Layton Williams facts for kids

Layton Williams (born 13 September 1994) is a talented English actor. He is well-known for his roles in popular TV shows like Beautiful People and Bad Education. Layton has also starred in many famous musicals on the West End in London and on tour. These include playing the main character in Billy Elliot the Musical and Everybody's Talking About Jamie. In 2025, he won a Laurence Olivier Award for his role in Titanique.

Layton Williams: Early Life and Training

Layton Williams was born in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. He started his acting journey at a young age. He took street dance and drama classes in Bury. He also learned ballet in Manchester.

Starting Young: Billy Elliot

When Layton was 11, he moved to London to become an actor. After training for several months, he made his big debut. On 26 February 2007, he started playing the main role in Billy Elliot the Musical in London's West End. This was a huge achievement for him. He was one of the longest-running actors to play Billy in the show's history. His training and performances were even shown on TV shows like The Paul O'Grady Show.

School for Stars: Italia Conti Academy

Layton received a scholarship to attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. Later, he went to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. While he was studying there, Layton was featured in a children's TV show called School for Stars. This documentary series on CBBC showed what life was like at the acting school.

Layton Williams: A Star on Stage and Screen

Layton Williams has had a busy career in both television and theatre. He is known for his energetic performances and strong acting skills.

TV Roles: From Kylie to Stephen Carmichael

Layton became famous on TV for playing Kylie in the BBC Two comedy Beautiful People. This show ran from 2008 to 2009. From 2012 to 2014, he played Stephen Carmichael in the BBC comedy Bad Education. He also appeared in The Bad Education Movie in 2015. Layton returned to Bad Education for a special reunion in 2022. He then became one of the main stars of the show's fourth series, which aired until 2024.

Other TV appearances include:

• Postcode (2011)
• Benidorm (2018)
• The Cleaner (2021)
• I Hate Suzie (2022)
• Being a judge on Queens for the Night (2022)
• Narrating I Kissed a Boy (2023)

Musical Theatre: Leading Roles

After Billy Elliot, Layton played Young Michael Jackson in the West End musical Thriller – Live. He has also toured with several big musicals:

• The Car Man (2015)
• Hairspray the Musical (2015–2016, 2017–2018)
• Rent (2016–2017)

One of his most famous roles is playing Jamie New in the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. He played this lead role for 11 months at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End. He also joined the musical's UK tour and performed the role in Los Angeles in 2022.

In 2024, Layton played the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London. Later that year, he starred as Iceberg in the West End premiere of Titanique. His performance in Titanique earned him a Laurence Olivier Award in 2025.

Strictly Come Dancing Journey

In 2023, Layton Williams was a contestant on the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. They were a very popular pair and achieved perfect scores of 40 multiple times. They reached the final and finished as joint runners-up in the competition.

Layton Williams: Awards and Recognition

Layton Williams has received several awards for his amazing performances.

• In 2019, he won the Black British Theatre Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical for his role in Everybody's Talking About Jamie.
• In 2020, he also won the LGBTQ+ Champion award at the Black British Theatre Awards.
• In 2025, he won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Takeover Performance for his role in Cabaret.
• Also in 2025, he won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his work in Titanique.

Acting Credits

Film and Television

Theatre Performances