Mark Williams (Holby City)

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Mark Williams is a fictional character from the

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medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actor

Robert Powell Robert Powell (; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and ''Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) and its s ...

. The character first appeared in the series seven episode "Stick or Twist", broadcast on 15 February 2005. Mark was created as a new addition to the show's existing Williams family, entering as the ex-husband and father of established characters

Tricia Williams ''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty''. It is set in the ...

(

Sharon Maughan Sharon Patricia Maughan (born 22 June 1950) is a British actress. Early life Sharon Mughan grew up in Kirkby, Lancashire, with her four siblings. She later changed her surname to "Maughan". Career Upon graduating from RADA, Maughan gained ...

) and

Chrissie Williams Christine "Chrissie" Williams (also Levy) is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', played by Tina Hobley. She first appeared in the third series episode "The Road Less Travelled", broadcast on 5 June 2001. Hobley deci ...

(

Tina Hobley Tina Ellen Hobley (born 20 May 1971) is an English actress and radio presenter, best known for her long-running role as Chrissie Williams in the BBC One medical drama series ''Holby City''. Hobley left Holby City in November 2013 after 12 years. ...

) respectively. Powell stated that he was looking forward to the opportunity to develop the character over a longer period of time than with the briefer acting roles he was more used to taking. The character's major storylines have centered on his relationship with his family. He reunited with Tricia and discovered that she had been raped by his father, meaning Chrissie was actually his biological half-sister. Although the couple were able to put the past behind them and remarry, Tricia was killed in a road traffic accident in 2006. Mark struggled to cope in her absence, succumbing to a

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

addiction in 2007. The character was later promoted to the hospital's

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

. Powell left the serial in 2010 and Mark departed in the series thirteen episode "Don't Go Changing", broadcast on 25 February 2011. The character was well-received by the audience, although his cocaine storyline was criticised for its surrealism in the media.

Creation

Background

The character of Mark was created as an addition to the existing Williams family on the show, composed of established characters

(

), Mark's daughter, and

(

), Mark's former wife. One

series 7 Series 7 may refer to: *The seventh season of any of many shows or series; see and *Series 7 exam, officially the General Securities Representative Exam, the most comprehensive financial securities exam offered by the FINRA *'' Series 7: The Conte ...

plot strand saw Tricia diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

, and as Hobley explained: "Chrissie is extremely supportive and they start to become much closer." When Tricia was abandoned by her boyfriend,

plastic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...

character

Carlos Fashola '' Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. It is set in the ...

, Chrissie took it upon herself to seek out her father, hoping to reunite her family before it was too late. It was revealed that Mark and Tricia had met when they were both training to be nurses, but that Mark had walked out on the two of them when Chrissie was a child, and had parted on bad terms with Tricia. He would also win world snooker championships in 2000,2003 and 2018.

Casting

It was first announced on 23 October 2004 that

had been cast in the role of Mark. A ''Holby City'' spokesperson commented: "We are very excited about having Robert on board." Having signed a contract to appear in the show for at least a year, Robert Powell spoke of his introductory storyline with enthusiasm, stating that "With three Williamses on the ward, it'll be fireworks galore!" Tina Hobley agreed that his introductory storyline was "very good", adding "Robert Powell is a great actor and I am proud to be working with him." Although he admitted to never having watched an episode of ''Holby City'' prior to his casting, Powell stated that he was attracted to the role because "I've never done a drama series of this kind before. It's great fun being allowed to develop a character over years rather than weeks." In preparation for assuming the role of Mark, he shadowed a nurse on a night shift at

Charing Cross hospital Charing Cross Hospital is an acute general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom. The present hospital was opened in 1973, although it was originally established in 1818, approximately five miles east, in central L ...

, calling the experience "a revelation". Powell's casting in the role marked the beginning of a trend remarked upon by TV critic Jim Shelley, who noted a tendency of ''Holby City'' producers toward hiring already well established actors, including comedian

Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series '' The Young Ones'' (1 ...

and actress

Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bir ...

. When asked in November 2007 whether she actively sought out well-known-names to fill new roles in the show, series producer Diana Kyle responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best - which is why we go for them!"

Development

Personality

The

...
describe Mark as "a carefree rogue, a wild child of the 60's. He's a rolling stone, always looking for an excuse to go on the run." Deemed by ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' to be "flaky, irresponsible, and untrustworthy", Powell has assessed of his character "he's the kind of man who is constantly in trouble. Mark's not malicious - he's worked as a nurse all his life - but he's certainly unreliable", imparting that he feels Mark as a phobia of authority. Although Powell stated in 2005 that Mark loved his wife and daughter dearly, he elaborated that: "He's a man to whom everything seems like a good idea at the time! Tends to avoid confrontation but this is probably because he is beset by women!" In 2008, a year after Tricia's death, the character referred to himself on-screen as "By day, fearless Consultant Nurse. By night, lonely old fart."

