Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926–15 April 1988) was an English comic actor, star of 26 Carry On films, numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne. Williams was born in Bingfield Street, King's Cross, London, the son of Louisa ("Louie") and Charles Williams (a barber). Williams had a half-sister, Alice Patricia. He was educated at Lyulph Stanley School, later becoming apprenticed as a draughtsman to a mapmaker. He joined the army in 1944 at 18. As part of the Royal Engineers survey section in Bombay, he first performed on stage in the Combined Services Entertainment alongside Stanley Baxter and Peter Nichols. He adored his supportive, theatrical mother but despised his homophobic, morose and selfish father. He died in his Camden flat; the cause of death was an overdose of barbiturates. An inquest recorded an open verdict, as it was not possible to establish whether his death was a suicide or an accident.
