Paul Andrew Williams got his start in acting having landed a place in a prestigious drama school in London at age 18. But he became disenchanted, was side tracked and returned home to start over. But he returned to London to make a short film and music videos, little by little each small project brought in more money until one of his indie shorts got the attention of Fox Searchlight Directorâs Lab where he created, Itâs Ok To Drink Whiskey and it premiered in the Sundance Film Festival.Â
After a stint in LA, Paul returned home and the entire time he was trying to get The Cottage made but it kept stalling. In the mean time he was offered the Wild Things 3 but severe anxiety attacks forced him to quit.
But then he wrote a script called London to Brighton from that Friday to Monday, then got the funding (ÂŁ60,000) to make it and the gritty thriller ended up being a success! Paul decided to finally make his horror comedy. The Cottage. While it was well received at festivals, the critics back home didnât get it.Â
While his first feature, a gritty thriller, London to Brighton, was a critically acclaimed hit that made him an indie darling, this horror comedy, cost him and changed the trajectory of his career. First, was a rating system choice because of one word and had the word been removed, Paul believes it would have a different outcome. It was a big lesson to learn.
The next movie was like starting over. It was another low budget indie thriller, Cherry Tree Lane which was better received.Â
Paul changed direction again to TV and making dramas then he created Bull. And if you are a fan of the film The Children, that was based on a script he wrote and sold.Â
Paul Andrew Williams is one of my favorite filmmakers and one of my favorite comedies is apparently his worst feature, The Cottage! Check out his other work if you havenât already, London to Brighton, which put him on the map. Watch the more recent Bull and Cherry Tree Lane! Watch everything and support indie films.
