Actor Mark Williams on Father Brown, growing up in the Midlands and Karl Lagerfeld. Yes, that’s right!

Is national treasure too much? We don’t think so. Mark Williams has achieved cross-generational appeal in the way that Julie Walters or the late Dame Maggie Smith have. Older fans will remember the Fast Show while Gen Z know him for the kind-hearted, Arthur Weasley in Harry Potter.

Then there’s BBC hit, Father Brown in which Mark plays the title character, and which is currently in its 12th series. That’s 130 episodes of the charming crime whodunnit which sees the bicycle-riding vicar exercise his talent for sleuthing.

GREAT STORY TELLING

Set in the Fifties and filmed in a picturesque village in the Cotswolds, Father Brown has a warmth about it. It’s like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day. Mark puts the success down to focusing on great story-telling and the fact that the cast all really love doing it. He says: “It’s set in the Fifties, so it’s more polite and it’s cosy. That helps.” Mark says it was Father Brown’s curiosity and lack of judgement that appealed. He adds: “There’s lots of Father Brown in Miss Marple – he says things that other people don’t think are important.”

A carousel of guest actors enhances the show each episode and Mark says: “We are blessed with a wonderful set of guest stars every week! I love having new actors that bring such skill and energy to the characters. It’s one of my chief pleasures watching them work.” On making 130 episodes, Mark says: “I was feeling quite impressed by this, I thought there can’t have been many people who’ve played the eponymous character in a series for 130 shows. Then I read about Jack Warner who played Dixon of Dock Green 432 times, so that took the wind out of my sails a bit.”

A REAL TRIBE

Mark says that making Father Brown has enriched his life immeasurably. “There have been many friendships made, and we have quite a few children born during our time filming to cast and crew which makes us a real tribe. And I give thanks to G K Chesterton’s creation because Father Brown has kept me fascinated.”

The series was always going to be set in the Cotswolds. Mark says: “It’s close to Birmingham for a start, plus it’s easier to do period in the countryside. In a city, not so much.” The cast decamp to the Cotswolds for four months at a time working 12 hours a day. Mark’s only disappointment is that Father Brown doesn’t drive so he never gets to take retro cars on set for a spin.

He says: “Being close to Birmingham and Coventry which were the centre of British car production, we have this amazing resource of period motors. There’s a lot of ‘ooohing’ and ‘aaahing’ over the amazing pieces of machinery we get. Long forgotten names like Armstrong Siddeley, Alvis and Sunbeam. My problem is Father Brown can’t drive, so I have to make do with a bike. Not that I don’t love my bike. It’s a Pashley, made in Stratford with old-fashioned drum gears. It’s actually very good uphill which is a blessing.”

BIRMINGHAM BOY

Mark’s link with the Midlands is strong and he says: “Birmingham is part of me.” His grandad worked at Bournville. His other grandad was a sprayer at Austin while his nan worked at a chemist and his other nan worked in a convalescent home in the Lickeys. Mark’s parents benefitted from a post war education – they both went to grammar school. He remembers: “They were both brilliant at drawing. Mum went to art school while dad went to architectural school. We always had loads of books in the house.” Mark says his childhood was dominated by factories and that’s the biggest thing that’s changed about the region. He says: “Manufacturing was everything and then it wasn’t – almost overnight it wasn’t.”

With no thespians in the family, Mark began to find his feet on stage aged 11. He says: “I was in a school play and while on stage I thought, ‘I can do this’. I couldn’t add up or do much else!” From North Bromsgrove school Mark went to Oxford to read English. He says: “God knows how I made it there. I came from a comprehensive in the West Midlands – maybe they wanted people like me.” Once he got over the culture shock Mark threw himself into drama.

MR WEASLEY

Playing Arthur Weasley alongside Julie Walters in the Harry Potter films is probably Mark’s most recognisable role. He didn’t appear in the first film and when contemplating his role in the second, Mark went to the cinema to watch The Philosopher’s Stone to see what all the fuss was about. He says: “The place was packed, and I knew then it would be big.”

We asked Mark which of his roles he’s most proud of and he says he tries not to have a favourite job beyond the one he’s currently doing and then quotes Karl Lagerfeld. The enigmatic designer once said, “It is better to do than to have done.” Well, quite.