Simon Channing Williams (original) (raw)

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British film producer (1945–2009)

Simon Channing Williams (10 June 1945 – 11 April 2009) was a British film producer. After having worked as a production assistant and producer of TV films and TV series in the 1970s and early 1980s, he and Mike Leigh formed the film production company Thin Man Films in 1988.[1] This company has produced all of Mike Leigh's films since then, among them the double Oscar-winning Topsy-Turvy, the Oscar-nominated Vera Drake and the Palme d'Or-winning Secrets & Lies.[2]

In addition to his collaborations with Mike Leigh, he also produced other films, including teen suicide drama New Year's Day (2001 film) in 1999. He co-produced Nick Love's first film Goodbye Charlie Bright in 2000, and the same year he formed Potboiler Productions with producer Gail Egan[3] (who also works closely with Mike Leigh and has been involved in the production of several of his films).[4] Through Potboiler Productions Channing Williams produced Douglas McGrath's Nicholas Nickleby and Fernando Meirelles' Oscar-winning The Constant Gardener.

Channing Williams died aged 63, in Cornwall on 11 April 2009, five years after being diagnosed with cancer.[5] Leigh paid tribute saying "His great phrase was 'let's just get on with things' and right almost to the last he was still working. He was a very extraordinary big man and he will be missed universally."[5] Leigh dedicated his 2010 film Another Year to the memory of Simon Channing Williams.[6]

Following Channing Williams' death, Mike Leigh started to collaborate with producer Georgina Lowe, who in 2011 took over Channing Williams' half of Thin Man Films.[1]

A Most Wanted Man was dedicated to both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Simon Channing Williams in the closing credits.

1. ^ a b Duedil: Thin Man Films Limited Linked 2013-05-27
2. ^ "Simon Channing Williams". British Independent Film Awards. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
3. ^ Duedil: Potboiler Productions Limited Linked 2013-05-27
4. ^ Thin Man Films: Gail Egan Linked 2013-05-27
5. ^ a b "Film producer loses cancer battle". BBC News. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
6. ^ Text in end credits of Another Year: "In loving memory: Simon Channing Williams, 1945 – 2009, Producer"

• Simon Channing Williams at IMDb
• Thin Man Films: Simon Channing Williams biography