Gary Wilmot

Early life

Wilmot was born in Lambeth, London, into a mixed-race household; his mother was English, and his father, Harry, was Jamaican and arrived in Britain on the Empire Windrush in 1948. Harry was a member of vocal harmony group The Southlanders, but died in 1961, when his sons were still young. Despite these show business roots, Wilmot's upbringing was outside of the limelight; his mother suffered poor health and could only work part-time jobs, meaning they had to rely on family allowance. Wilmot worked on building sites and in warehouses and factories, but soon realised he did not wish to continue in this line of work.

Television

Wilmot started his career in entertainment after a friend informed an agent of his talent, and soon began to perform as part of the variety circuit. However, his big break came in 1978, when he featured as part of a comedy double act with Judy McPhee on New Faces; the pair were later finalists. This would lead to numerous television appearances on Copy Cats, Knees Ups, Cue Gary!, and The Keith Harris Show. One of his most notable television roles was with the BBC children's quiz show So You Want To Be Top, which he co-presented with Leni Harper.

In 1994, Wilmot hosted Showstoppers, a programme which featured him performing songs from musicals alongside special guests. Originally commissioned as a one-off series in which celebrities were given ten days to learn and perform a song, Wilmot was asked to record a further series of six spectaculars due to popular demand. He also starred in and directed a tour of Showstoppers which proved so popular that its original sixty dates were increased to one hundred and sixty.

Theatre

In 1989, Wilmot made a move into musical theatre debuting in the West End production of Me and My Girl, playing the role of Bill Snibson at the Adelphi Theatre. He played the role to critical acclaim for two years, with Jack Tinker describing him as a "Musical Talent of the Highest Order". Wilmot was subsequently nominated in the "Best Actor" category at the Olivier Awards, and theatre tour of a new comedy, Teething Troubles followed. He was also cast as Joe in Carmen Jones at the Old Vic before starring in the world premiere of the Barry Manilow musical Copacabana at London's Prince of Wales Theatre.

In 2001, Wilmot joined The New Shakespeare Company to play Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance national tour with Sue Pollard as Ruth, in 2001–2002. The national tour of Giles Havergal's adaptation of the Graham Greene novel Travels with My Aunt followed. In 2003, he was Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, taking over from Michael Ball, and returning in 2006 and 2007 on the UK tour. Wilmot also played Billy Flynn in the national touring company of Chicago.

Other stage productions Wilmot has appeared in include H.M.S. Pinafore, Santa Claus the Musical, Oliver!, Half a Sixpence, The Wizard of Oz, The Goodbye Girl, One for the Road, Confusions, Lord Arthur Saville's Crime, and a national tour of the successful Watermill Newbury Theatre production of Radio Times.

Wilmot has recently appeared in Flowers for Mrs Harris at Chichester Festival Theatre, Little Miss Sunshine at the Arcola Theatre, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear - the Musical! at the National Theatre, London, Jethro in The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre, The Wizard in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and Elisha J. Whitney in Anything Goes at the Barbican Centre in the West End.

Wilmot has also appeared in many pantomimes since 1986. Most recently he has appeared as the dame in the London Palladium pantomimes for Qdos Entertainment such as Dick Whittington (2017), Snow White (2018) and Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2019) co-starring Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers.

Music

Wilmot's solo albums include Love Situation, The Album, and Double Standards.

In 1991, Wilmot teamed up with record producer Nigel Wright to record a medley featuring songs from Walt Disney film The Jungle Book. "The Bare Necessities Megamix" was a medley of "I Wanna Be Like You" and "The Bare Necessities", released under Wright's UK Mixmasters name. The record, executive produced by Simon Cowell, reached the top 20, ultimately peaking at number 14. This chart success gave the record a slot on BBC One's Top Of The Pops, with Wilmot featuring in the clip used for the video breakers on the programme originally broadcast on 12 December 1991 but Gary Martin appearing as the vocalist instead of Wilmot, in the studio a week later. In 2004, Wilmot embarked on his own national concert tour My Kind of Music taking him to many major concert venues throughout the country.

