Wil Johnson facts for kids

Wilbert Charles Johnson (born on April 18, 1965) is an English actor. He is well-known for his roles in TV shows like Waking the Dead and Babyfather. He also acted on stage in the play Othello. From 2012 to 2014, he played the character Dom Andrews in the popular show Emmerdale.

Wil Johnson's Early Life

Wil Johnson was born in Muswell Hill, London. He grew up in Tottenham. His mother worked with stocks, and his father worked for UPS. When he was in primary school, Wil wasn't interested in music. But that changed when he filled in for a drummer who was absent.

He later went to Mountview Drama School in Crouch End, London. He also joined another drama group called the Haringey Theatre. Wil also took dance classes. He learned ballet, contemporary dancing, and break dancing. He performed break dancing for about seven years. He also spent three years at the National Youth Theatre.

Wil Johnson's Acting Career

Wil Johnson's first professional acting job was in a play called Four Seasons. This was at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1985. For the rest of the 1980s, he had small parts in TV shows. These included Casualty and London's Burning. After that, he played detective Stevie Johnson in the series Anna Lee.

From 1994 to 1995, he played Detective Constable Michael Skelton in Cracker. When he wasn't acting, Wil worked for a local funeral home. He drove the hearse and helped carry coffins.

Becoming a TV Star

In 2000, Wil appeared in a TV pilot for a show called Waking the Dead. He played Detective Sergeant Spencer Jordan. His character was part of a special police team. This team investigated old, unsolved crimes, known as "cold cases". Waking the Dead became a full series in 2001. Wil Johnson was a main actor until the show ended in 2011.

From 2000 to 2002, he also played Steve Robinson in the drama series Clocking Off. In 2001 and 2002, he was a main actor in two seasons of the BBC show Babyfather.

Stage and Film Roles

In 2004, Wil Johnson played the main character in the play Othello. This was for the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company. He also played Marcus Kirby in the BBC One school drama Waterloo Road. He left the show in the second half of that series.

In 2010, he appeared in the film In a Better World as 'Dr. Najeeb'. He also acted in a play called The Swallowing Dark. This play was shown at the Liverpool Playhouse and Theatre503. In 2011, he starred as a gangster boss named Big Mike in Anuvahood. In 2008, he was Big Man in the film Adulthood.

In November 2011, Wil Johnson appeared in BBC One's Holby City. He played 'Sean Dolan', a doctor who specializes in children's health.

Joining Emmerdale

In 2012, it was announced that Wil Johnson would join Emmerdale. He played Dominic "Dom" Andrews, a single father. On February 23, 2014, it was shared that he would leave the show later that year. His character's daughter, Gemma, played by Tendai Rinomhota, passed away in the story.

In 2013, he appeared in a film thriller called Life Outside. He played a gangster. He was also a special guest DJ at an event for actors called 'MonologueSlam'. This event was held at 'The Green Carnation' cocktail lounge in Soho.

In 2013, Wil also helped produce a film called Disorientated Generation. He worked with Christian Ashaiku on this project. The film was about a Nigerian man living in London. Part of the money for the film came from Enfield Council and a small grant from UK Film Council. The film was first filmed in 2006.

Recent Work and Awards

In 2016, Wil Johnson was chosen to play the Earl of Kent in King Lear. This play was a joint production by the Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Exchange Manchester. People praised his acting in the role. The Guardian newspaper said he gave "depth to straight simplicity". The Manchester Theatre Awards said he played the "wrongest servant Kent with passion and often with humour".

Also in 2016, Wil Johnson received an honorary award from the British Urban Film Festival. Fellow actor Charles Venn presented the award. It was for Wil's more than 30 years of great work in film and television.

Wil believes in something called colour-blind casting in British television. This means choosing actors for roles without thinking about their race. He said that more black and Asian actors are now well-known, which is great. He feels that colour-blind casting happens often in theatre. But he thinks it could be used more in mainstream television. He also said that many black roles on TV now are not based on old stereotypes. His role in Waking the Dead was a good example of this.

Wil Johnson's Family Life

Wil Johnson has six children. His oldest daughter is Ayanna Witter-Johnson. She is a composer, singer, songwriter, and plays the cello.

Wil married his wife, Camilla, in 2014.

