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Will McKenzie is the main protagonist and the narrator of British coming-of-age comedy series The Inbetweeners and the duology movies.
He is played by Simon Bird.
Character
Personality
Will moves from a typical private school to a local sixth form comprehensive school because his mother, Polly, can no longer afford the private school fees. Will's parents have recently separated, due to his father having an affair with a woman only 4 years older than himself. His mother, Polly McKenzie, attributes to the bullying. All of Will's friends – and even the school bully, Mark Donovan – think She is "fit". On moving to the new school, Simon, Neil and Jay become Will's friends after initially trying to avoid him. Will is best known for his upper-class mannerisms, which makes him an even bigger target for bullies than he would have been at his old school. While he displays a deadpan cynicism during narration and among the other boys, he can be overwhelmingly optimistic, much to the ire of Mr. Gilbert. Will is also quite stubborn, getting into arguments when he feels wronged and quickly escalating into shouting at the person he is arguing with. These situations are always followed by a moment of humiliation for Will. He is an unconventional hero - although he is generally the wittiest and most level-headed of the group, he is prone to making bad choices and outrageous remarks. He is generally sophisticated, sensible and possesses intelligence that surpasses that of his friends. Another dominant characteristic is his tendency to deliver sarcastic, dry humorous remarks, some of which get him into trouble. Will also appears to follow certain ethical laws, though is not above occasionally committing dubious acts, such as purchasing alcohol illegally, insulting Neil's father while intoxicated, accidentally insulting people who are disabled, among others.
Will's list of interests included books, rollercoasters and girls and he aspires to have a career in law or maybe the media, He also would like to travel, maybe to Australia.
Will is the shortest of the four leads, and very bluntly, the most venerable in apperance too. He wears glasses and carries a briefcase, all which make him stand out as an easy target to bully. He also seems to wear the school blazer, something which no-one else tends to do, again, making him stand out again. He is also commented on his posh accent, a result of his private education.
Despite this, he is admired by a few girls, and he even 'pulls' Charlotte Hinchcliff, which earns him the grudging admiration of the group. He also can't get rid of Tara's friend when he is set up with her, which shows that she was desperate, or she really did find Will attractive.
Popularity
Will is the weakest inbetweener and the most mocked out of the 4 boys. He is called freak by Carli D'Amato's mates and everyone laughs and mocks him. Mark Donovan hates him so does everyone in his year apart from Charlotte Hinchcliffe he has the most bad things happen to him.
Relationships
Friendships
Simon Cooper: Though at first Simon is embarrassed by him, and tells him to 'hang back' on the way to the Sixth Form common room, they eventually start to become friends, and by later episodes, they have become best friends, with Simon coming to him first with problems, namely his car. They are very similar in their beliefs and this may be the reason they bonded so quickly.
They act, together, as the level headed, more intelligent part of the group, with Will severely missing Simon when he gets a girlfriend and spends less time with him. Will even states he's glad at the end of the episode that Simon was dumped by Tara, because he can get him back as a friend. Will is also the one who holds Jay and Neil back from moving in when Simon is talking to Tara, and Simon is the first to tell him that he needs to lay off the energy drinks at Exam time.
Will also feels confident enough to come to tell him about the loss of all his pubic hair (a result of Jay and Neil's pranks) and even asks him to look at it, but Simon tells him that friendship only goes so far and refuses to do so. Simon also comes to him first when Tara needs someone for her friend to date, and he calls Will in the last episode to tell him he is going to touch Carli in her bedroom, to which Will rushes out to save him like 'a superhero in pyjamas'. He fails, and Simon gets the wrong room, but that's besides the point. Simon says that Will is just as 'stupid as the rest of us' and only his accent makes him sound smart, but his car had been dumped in the lake and he was venting his feelings, so Will forgives him, even burning his own stuff to cheer him up.
Jay Cartwright: Will has a complicated relationship with Jay. The two bicker constantly, coming from different social classes. But they have had their friendlier moments, like when Charlotte humiliated Will, Jay seemed to feel some sympathy for him. Will was the only one of the boys to not meet Jay's girlfriend Chloe, but still believes that they were together, as Jay was crying whilst bragging about dumping her.
