Father Brown star Mark Williams believes he’s done a much better job in the role than the “terrible” Oscar-winning star who originally played him.
The series, following a mystery-solving priest, is based on the short stories by GK Chesterton, and Alec Guinness appeared in a film adaptation back in 1954.
But Williams, also known for playing Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise, is not a fan of Star Wars actor Guinness’ interpretation. He shared his brutal assessment in a new interview, stating: “Much as I love Alec Guinness, I think he’s terrible at Father Brown.
open image in galleryWilliams told The Guardian: “He does the same voice as he does for the bishop in Kind Hearts and Coronets. He sort of acts clerical – and that’s not the point of Father Brown. Maybe he thought it was unassuming. But it is a bit weird, the voice.”
Guinness found early film success in David Lean’s 1946 adaptation of Great Expectations, as well as 1950s Ealing comedies, including The Lavender Hill Mob and The Man in the White Suit.
His other credits include Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won an Oscar, Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), and in 1977, he played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first Star Wars film.
BBC series Father Brown, which is filmed in the Cotswolds, is onto its 14th series. It’s the UK’s number one daytime drama of the last 10 years, and is viewed by audiences in the US, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Italy, Denmark, Finland and Belgium.
The BBC recently commissioned the series for two more seasons, with Helen Munson, commissioning editor at the BBC, saying: “We are delighted to be working with BBC Studios again to give the devoted fans two more series of our crime-fighting cleric.
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“With top-notch writing, fabulous cast and the beautiful Cotswolds as the backdrop, it’s no wonder that Father Brown continues to be a firm favourite with the audiences all over the world.”
The series also stars Tom Chambers, Claudie Blakley, and John Burton as Inspector Sullivan, Isabel Sullivan, and Sergeant Goodfellow, respectively, with Hannah Bristow set to join the cast as Father Brown’s new housekeeper, Rita Flint.
Semi-regulars Nancy Carroll (Lady Felicia), Roger May (Bishop Fox), and Kieran Hodgson (Father Lindsey) also return, while Bill Bailey and Clive Mantle will appear in guest roles when the show returns in 2027.