William Maxwell

William Maxwell

Acting
Liverpool, England, UK

Biography

William was born in Liverpool and relocated to Oldham when he was nine years old. His stage career includes portraying Toby Belch in Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Valk in The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs, and the roles of Snawley and Tompkins in Nicholas Nickleby, performed in both London and New York. He also appeared as the Club Secretary in Comedians at the Old Vic Theatre, alongside the legendary Jimmy Jewel. In addition, Bill created and performed a one-man show based on the work of Brendan Behan. On television, he played the Duke of Cleves in The Wives of Henry VIII, Sergeant Petty in The Case of the Frightened Lady, and Crookes in Strangers. His television credits also include appearances in Coronation Street, The Dustbin Men, Z Cars, When the Boat Comes In, Funnyman, Softly, Softly, Dempsey and Makepeace, and Brookside. His film work includes roles in The Ploughman's Lunch, Cicero, Blood Beast Terror, and The Witchfinder General.

Known For & Full Filmography18 Titles

#1Crown Court

Drama Series - 1972, 16 episodes as Detective Sergeant Hawes

5.7 / 10
Drama

Crown Court is an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network that ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984.

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#2Bergerac

Drama Series - 1981, 16 episodes as Chivers

7.0 / 10
Drama

Jim Bergerac is a detective sergeant in The Foreigners Office who likes to do things his own way. While dealing with his own personal demons Bergerac has a knack of finding trouble, and sometimes causing it.

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#3Playhouse

Drama Series - 1974, 16 episodes as Mike

7.0 / 10
Drama

A one-hour anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas produced by the BBC.

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#4Not Going Out

Drama Series - 2006, 16 episodes as Derek

7.4 / 10
Comedy

Lee is a childish northerner who lives in a fancy penthouse apartment in London who goes through a variety of jobs such as a janitor and ice cream man, as well as attempting relationships with female flatmates. His best mate, Daily Mail reading, middle-class citizen Tim is always there to stop Lee from getting in trouble, or not? Mayhem is never far away with cleaner Barbara who has never done an honest day's work in her life.

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#5Strangers

Drama Series - 1978, 16 episodes as Crookes

7.3 / 10
CrimeDrama

Strangers is a 1978–82 ITV police procedural created and principally written by Murray Smith, based on characters created by Kenneth Royce in his novel series and subsequent 1977–78 television adaptation The XYY Man. Don Henderson and Dennis Blanch reprise their roles, respectively, of Detective Sergeant (DS) George Bulman and Detective Constable (DC) Derek Willis. A group of police officers are brought together from across the country to the north of England. There, the fact that they're not well-known gives them the advantage to infiltrate where a more familiar local detective could not. Despite being based around a comparatively small team of detectives, a regular feature in its early years is that few episodes feature the entire team, with most using just two or three regulars in any major role.

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#6The Basil Brush Show

Drama Series - 2002, 16 episodes as Electric Man

7.3 / 10
KidsComedy

The Basil Brush Show was a British children's television sitcom series, starring the glove puppet fox, Basil Brush. It was produced for six series by The Foundation, airing on CBBC from 4 October 2002 to 21 December 2007. The show is a spin-off from the original 1960's/1970's BBC television series, but without any of the original cast.

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#7Budgie

Drama Series - 1971, 16 episodes as Yorkshire Supporter

7.2 / 10

Budgie is a popular British television series starring former popstar Adam Faith which was produced by ITV company London Weekend Television and broadcast on the ITV network between 1971 and 1972. The series was created by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall . The show was produced by Verity Lambert, Rex Firkin was the Executive producer.

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#8The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Drama Series - 1970, 16 episodes as Duke Wilhelm of Cleves

8.1 / 10
Drama

A six-episode dramatisation of Henry VIII's relationships with each of his six wives. Each episode, with a different writer, is devoted to one wife, and is a complete play in itself.

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#9Provoked

Movie - 2007, 2h 15m as Judge Swinton Thomas

6.7 / 10
Drama

Provoked is the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a Punjabi woman who moved to London after her marriage with Deepak Ahluwalia. Her husband seemed caring at first but then began to beat her up. He started drinking a lot and sleeping around with other women. he also subjected her to spousal rape. After ten years and having two children with him, out of fear, she sets him on fire.

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#10The Corridor People

Drama Series - 1966, 16 episodes as DS Hound

5.0 / 10
Sci-Fi & FantasyDrama

British security agent Kronk and American private eye Phil Scrotty go up against exotic villainess Syrie Van Epp.

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#11The Ploughman's Lunch

Movie - 1983, 2h 15m as Journalist

4.8 / 10
Drama

As the UK begins its military engagement in the Falklands, a BBC news journalist attempts to climb up from his working-class roots, at any cost, lying to those around him to get what he wants, only to discover that he is the recipient of a deception far more clever than his own.

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#12There's a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah

Movie - 1968, 2h 15m as Coalman

8.8 / 10
TV MovieComedy

A skiving bin gang are on high alert when their new inspector takes an interest.

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#13Brothers in Trouble

Movie - 1995, 2h 15m as Doctor

4.8 / 10
ComedyDrama

Amir is an illegal Pakistani immigrant smuggled into England in the 1960's to work, to send money to his family and perhaps even bring them over with him. A skilled laborer, he is forced to do unskilled work like shoveling sheep dung and processing wool. He lives in a boarding house with nearly a dozen other men, under the supervision of Hussein Shah. He befriends a young student, Sakib, who dreams of being a writer. Their existence is punctuated by secret movies, a visiting prostitute, fear of detection and deportation, and the gangster-like smuggler who comes by for his take every week. The household is shaken up by the arrival of a white girl, Shah's girlfriend, and the sense of femininity and family she brings.

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#14Justice - Uncle Sangi

Movie - 1979, 2h 15m as Neighbour

8.8 / 10

Sharm's dog attacks a hostile neighbour, and has to make a decision for which he has no guide lines.

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#15The Case of the Frightened Lady

Movie - 1983, 2h 15m as Sergeant Totty

8.8 / 10
CrimeDramaTV Movie

A woman tries to protect her family's name when one relative becomes a murderer.

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#16One Bummer News Day

Movie - 1978, 2h 15m as Peter Postgate

8.8 / 10
ComedyTV Movie

What happens to provincial journalists when there's nothing in the news and they have a paper to fill?

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#17Baby Love

Movie - 1974, 2h 15m as Reporter

8.8 / 10
CrimeDramaTV Movie

Play about Eileen who steals a baby, and the reactions of those around her, including the priest, police, and authorities and the consequences of what she does.

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#18Pews

Movie - 1980, 2h 15m as Mike

8.8 / 10

Liftchick has a problem. As beadle to the synagogue he is responsible for getting ten men together to say Kaddish, but it is holiday-time and the town is empty.

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