Michael Williams

Michael Williams is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Southampton, teaching across undergraduate, MA, and PhD programs. His research spans stardom, silent cinema, classical reception studies, and queer identity in historical contexts.

• Current research focuses on intersections of Hollywood and antiquity, LGBTQ+ representation in silent films, and British cinema’s relationship to the Great War.
• He co-edited the 2024 Intellect publication on Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name and authored monographs on Ivor Novello and mythological stardom.
• Michael supervises PhD candidates in film research and contributes to journals like Screen and Early Popular Visual Culture.

His awards include Fellowship with Advance HE, and he actively participates in the university’s PULSE LGBTQ+ Staff Network. Michael previously served as Head of the Film Department from 2017–2021.