Toby Williams interview

Welcome, Toby Williams, actor, writer and successful comedian. You’re part of the cast of Pressure, which is set for release on 29 May. Can you tell us about your role? Who is Bryant?

Bryant is one of the small team of meteorologists supporting Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) in his task to provide a forecast for the proposed date of the D-Day landings in June 1944.

What can fans expect from Pressure, directed by Anthony Maras?

It's a real pressure-cooker of a film skilfully capturing the tension of true story behind a very real decision on which hinged not only thousands of young men's lives, but the outcome of World War II. The performances of the phenomenal cast are all pitch perfect, there's some well-timed lighter moments to break the tension and the cinematography and score are stunning. It really is a bloody excellent film!

As you mentioned, your career isn’t limited to film – you’re also a talented writer. Fart, Fart, Fart, Fart, FART! is a children's book that also speaks to adults, reminding them not to forget what it was like to be a child. What motivated you to write Fart, Fart, Fart, Fart, FART!?

I was genuinely surprised when I discovered that a lot of parents were vehemently opposed to the word, 'fart' and simply would not let their kids say it - insisting they use some very unsatisfactory alternatives. The more I talked about the idea, the more I discovered friends and colleagues who either hated the word themselves or who had grown up in an anti-fart household and I just had to get the book out there.

Is the point of Fart, Fart, Fart, Fart, FART! to encourage people to laugh at words without holding back?

In a way, yes. It's about the power of words and the control of language (although mainly about guffs). I hope kids learn to trust themselves and what they know to be true, and not to let adults convince them otherwise.

Who is Toby Williams when he’s away from the set – a writer or someone with other hobbies?

I'm mainly a dad to my two-year-old, but if she's at nursery then I'm writing, making (often quite gory and stupid) short films or getting some stand-up together (or sleeping). After decades of dead-end jobs, I'm very lucky to now be able to say that all my hobbies are the things I do for a living.

Is there a character, whether one you’ve played or created for a book, that you’re particularly fond of?

I played quite a complex fella in Death In Paradise (S15 E08). Giles Parry had the mania and unshakeable delusion of a conspiracy theorist, but it was coming from a place of pain and tragedy as he searched for an answer to the disappearance of his son.

What are Toby Williams’ future projects? Are there any other books or film roles in the works?v

I'm just about to film series 4 of Marlow Murder Club and a daft short film about a hard-bitten, old-school hostage negotiator called Downward Dog Day Afternoon. I'm also about to start illustrating a new narrative verse book for older children (8-12) that has quite dark themes of power and betrayal called Fear The Monster. And we're going to Center Parcs.