ZAK FORD-WILLIAMS
“ THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS I NEED TO DO MY JOB…”
Zak Ford-Williams signed with McEwan & Penford a week before the coronavirus lockdowns. It followed a hugely successful showcase that saw Ford-Williams with a wide selection of representation offers to choose from. “I got a really good feeling from McEwan & Penford, not just because they were so nice, but because of how on-it they seemed.” Zak was busy during the proceeding UK lockdowns, getting to work quickly on a number of screen projects, the first of which was Sky’s Wolfe.
“I was actually really nervous about screen stuff,” admits Ford-Williams. “My training was all theatre really, and having to do self tapes was really nerve wracking.” As a wheelchair user, Zak Ford-Williams has an accessibility rider. “They’ve been really encouraging and helped me find my voice. They’ve shown me not to be nervous about it. There are certain things I need to do my job, rather than just suffer in silence and put on a smile.”
“I used to live in fear of me doing something that’s rubbish and no one telling me.”
“I had a lot of self esteem issues. I never thought I’d get any jobs, but James and Leah have been instrumental in building me up, helping me fill in those gaps in my confidence, and belief in my own work. I used to live in fear of me doing something that’s rubbish, and no one telling me. But I know that they’re thorough with everything that comes through them, whether that’s a contract, or one of my self tapes. It all gets the same critical eye, and I know it’s genuinely good.”
Zak has had a lot of roles come through and has had to navigate which ones to take, and which ones to pass on. “On paper a lot of them seemed really good, but not necessarily the best thing for my career right now. The team have been very good at helping me make some tough decisions. And when something might not be a good move, they always explain why they think that. It’s always up to me, but I know they have a long view of my career.”
“The confidence I get from knowing they have my back…”
Zak has played the leading role of ‘Owen’ in the series Better for the BBC and starred as the title role in The Elephant Man for Nottingham Playhouse. He is currently shooting a series lead in a forthcoming British TV drama.
“One of the most empowering things, is knowing I can trust them. I can go to them with any problem, any concern, anything I’m not sure about in a contract, and they sort it out. The confidence I get from knowing they have my back completely, that they are taking care of my career, means I can just focus on my work.”
