Famous veteran Ghanaian actor George Brigars Williams, also known as Mr. Addison for his role in the popular 90’s TV series Ultimate Paradise, has for the first time revealed what landing the role meant to him.
George Williams who starred alongside TV sensation Rama Brew and a lot more talented actors said he never stepped out of character even when he was off the set because he loved the experience of being in a part of such a “great” production.
“When I got onto the set and saw the people surrounding me it was like magic. It had to work because it had beautiful people, wonderful, talented people in… It was a wonderful experience for me, and I put my whole soul and my heart in it. And I made it a point that I had havana cigars just to make Mr. Addison look like the whatever [he was in the series].”
The ‘Ultimate Paradise’ star, born on January 8, 1929 in Sekondi is an Adisadel College - Cape Coast alumni.
Williams told Starr Chat host Kwabena Anokye Adisi aka Bola Ray he never finished his course at the college but got the opportunity to have some further studies at the Balham & Tooting College of Commerce and also studied acting at the Stage Craft Centre all in London, U.K.
According to him, he has always had a knack for entertaining people.
He recalled some of the “silly” moments he had with his friends back in Secondary School.
“We’d sing and dance, and when it came to Saturdays, we would all have fun and sometimes make a nuisance of ourselves,” he recollected.
What seemed like a hobby at first opened many doors for him.
The actor well known for his use of language performed in Julian Green’s South at the London’s Arts Theatre, soon after he joined the musical ballet Carribean Heatwave with Shirley Bassey as the lead singer and Ben Johnson as the lead dancer opening at the Little Theatre in Jersey.
After a series of programmes on the BBC West African Service, he made several recordings with great jazz musicians in England such as Hurry Cline, Mike Makenzie, Shake Kean and Joe Harriot.
Williams admits his academic records in secondary school have not been very commendable but said he was grateful to have had the many opportunities fate had brought his way.
“The opportunities that I had, I had the opportunity to play with great stars you know… and that engineered my imagination and put me through several things and I’m grateful to have had such opportunities,” he said.
The 87-year-old said he has experienced life the way it comes and said he was hopeful everyone gets the opportunity to experience the best of it.
“I’m a survivor. I had to go through the fire and the water which I’m still going through. I think that everybody should have these experiences in order to have the full perspective of life so that you don’t take anything for granted”.