Neil Sutherland: Neil's blatant stupidity makes him a source of frustration for Will, along with the fact that he shows the most attraction for Will's mum. Neil also has a habit of unintentionally grossing Will out, doing things like sticking his bare butt in Will's face and pissing on him when they shared a bed together.
In the movie, Will and Neil have a moment alone where Neil reveals that he's an atheist and as such tries to make the most out of life. This changes Will's opinion of him somewhat.
Romances
Charlotte 'Big Jugs' Hinchcliffe: Charlotte took a shine to Will when he managed to engage her in conversation, treating her like an actual person and not a sex object. Charlotte likes Will enough to make out with him and allow him to feel her up, but not have sex. When Charlotte asks if Will is still a virgin, he loses his cool and makes up a ludicrous story, which works in his favour as it gets him into bed with Charlotte...then immediately works against him when she finds out how bad at sex he is.
After that, Charlotte loses all romantic interest in Will, though she still sees him as a friend. Will, however, thinks she's still keen and continually tries to win her back, only to be met with humiliation. Will finally admits defeat when Charlotte tells him that even though she finds him endearing, she would still rather go out with someone else. Will obsesses over her for a little while, but by the time he finishes school he seems to have gotten over her, as he admits he has never had any sexual contact with a girl, ignoring that one time he was with Charlotte.
Alison: Will shows a strong interest in Alison, due to Alison having a similar- though less awkward-personality. Even though Alison already has a boyfriend, Will has faith that she'll notice him. When the boys and girls go skinny-dipping, Alison strips naked in front of Will, then tells him to do the same. She then lets Will feel her breast, and it seems as though there might be a spark between them.
After Alison breaks up with her boyfriend, she confides in Will that despite his many flaws, he is still more dependable. She then askes him to be her boyfriend and the two spend the rest of their holidays together.
It is revealed that Alison dumped Will before the events of the second movie.
Katie Evans (Mouth Kiss Bird): Katie is a previous girl that Will befriended in his previous school. She likes him enough to kiss him on the lips, even though Will attempts to kiss her right back, but it fails. Katie is quite confident and beautiful and sees a spiritual path in Will which impresses her. At the campsite, Katie sits next to Will by the fire. she gives Will a friendship bracelet and asks to play her a song with the guitar. Despite trying to grab it off Ben, Will plays a cringy song for her which leads to Katie attempting to have sex with Will, but fails however Will manages to finger her to sleep.
The next day Katie reveals that she cannot remember what happened during the night; which disappoints Will, but he still attempts to pull her. But luck begins to fade after a ceremony song when Katie confirms that she is already hooked up with Ben, which annoys Will and ends their friendship overall.
Family
Polly McKenzie: Will's mum is totally oblivious to Will's personal life, though she still manages to smother him with parental concern. She also shows some insensitivity towards Will's feelings, going as far as to tell him that he doesn't stand a chance with Charlotte Hinchcliffe and should go for one of the plainer girls. When she buys Will an embarrassing shirt as a birthday present, she craftily manipulates him into wearing it by pretending to cry.
Despite all of this, Will does seem to love his mother, as he was seen crying on her shoulder when Charlotte broke his heart.
Mr. McKenzie: Unlike Will's mum, who pampers Will, Will's dad shows absolutely no interest in his son. In their one scene together, Will's dad shows that he is disappointed that his only son would turn out so socially inept. Will, despite all of this, seems to want his dad's admiration but doesn't quite know how to get it. In that regard, Will's relationship with his dad is a lot like his relationship with Mr. Gilbert. This changes, however, at the end of the movie after Will sends his father a photo of him and Alison together, thus showing him that he is more 'normal' than his father thought and thereby earning his long-awaited respect.
Enemies
Mr. Gilbert: Mr Gilbert hated Will from the moment he met him. Will thinks he is a wanker, but as he is the head of his year, he shows a grunging respect for him. This feeling is somewhat mutual, as Gilbert frequently allows Will to represent the school in various events such as Xmas Prom and the Duke of Edinburgh. According to Mr. Gilbert, this is only because Will is a goody-goody and easy to control (he even threatens to "break him" on one occasion).
Mr. Gilbert takes a deranged pleasure in Will's torment, going as far as to look the other way whenever he gets physically abused.
