall—a retirement facility for actors. Similarly, Mr. Williams lends his time and knowledge to the Sir Terence Rattigan Charitable Trust, the King George V Fund for Actors and Actresses, and many other organizations dedicated to making life more comfortable and fulfilling for artists.

For all his work in supporting the arts and artists and for bringing us one of the most memorable characters in television history, Simon Williams is our “Humanitarian of the Week.”