John Henley Heathcote-Williams (15 November 1941 – 1 July 2017), known as Heathcote Williams, was an English poet, actor, political activist and dramatist. He wrote a number of book-length polemical poems including Autogeddon, Falling for a Dolphin and Whale Nation, which in 1988 was described by Philip Hoare as "the most powerful argument for the newly instigated worldwide ban on whaling." Williams invented his idiosyncratic "documentary/investigative poetry" style which he put to good purpose bringing a diverse range of environmental and political matters to public attention. His last published work, American Porn was a critique of the American political establishment and the election of President Donald Trump; its publication date was the day of Trump's inauguration (20 January 2017). In June 2015 he published a book-length investigative poem about the "Muslim Gandhi", Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Badshah Khan. As well as being a playwright and screenwriter, Williams appeared in a number of independent and Hollywood films and was among the celebrity guests in the last episode of season 4 of Friends, '"The One With Ross's Wedding"'. He played Prospero in Derek Jarman's The Tempest (1979) and appeared in several "arthouse" films, including Orlando (1992), as well as the Hollywood film Basic Instinct 2 (2006). Al Pacino played the part of a Williams fan in a spoof arts documentary, Every Time I Cross the Tamar I Get into Trouble. Williams also wrote lyrics, collaborating with Marianne Faithfull among others. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Filmography

• 2023Whale Nation — Author
• 2018Signal to Noise — The Director
• 2008City of Ember — Sadge Merrall
• 2006Basic Instinct 2 — Jakob Gerst
• 2006Nostradamus — Pepe
• 2004The Reckoning — Undertaker
• 2001All Forgotten — Dr. Looshin
• 2001Hotel — Bosala, Writer
• Judge John Deed
• 2001Revelation — New Age Man
• 2000Honest — Professor
• 2000The Sandman
• 1999Alegría — Marcello
• 1999Alice in Wonderland — Mr. Eaglet
• 1999Miss Julie — Servant
• 1999The Escort — Ann's Father
• 1999Toy Boys — Mr. Chambers
• 1998Cousin Bette — Nucingen
• 1998The Legend of 1900 — Doctor Klauserman
• 1997Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis — Jeff
• 1997The IMAX Nutcracker — 'Uncle' Drosselmeier
• The Odyssey — Laocoon
• 1997The Tango Lesson — Builder
• 1996The Cold Light of Day — Stephan Nuslauer
• 1995Blue Juice — Shaper
• 1995The Steal — Jeremiah
• Friends — Older Guest
• 1994The Browning Version — Dr. Lake
• 1994W.S.H.: The Myth of the Urban Myth
• 1992Orlando — Nick Greene / Publisher
• 1990The Local Stigmatic — Writer
• 1989Here Is the News — Dr. Boyle
• 1988Stormy Monday — Peter Reed
• 1987Little Dorrit — Dr. Haggage
• 1981Nightshift
• 1979The Tempest — Prospero, the Right Duke of Milan
• 1974Wet Dreams — Director
• 1970Malatesta — Josef Solokow, Writer

Appearances as themselves (1)

• 1996Looking for Richard — Self