Lawrence Ubong Williams

Description
Laurence Ubong Williams is an Irish actor who voiced the character Fréaláf Hildeson in the 2024 anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. In this film, set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, Fréaláf is the nephew of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and eventually succeeds him as a king of Rohan. His performance as Fréaláf marked his entry into voice acting for anime.

Williams trained at The Oxford School of Drama and developed a broad career in theater, appearing in productions such as A Place for We for the Talawa Theatre Company, as well as Stop and Search and How to Find Us at the Soho Theatre. He began working in screen productions in 2015 and has since appeared in television series including Back (2017), Piso para dos (2022), and The Chelsea Detective (2023).

In an interview regarding The War of the Rohirrim, Williams discussed the unique collaborative process of anime voice production, which took place over two to three years. He noted that voice actors initially worked using only their voices, but as animators provided feedback and visuals of the environment and character movements, the actors would return to record new takes, a back-and-forth process he described as exhilarating. He also reflected on the character of Fréaláf, noting his strong sense of justice and the patience required before he is able to act upon it. Additionally, Williams commented on how fantasy stories can reflect real social dynamics, including tribalism and conflict.