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Will Grundy

The fact that Will used to hide under the table to gain attention when his brother Edward was a baby was perhaps a portent.

Fact title Fact data
Played by:
Philip Molloy
Born:
9 February 1983
Status:
Lives at:
No.1, The Green

Initially as mischievous but always more constant than Ed, Will is the more solid of the two Grundy boys, and the one who some might say would make the better husband. Emma Carter didn't agree, leaving her new (and as she saw it slightly boring) marriage for the more risky brother.

Amongst the utter devastation that followed, Emma (erroneously) claimed that baby George was Ed's. With time, though a huge rift with Ed remained, Will moved on and married Nic Hanson. Sadly in 2018, Nic fell ill and died from sepsis after cutting her hand.

Will struggled to cope with his grief and at his lowest ebb was at risk of taking his own life. His family found him and brought him back from the brink. Emma and Ed's parts in this helped to heal the hurt from their past love triangle. Following this crisis, Will returned to the family home at Grange Farm where he recuperated amongst his family. He has since moved into his own house No.1 The Green with son George and daughter Poppy

I've got to arrange some more beaters for next week's shoot.
Will Grundy
  • Likes - Spending time with his family
  • Dislikes - Tidiness
  • Highs - When love of his life Emma agreed to marry him. But it was a greater high when the far more constant Nic did the same.
  • Lows - Discovering the extent of Emma's deception with his brother, the death of his wife Nic.

Immediate family

Key relationships

Philip Molloy

Philip Molloy joined the Archers in 1989 at the tender age of eight. Moving from those first lines β€Dad, dad, that man’s got my ball, dadβ€ through to the supposed change of actor upon Philip’s voice breaking, one thing’s certain: he has grown as much as his character has. Now grown a father of two, one has to wonder if art is imitating life or vice-versa.

Fully trained as a television camera assistant, Philip currently lives and works in Birmingham. He is currently working on β€the greatest project of [my] lifeβ€β€¦

Other Career highlights

Learning my trade as a child around some of the best actors Britain has to offer. I’ve been happy to keep my acting focussed around young William.

The whole process of modern day storytelling has interested me so I trained as a television cameraman, and had the pleasure of working within the camera department on numerous shows such as EastEnders, Brookside, Hollyoaks and Grange Hill.

Camera assisting backstage at a Robbie Williams concert in Germany. We were using one of the first HD prototypes created by Sony. One was in Japan, eighteen were being used for the Robbie concert and we had the twentieth.

Archers highlights

I was sitting waiting for an episode, relatively relaxed as it was my sixth year on the programme, when newcomer Kellie Bright (Kate Aldridge) sat down next to me. She quietly got out her script, leaned over and confided β€sorry, I’m a little nervousβ€. I enjoyed watching Kellie in The Upper Hand so I think it was at this moment that I realised the true impact The Archers has on people.

Iit was at this moment that I realised the true impact The Archers has on people
Philip Molloy

Finding out after possibly fifteen years on the programme that my dear old β€granddad’ Edward Kelsey (Joe Grundy) was also Baron Greenback from the classic Danger Mouse. Epic.

Philip's view on William Grundy

William, bless him, is overburdened with common sense. Loves his family, loves the world, all this pleasure, where’s the pain? Oh yeah, Ed..... well I guess sometimes the hottest forge produces the strongest anvil.

Favourite

  • Actor - Line up every other actor in the world and I would have to choose this man for his general β€epicness’: Terry Molloy (Mike Tucker). He’s my dad. However running a very close second would be Patrick Stewart for his sterling work as Captain Jean-Luc Picard over seven series of Star Trek and numerous films. He brings some essential British naval traditions to a uniquely American programme.
  • Book - Lord Of The Rings is a tale of two cities that I think we can all relate to, and speaks closely to me.
  • Film - If you ever have a favourite film you probably don’t like movies as much as you should. I like The Towering Inferno, Time Bandits, Never Ending Story, Watership Down, the LOTR Trilogy, The One, Castaway and Don’t Mess With the Zohan. Films like Avatar herald a fresh time for storytellers and open up new possibilities for the imagination.

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