Williams was born on 9 July 1935 in
Liverpool,
Merseyside. Williams married
Judi Dench on 5 February 1971, the same year in which they co-starred in a stage production of
John Webster's
The Duchess of Malfi, and, as RSC actors, in
Pack of Lies and
Mr. and Mrs. Nobody. They had one daughter,
Finty Williams, who is also an actress. Williams was also godfather to the actor
Rory Kinnear. Williams was the President of the
Roman Catholic Actors' Guild. Shortly before his death from
lung cancer aged 65, Williams was appointed a
Knight of St Gregory (KSG) by
Pope John Paul II for his contribution to Catholic life in Britain. The honour was officially bestowed upon him at home on 10 January 2001. He died the next day, and was buried in the churchyard of St Leonard's, the Anglican parish church of
Charlecote, Warwickshire. Williams was a fan of
Everton F.C.. ==Filmography==