Relationship with Tricia

Mark first appeared in episode "Stick or Twist", when estranged daughter

tracked him down in London - spurred on to find her father by her mother's recent

diagnosis. Asked by Chrissie to return with her to

Holby Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, the setting for the BBC medical dramas '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'', and the police drama ''HolbyBlue''. It is based on the real city of Bristol, where ''Casualty'' was formerly filmed, and is ...

in order to support her mother through her treatment, Mark initially refused, sending her away again. However, he later changed his mind and arrived at

Holby City Hospital Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, the setting for the BBC medical dramas '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'', and the police drama '' HolbyBlue''. It is based on the real city of Bristol, where ''Casualty'' was formerly filmed, and i ...

, taking a Staff Nurse job with the intention of getting to know his daughter. He found himself falling in love with Tricia again, and fought to win her affection from on-and-off boyfriend

, eventually triumphing and reuniting with his former wife. Their relationship was severely tested when Chrissie made contact with Mark's father, Frank Williams. Robert Powell explained: ""Chrissie finds Mark's father for him but he has not spoken to his father for some time since they had a major falling out. What she does not know is that the issues between Mark and his father are nothing compared to the issues between Mark's father and Tricia, his daughter-in-law." Indeed, Tricia was extremely pensive about the reunion, even more so when Frank was taken ill and admitted to the hospital.

expanded on the storyline: "Tricia's horrified when

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

tells her that Frank had a suspected stroke in the night and was rambling on about Chrissie being his daughter. At first, Tricia claims that Frank doesn't know what he is talking about because he is ill. But later, when Lisa finds her crying, she breaks down and reveals that Frank raped her when she was a teenager, during the time she was married to Mark." Tricia had Frank take a secret

paternity test DNA paternity testing is the use of DNA profiles to determine whether an individual is the biological parent of another individual. Paternity testing can be especially important when the rights and duties of the father are in issue and a child' ...

, confirming that he was indeed Chrissie's biological father. As his condition deteriorated, she lied, claiming that he had expressed an instruction that he did not wish to be resuscitated. Frank died, and Tricia hoped that Chrissie's true paternity could remain a secret.

Chrissie's paternity

However, as Powell explained, Tricia's secret did not stay hidden for long. "It's truly awful. It comes out because Mark is sorting out Frank's life insurance and the insurance company wants to see all of his medical notes. Tricia is nervous that Mark will find Frank had a paternity test, so she gets all his records and gives them to Mark in a sealed envelope. But Mark says he needs to add a cover letter and opens the envelope anyway. Of course he sees Frank took the test and demands to know what's going on. Mark's furious. Tricia runs away and Mark's left to deal with the hideous realisation that Chrissie's not his daughter and that his dad was a rapist. Then to make matters worse, he has to work with Chrissie, pretending everything's normal. I know that if I were in his shoes, I certainly wouldn't tell her. It doesn't take much imagination to realise how devastating that kind of news would be for Chrissie. Mark loves her and, at the end of the day, that's all that counts." The pair separated, with Mark unable to deal with the revelation. Chrissie was informed that Mark was not her biological father, but the truth of her paternity was kept from her, resulting in a bitter fall out with her mother. It took many months for Mark and Tricia's relationship began to heal again, and even when they had managed to set the past behind them and move on, things did not run smoothly. Powell elaborated: "Mark and Tricia got back together. He was absolutely delighted. On top of that, he knew Tricia had asked for her

breast reconstruction Breast reconstruction is the surgical process of rebuilding the shape and look of a breast, most commonly in women who have had surgery to treat breast cancer. It involves using autologous tissue, prosthetic implants, or a combination of both wit ...

to be brought forward following a successful

mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operat ...

." However, Mark then discovered that he had a mild form of

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...

that could be hereditary, meaning Chrissie needed to be informed. Rather than revealing that Frank was her real father, Tricia suggested that she pretend to be the one with the condition. Powell continued: "'Chrissie's not stupid and is convinced Tricia's up to something. So, she decides to check her mum's file. Mark gets there first, but when he opens the file later he sees that Tricia has liver cancer and needs

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...

immediately - she'd found out recently." He stated: "The outlook is bleak and I've no idea how they'll manage to cope this time".

