Bill Barker - Official Thomas Jefferson Interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg
Bill
has enjoyed portraying Thomas Jefferson in a variety of
settings over the past twenty years. He first came to
Williamsburg in the spring of 1993 to perform as Jefferson
in a film made to honor Ambassador and Mrs. Walter H.
Annenberg. He has continued to appear as Jefferson for
Colonial Williamsburg, and assists in the development of
Jefferson programs for the Foundation.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Bill's interest in Thomas
Jefferson reaches back to his youth. He enjoys researching
the American world Jefferson knew with an interest in the
role the man played and continues to play in our American
identity.
Bill received a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in history, from
Villanova University and attended the University of
Pennsylvania for a brief time. Attracted to the stage at an
early age he became a professional actor, director and
producer. He was cast as Jefferson in many different venues
including the musical, 1776. Bill is the
same height, weight and general appearance as Mr. Jefferson.
Over the years he has evolved a repertoire of Jefferson
presentations tailored to corporate and government
audiences, as well as schools, societies and festivals. Bill
performed as Jefferson at the White House, the Palace of
Versailles and throughout the United States, Great Britain,
France and the Las Vegas Strip! He presented for Chataqua
and has been featured as Jefferson in several magazines
including Time, People, Atlantic, Philadelphia, Southern
Living, Reader’s Digest, and the Colonial Williamsburg
Journal.
Bill's work is praised in various newspapers, newsletters
and reports, among them those of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar
Forest, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, The Remnant Trust,
The Jefferson Legacy Foundation and The Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation. He appeared as Jefferson in
programs aired on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, The History
Channel, and C-SPANN. He has received commendations from The
City of Philadelphia, The City of St. Louis, The City of New
Orleans and The Hellenic Ideals Foundation. He enjoys
historical research, archaeology and traveling.