Wil Johnson's Film and TV Roles

Wil Johnson has appeared in many films and television shows over the years. Here are some of his notable roles:

Films

• 1996: Go West Young Man (Short film)
• 1998: Babymother as Byron
• 1999: A Woman Scorned (Short film)
• 1999: Native as Tyrone (Short film)
• 2001: South West 9 as Freddy
• 2001: Buried Treasure as Luke
• 2002: f2point8 as Rob (Short film)
• 2003: Emotional Backgammon as John
• 2004: Yes as Virgil
• 2005: Franklin Haywire as Paul (Short film)
• 2007: Deadmeat as Barry
• 2008: Adulthood as Big Man
• 2009: Stick with Me (Short film)
• 2009: Colour Blind as Dan (Short film)
• 2009: Disoriented Generation as Ishmael
• 2010: ... as Byron
• 2010: In a Better World as Najeeb
• 2011: Anuvahood as Mike
• 2011: Washed Up as Mitchell Barloe
• 2012: Hard Shoulder as Carl Foster
• 2012: Throw of a Dice as Duncan Beckford
• 2012: Black Smoke Rising as Simon
• 2012: Amina as Dr. Johnson
• 2013: Fedz as Trevor McBride
• 2013: Sokorates as Sokorates (Short film)
• 2013: Killing All the Flies as Jonathan Edwards
• 2013: Dumar as Emmerson
• 2014: M.O.N.E.Y as Floyd Bennett
• 2017: Rabbit Punch as Trav (Short film)
• 2017: This Is Axiom as Glenn (Short film)
• 2018: Brixton Rock as Mr. Massey (Short film)
• 2019: The Strangers as Mr. Fitzgerald
• 2019: Bad Day as Paul (Short film)
• 2020: Transference as Dad (Short film)
• 2021: Breathe as Trevor
• 2021: The Half You Hate as Director (Short film)
• 2021: The Track as Nate (Short film)
• 2022: Revelations as Thom
• 2024: Tell No Lies as Detective Wright
• 2024: He Who Dares to Win as Davey (Short film)

Television Shows

• 1987: Casualty as Paul (Episode: "The Raid")
• 1988: London's Burning as Junior (Episode: "Series 1, Episode 1")
• 1988: ScreenPlay as Dekko (Episode: "Home Front")
• 1989: Dramarama as Kevin (Episode: "Snap Decision")
• 1989: Starting Out as Leo Young (4 episodes)
• 1990: The Bill as Dom Reeves (Episode: "Burnside Knew My Father")
• 1993: Mr Don & Mr George (Episode: "There's Been a Thing")
• 1994: The Bill as Carl Paston (Episode: "Dirty Laundry")
• 1994–1995: Anna Lee as Stevie Johnson (5 episodes)
• 1994–1995: Cracker as Skelton (10 episodes)
• 1995: The Bill as Thomas Gadiki (Episode: "Neutral Territory")
• 1997: The Bill as Billy Elizee (Episode: "Solid Evidence")
• 2000–2002: Clocking Off as Steve Robinson (14 episodes)
• 2000–2011: Waking the Dead as Spencer Jordan (92 episodes)
• 2001: Babyfather as Beres (Episode: "Series 1, Episode 1")
• 2010: Dispatches as Narrator (Episode: "Gun Nation")
• 2010–2011: Waterloo Road as Marcus Kirby (10 episodes)
• 2011–2013: Holby City as Sean Dolan (5 episodes)
• 2012–2014: Emmerdale as Dominic Andrews (129 episodes)
• 2014: Moving On as Peter Jackson (Episode: "Two Brothers")
• 2015: Lewis as Dax Kinneson (Episode: "Magnum Opus")
• 2016: The Five as Young Ray (4 episodes)
• 2016: Hollyoaks as Lionel Albright (2 episodes)
• 2017: Hetty Feather as Charlie (Episode: "Cannon Fodder")
• 2017–2020: Outlander as Joe Abernathy (5 episodes)
• 2018: Vera as Gary Whenchurch (Episode: "Darkwater")
• 2019: Carnival Row as Puck Butcher (Episode: "Aisling")
• 2021: Death in Paradise as Emmet Peterson (Episode: "I'll Never Let You Go")
• 2021: The Larkins as Old Reg (5 episodes)
• 2022: House of the Dragon as Ser Vaemond Velaryon (4 episodes)
• 2023: COBRA as Ben Fanshawe (2 episodes)

See also

In Spanish: Wil Johnson para niños