Stage credits

Theatre

Filmography

Television

Film

References

References

1. "Stage Star Gary Wilmot Has Come a Long Way Since Talent Show Days".
2. (2018-06-08). "The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2018".
3. (26 June 2009). "Gary Wilmot talks Chicago". Nottingham Evening Post.
4. (28 April 1997). "Revelations: Gary Wilmot – Goodbye Dad, hello showbiz".
5. (1 March 2012). "Gary Wilmot: A fruitful career – Features".
6. "Gary Wilmot Talks Chicago".
7. "West End star Gary tunes in as Radio Times hits city stage".
8. "Biography".
9. "Wilmot Takes Over from Ball as Chitty's Caractacus".
10. "Aberdeen, North & Tayside". STV News.
11. "Santa Claus The Musical".
12. "Birmingham – Entertainment – Gary Wilmot takes control of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". BBC.
13. "Gary Wilmot Credits".
14. "Pantomime Archive Hall of Fame Gary Wilmot".
15. "gary wilmot".
16. UK Mixmasters – "The Bare Necessities Megamix", produced by Nigel Wright for Skratch Music Productions, Executive Producer: Simon Cowell, 1991 Connect Records, licensed to BMG (UK) Ltd. catalogue number: ZB 45135
17. (12 December 1991). "Top of the Pops". BBC One.
18. "Archive news from the York Press".
19. "Gary Wilmot".
20. "Barry Manilow Copacabana in London starring Darren Day".
21. "The Goodbye Girl on stage in London – the musical comedy starring Gary Wilmot and Ann Crumb".
22. "Artistes Index".
23. "A Midsummer Night's Dream (2001) | Our Heritage | Open Air Theatre".
24. "The Pirates of Penzance (2001) | Our Heritage | Open Air Theatre".
25. "| Cambridge Network".
26. (8 June 2016). "Gary Wilmot will star as 'Caractacus Potts' in Chitty from 21 July 03".
27. (8 June 2016). "Casting confirmed for Open Air Theatre Regent's Park 2005 Season".
28. "Santa Clause – the Musical (Musical) archive [MUSICAL]".
29. "Birmingham – Entertainment – Gary Wilmot takes control of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". BBC.
30. "Tour archive for Half a Sixpence (Musical). 15th August 2007–10th May 2008 [TOUR]".
31. "We're off to see the Wizard!".
32. (29 July 2008). "The Wizard of Oz, Royal Festival Hall, London".
33. "Gary Wilmot Joins Cast of CHICAGO UK National Tour as 'Billy Flynn' 6/15-11/21".
34. "Lee Mead .. Timeline – Lord Arthur Savile's Crime UK tour, 2010".
35. (8 June 2016). "Cast update for the Invisible Man at Menier Chocolate".
36. "The Watermill Theatre – RADIO TIMES".
37. "The Watermill Theatre – RADIO TIMES – September 2012".
38. (2012-03-11). "Photos: A Bowl of Cherries at the Charing Cross Theatre". West End Theatre.
39. (14 May 2014). "The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre) | WhatsOnStage".
40. (2014-09-08). "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: Bonnie Langford and Gary Wilmot to join cast". West End Theatre.
41. (2014-11-24). "Oklahoma! UK and Irish tour – full cast announced".
42. (5 June 2015). "Gary Wilmot joins Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tour | WhatsOnStage".
43. "Stream the Film {{!}} Wind in the Willows the Musical".
44. (2015-12-17). "End Of The Rainbow UK Tour".
45. (3 June 2016). "Casting announced for Big the Musical | WhatsOnStage".
46. (22 November 2021). "Flowers for MRS Harris".
47. (18 October 2018). "Gary Wilmot's romantic thriller Sweet Lorraine premieres in Bognor Regis".
48. (25 April 2019). "Little Miss Sunshine".
49. (18 March 2019). "Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear the Musical".
50. "About the Show – the Prince of Egypt Musical Official Site".
51. (17 March 2023). "Gary Wilmot joins THE WIZARD OF OZ revival".
52. (December 2023). "Saturday Gang".
53. (December 2023). "Cue Gary".
54. (11 November 2020). "The Grinch musical broadcast further casting and creative team confirmed | WhatsOnStage".
55. (December 2023). "Lollipop Dragon: The Great Christmas Race".
56. "Lollipop Dragon: The Magic Lollipop Adventure (1986)".
57. "Lazarus (1994)".