THE intention was to make him a capitalist bully-boy —which is what I mostly play these days,’ says actor Simon Williams of Justin Elliott, whom he has been playing, with great success, in The Archers since 2014.
Anyone less like the character would be hard to imagine. It’s true Mr Williams lives in a comfortable farmhouse on the large Nettlebed estate in south Oxfordshire, which his wife, the actress Lucy Fleming, co-owns with her sister, Kate, but he’s self-deprecating about his career, involved with numerous charities and exudes affability and charm. ‘In the life/work balance,’ he admits, ‘I’ve always erred on the side of life.’ That may be true, but The Archers is a crucial strand in his existence. ‘It’s a great job, because, being radio, you don’t have to shave, pull your stomach in or learn the lines,’ he points out. ‘It also has a nice rhythm to it. We record four a day for seven days once a month and I’m able to commute up the M40 to Birmingham listening to audio-books in my car.
‘When I joined, there had just been a domestic-abuse scandal and they were looking for a new villain. As the boss of a private-equity company and a property developer, my character was an obvious fall guy, but I try to play Justin as sweetly, gently and inoffensively as possible. As an actor, you’re always fighting to make unloveable characters more human, but, now that Jeremy Howe has taken over as editor, I suspect a more ruthless, steely side will start to emerge.’
Denne historien er fra April 15, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 15, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
