 | Just a few short months before he died of lung cancer in January 2001, Michael Williams was still hard at work. The starring role in Silas Marner was, sadly, his last ever performance and featured his real-life daughter, Finty Williams, as his fictional adoped daughter, Eppie. "Some of the scenes were very difficult," remembers Finty, daughter of Michael and Dame Judi Dench. "It was all so close to what I was feeling in real life that I just couldn't stop cryilng. We had to do one scene about five times. Dad was great, though. Very patient, as always." Finty believes it was work that gave her father the energy to carry on. "Absolutely. Acting meant the world to him. He had good days and bad days, but he would always cheer up when he was in the studio. He even came out for a drink with us after we finished the final day's recordinig." The two-part adaptation also features Jenny Agutter and Edward Woodward, but one person who won't be tuning in is Finty herself. "I normally listen to most things I've worked on, but this would just be too painful. I'd be in tears all over again." |