Remarriage; Tricia's death

Although Mark was desperate for Tricia to have chemotherapy, she proved reluctant, deciding that her previous cycles had been too grueling. Terrified that he might lose her, Mark proposed that they remarry. Initially, Tricia turned him down, with

explaining: "She doesn't like the thought of saying 'til death do us part', knowing she's dying. Tricia's still in denial and doesn't want to admit she hasn't got long. She feels everything is accelerating out of her control." However, following an incident which saw the two characters taken hostage at work, Tricia rethought her decision. "It scares her and makes her realise that Mark's always been there for her; he offers a safe place away from the crazy world that's out there". The two remarried in the hospital peace garden in episode "Now or Never", with Chrissie and colleague Lola Griffin as witnesses. Tricia then underwent experimental surgery to excise her cancer, and she and Mark were delighted when it appeared to have been successful. They planned a second honeymoon in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, however, en route to the airport were involved in a road traffic accident. Tricia suffered serious injuries, and although she was stabilized in theatre by

Diane Lloyd Diane Lloyd is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', played by actress Patricia Potter. She first appeared in the series four episode "High Risk", broadcast on 2 July 2002. Diane arrives at the hospital to work as a s ...

, her condition soon thereafter worsened, leaving Mark and Chrissie conflicted over how to continue with her treatment. Maughan explained: "Mark and Chrissie have completely opposing views. He's desperate to do anything he can and wants to put Tricia on a life support machine, but Chrissie is saying 'Stop, she's never going to be the same'." Ultimately, the two agreed to let Tricia pass away in peace.

Life after Tricia

Mark struggled to cope following Tricia's death, and despite being promoted to the position of Nursing Consultant, went on to develop a

addiction in 2007. Initially he refused to recognise that he had a problem, but when Chrissie was threatened by his drug dealer, he accepted that he needed help. Friend and colleague

Elliot Hope Elliot Hope is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama television series ''Holby City'', played by Paul Bradley. The character first appeared on 8 November 2005 in the episode "More Equal Than Others" - series eight, episode four of t ...

provided support, while Chrissie's boyfriend, Stuart McElroy, had Mark checked into rehab under the guise of attending a resuscitation refresher course. With their support, Mark was able to break his dependency, although he again became disillusioned when it transpired that Stuart was an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

. In a drunken rage, he attacked Chrissie, slashing her face open with a scalpel. Chrissie decided to depart from Holby in order to recover, leaving Mark alone, but later returned. Mark later became involved in a relationship with

Judith Marchant ''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty''. It is set in the ...

. Following the departure of CEO

Vanessa Lytton Vanessa Lytton is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actress Leslie Ash. The character first appeared on-screen on 13 October 2009 in the episode " The Spirit Dancing" - series eleven, episode fifty- ...

, Mark was approached by Holby's chairman who asked him to apply for the position. Although initially unsure of his ability to do the job, Mark successfully applied.

In popular culture

The 17 November 2006 '' Children in Need''

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...

telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...

included a segment featuring the '' Holby City'' cast performing a version of ''

Hung Up "Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October ...

'' by Madonna. Powell as Mark featured prominently in this sketch, singing and dancing alongside many of his ''Holby City'' co-stars.

Reception

The storyline which saw Mark become addicted to cocaine was criticised for its lack of realism by ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...

'' writer Jim Shelley. He stated that although Mark had previously been one of the more normal characters in the show, there was no obvious reason behind his descent into cocaine addiction, deeming the storyline: "TV crack - instant, mind-altering, utterly addictive." ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' writer Mark Wright examined the cocaine addiction storyline in contrast to complaints from drinks industry body the

Portman Group The Portman Group is a trade group composed of alcoholic beverage producers and brewers in the UK. History It was set up in 1989 as part of a campaign to raise awareness on alcohol-related issues, and its members account for the majority of a ...

that a scene featuring characters

Maddy Young Madeleine "Maddy" Young is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actress Nadine Lewington. The character first appeared on-screen on 16 January 2007 in episode "Face Value" - series 9, episode 15 of the pr ...

and

Sam Strachan Samuel Noel "Sam" Strachan is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actor Tom Chambers. The character first appeared on-screen on 3 January 2006, in episode "Mother Love" - series 8, episode 12 of the pro ...

downing tequila shots was "highly irresponsible", writing: "To put this storm in a shot glass into perspective, the offending scene took place in the same episode that Mark Williams was in the gents chopping out a line of cocaine. Yes, Mark Williams played by Robert Powell. He was Jesus, you know! Now who’s talking social responsibility?" The character has been generally well received by fans of the show. In the 2006 official fan awards, the storyline surrounding daughter Chrissie's true paternity was awarded 4th best of series 8, and Mark and Tricia were voted the series 5th Best Couple. In 2007, episode "One For My Baby" in which Mark's wife Tricia died, was voted best episode of series 9, which Mark and Tricia this time voted the series 3rd Best Couple.

References

External links

Mark Williams
at BBC Programmes
Mark Williams
at ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compet ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Mark Holby City characters Fictional nurses Television characters introduced in 2005 Male characters in television Fictional cocaine users