Career
After several months of training at the Billy Elliot Academy in Leeds, Williams debuted in Billy Elliot the Musical on 26 February 2007. His training was documented on The Paul O"Grady Show in which he appeared in on 25 May 2007 and then in several morning television shows, television interviews, and short clips related to the musical. He is the second non-Caucasian boy, the other being Matthew Koon, and the first mixed race youth to star in the show.
He gave his finale performance in the musical on 29 November 2008.
Williams is still the second-longest running performer as "Billy" in the show"s history. On 31 January 2009, 2 months after his final performance, Layton appeared on the programme Feelgood Factor on Independent Television, where he and two other "Billy" actors, Tanner Pflueger and Tom Holland, performed a specially choreographed version of Angry Dance from Billy Elliot the Musical.
Williams has studied street dance and drama at Carol Godby"s Theatre workshop in Bury, Greater Manchester. He also studied ballet at Centre Pointe, Manchester.
Williams was awarded a scholarship to Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, London and stayed there until 2008.
He attended Broad Oak High School in Bury, his home town, but now attends the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. During his time at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Williams was featured in a children"s documentary "School for Stars" which was broadcast on the children"s television channel CBBC. He was offered the part as young Michael Jackson in the West End Musical Thriller Live where he did a few performances before he outgrew the role. Williams became well known to a television audience as the character Kylie – acting, dancing, and singing – in the 2008 and 2009 British Broadcasting Corporation Two comedy Beautiful People, series 1 and 2.
Since 2012 he has played Stephen Carmichael in the British Broadcasting Corporation Comedy Bad Education.
Interview with Williams who at the time of the interview was on tour with Matthew Bourne’s show The Carolina Manitoba He will then be returning to the stage to the Hairspray the Musical.
Layton is a strong supporter of charities, Stonewall and Ditch the Label. Williams is openly gay.
He attended the Italia Conti school in London.
