There
will doubtless be the routine air-kissing hullabaloo at the dinner next
month for this year's Laurence Olivier awards. But in
one corner of the ceremony, at least, there will I think be a more
contemplative atmosphere.
Buried away almost unnoticed in the long list of nominations for this year's awards is one full of pathos. It is a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Michael Williams who will, I am afraid, be better known to many as the husband of Dame Judi Dench.
Williams, 64, has been fighting cancer since the summer and an honour would prove hugely popular in the theatre world.
Williams and Dench met in the Sixties when they were stalwarts of the RSC. They've occasionally worked together since but it has been Dame Judi's career that has gone stratospheric.
As far as anyone can remember, Williams, in his 40-year career, has not won a single major drama award. His Who's Who entry makes no mention of one and his agent, Tor Belfrage, says she knows of none.
Dame Judi had to miss a week of Amy's View in New York to rush back to London when Williams was taken to hospital with pleurisy. With their actress daughter, Finty, also at his bedside, it was then that it was discovered he had a tumour on a lung.
I am pretty certain that Williams's nomination was on merit and was not merely a "sympathy vote".
The nomination is for his part as a strolling player in Alexander Ostrovsky's The Forest at the National Theatre last February, before he fell ill. The critics lavished praise on his performance.
Belfrage bubbled over with joy when she heard of the nomination. "It's wonderful news," she said, "and Michael will be absolutely thrilled. He gave a wonderful performance."
Of his health, Belfrage said: "Despite his illness, his spirits are really good. He and Judi are making lots of plans, work and other things, and everything is as good as it possibly could be."
Thanks to Jan M for finding this article which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 19, 2000. I suppose neither he nor Judi would have been pleased with that headline.