Sian Reese-Williams

For other people named Sian Williams, see Sian Williams (disambiguation).

Sian Reese-Williams
Born (1981-11-18) 18 November 1981 (age 43)
Glanamman, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Alma materRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
TelevisionEmmerdale (2008–2013)
Hinterland (2016)
Hidden (2018–)
Line of Duty (2019–)

Sian Reese-Williams (born 18 November 1981)[1] is a Welsh actress, best known for playing detective Cadi John in three series of Hidden.[2]

Early life

Reese-Williams was born in Glanamman, South Wales. She lived in Swansea until the age of 4, when her family moved to Brecon, Mid Wales, where she attended Brecon High School.[3] She is a native Welsh speaker.

She graduated in drama from the University of Hull and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.[4] She now lives in South London.

Television

In 2008, Reese-Williams was cast to play the role of Gennie Walker in Emmerdale. The character was created by series producer Kathleen Beedles, although by the time Reese-Williams's first episode aired on 1 April 2008, Anita Turner had taken over from Beedles.[5] She was cast in the role and started filming in the week beginning 3 March 2008. In 2013, it was announced that Reese-Williams was to leave the soap. Her character was killed off on 25 July 2013.

In 2016, she featured in series 3 of critically acclaimed Welsh crime drama Hinterland / Y Gwyll, playing DI Tom Matthias's love interest, Manon.

In 2017, she starred in series 3 of the BAFTA award-winning 35 Diwrnod for S4C.

Reese-Williams played the role of Trudy in the BBC One/Netflix drama Requiem, which aired in early 2018, followed by the lead role of Detective Inspector Cadi John, in a bilingual crime drama that was shown on S4C in January 2018 as Craith, with all dialogue recorded in both English and Welsh, before being broadcast on BBC Wales and BBC Four as Hidden in June 2018.[6] A second series aired in 2019. A third and final series aired in 2022.[7]

In January 2020, she appeared in Silent Witness as Tina Harcourt, a long time beaten wife who took revenge on the husbands & partners of other beaten women by killing some and framing others for their murders.

Reese-Williams commenced work in BBC serial hospital drama Holby City in November 2020, playing Jodie, a tea lady, who has a relationship with consultant Sacha Levy, while he is recovering from the recent death of his fiancée Essie De Lucca.[8] Reese-Williams appeared in Vera on 29 August 2021 in the episode "Witness" in the role of Beth Draper.

Theatre

Following her stint in Emmerdale, Reese-Williams returned to theatre and in November 2013 played "Marta" in Children of Fate at the Bussey Building in Peckham.

In May/June 2014, she played 'Linda' in Alan Bennett's Enjoy at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

She has worked extensively with new-writing theatre Paines Plough on their Roundabout Theatre season. She starred to wide critical acclaim as W in Duncan Macmillan's Lungs, which was awarded the 2016 Manchester Theatre Award for Best Studio Production.

In 2019 respectively, Sian played the lead character of 'Gina' in Roy Williams "Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads", at Chichester Festival Theatre. Following 5 star reviews, the production was set to transfer to the Royal National Theatre's Dorfman in 2020. The transfer was cancelled due to the pandemic. She reprised the role at CFT's Minerva Theatre in 2022.

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Cowbois ac Injans Stella 1 episode
2008–2013 Emmerdale Gennie Walker Series Regular; 722 episodes
2016 Hinterland Manon Series 3 regular
2017 35 Diwrnod Sara Main role
2017 Requiem Trudy Franken Main role
2018–2021 Hidden DCI Cadi John 3 series, Main role
2019 Line of Duty Sgt. Jane Cafferty Series 5
2019 Pili Pala Sara Morris Main role
2020 Silent Witness Tina Harcourt
2020–2021 Holby City Jodie Rodgers Recurring role
2022 Vera Beth
2023 Wolf DI Maia Lincoln 6 episodes[9]
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2019 Justine Leanne
2024 The Beautiful Game Sian
Unreleased Cysylltiad (Connection) Luned

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2008 Inside Soap Awards Best Newcomer Nominated [10]
2008 14th National Television Awards Most Popular Newcomer Nominated [11]
2013 The British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [12]
2021 International Film Festival of Wales Best Supporting Actress Won [13]

References

  1. ^ "BBC Mid Wales Showbiz". Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  2. ^ Gibb, Bill (4 June 2018). "Sian Reese-Williams says psychological thriller Hidden is more of a personal drama rather than a detective drama". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Alumni". Brecon High School. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. ^ BBC Wales Hall of Fame Sian Reese-Davies Archived 20 July 2012 at archive.today
  5. ^ Green, Kris (27 May 2008). "Bonus Scoop: Emmerdale series producer Anita Turner". Digital Spy.
  6. ^ "Interview with Sian Reese-Williams (DI Cadi John)". BBC Media Centre. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Where was Hidden filmed, where is it set and who is in the cast?". Future Publishing Limited. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Holby City new star Sian Reese-Williams teases love twists for Jodie". What’s On TV. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  9. ^ "BBC releases first look imagery for new crime thriller series Wolf". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Inside Soap Awards 2008 – Nominations". MSN. Microsoft. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  11. ^ "National Television Awards 2008 - Voting now open". digitalspy.co.uk. 6 July 2008.
  12. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (11 March 2013). "British Soap Awards 2013 voting opens, nominations revealed". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  13. ^ "IFFW 2021". Film Festival Guild. Retrieved 22 March 2023.