Mark Donovan: Donovan and Will have an antagonistic relationship, owing both to social status and the fact that Donovan is an alpha-male while Will is omega. This is only intensified when Donovan catches Will with Charlotte Hinchcliffe, his ex-girlfriend. Donovan finds Will's mum attractive, so he lets Will get away with more than he would any other student whom he hates as much as Will, though he still threatens to kill him on a regular basis.
Ben Thornton-Wild: At first Will thought Ben would be friendly towards him, but then his sour and cocky attitude made Will dislike him, becoming the primary antagonist for him in the second film. Will thinks that Ben is a hypocrite and somewhat boring and pretentious. After Katie kisses Ben in front of Will, he outbursts all of Ben's faults despite Ben beginning to become a little bit more friendly to him.
Character History
Before Rudge Park
Before moving to Rudge Park, Will's father, who is never named, left his mother Polly McKenzie. This deeply saddenned Will, but seemed able to cope with the support of his mother. After completing his fourth year at his private school in 2008, Polly feared that Will was being bullied, despite him insisting that he wasn't. She made the decision to move Will to Rudge Park, the local comprehensive. Despite Polly insisting that Will was being bullied, Will's move to Rudge Park was likely caused by financial problems more than anything else.
First year at Rudge Park
On his first day at Rudge Park, Will was shouted at, abused and insulted in the corridors, mainly for his "gay hair", "clumped shoes", the fact that he was carrying a briefcase instead of a schoolbag and wearing a large green badge which all new students had to wear.
In one of his classes, head of sixth form, Mr. Gilbert, instructed Simon Cooper be Will's guide around the school. Simon reluctantly agreed. When Will attended an annual tradition at the local pub after he managed to persuade Simon and his two friends Neil Sutherland and Jay Cartwright to allow him to go, he got into an argument with the barman after he was refused a drink as he could not prove he was of age. Out of anger, Will went around the bar and announced the age of everyone. If it wasn't for his attractive mother arriving at the last minute, he would have most likely been attacked.
Series 1
In the first episode Simon, Neil and Jay become Will's friends after initially trying to avoid him. The group warm to him after several efforts to win their friendship – including successfully buying alcohol and "not having sex" with the school's most attractive girl.
Series 2
Will aspires to have a career in law or maybe the media, and was supposed to be attending a local newspaper for work experience. However, a mix-up with applications sends Neil to the newspaper (instead of "driving aeroplanes") and Will spends his placement at a garage.
At the end of the second series, when the boys face exams, Will began to crack under pressure and relies on energy drinks to keep him going. This leads to him soiling himself in his final exam, and after sitting it several hours late, he goes to the pub and gets very drunk, compensating for the fact that he has probably failed his Politics AS level. He is seen to be interested in Charlotte "Big Jugs" Hinchcliffe, and the two of them have been known to spend time together, with Will usually messing it up. He nearly lost his virginity to Charlotte after telling her in school a few days before that he had had numerous lovers, although when they did attempt to have sex, Charlotte was let down by Will's unsuccessful attempt; in his own words "rubbing up against the perineum".
Series 3
In Series 3, Will is convinced into going on a double date with Simon, Tara, and Tara's friend, Kerry (or "Big" Kerry according to Will). He is repulsed by her presence as she is taller, a bit boring; however once he hears how she is infamous for giving blow**** to her last few boyfriends, he goes along with it. They unexpectedly share a kiss when Kerry escorts him back home, which gives her the impression that they're now going out.
At Neil's birthday party, Will can no longer pretend and tells her that they're not really going out, which devastates her and causes a dramatic misunderstanding among Neil's relatives. As a result, Will is told to leave by Neil's dad who reports the incident to his mother and gets grounded for three weeks for "doing nothing wrong."
The Inbetweeners Movie
Will has a brief moment with his father where he discusses his plans after finishing school. His father, however, could not care less. After graduating, Will gets an "old-school wedgie" from Mark Donovan.
When the boys travel to Malia, Will suggests looking at the more cultured parts of Greece, but is quickly dismissed. As the boys check out a local dance club, they notice Alison, Lucy, Jane and Lisa. Will, Neil and Simon then awkwardly dance over. Will gets off to a rocky start with Alison, but the two seem to enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately, Alison already has a boyfriend,
The next day, the boys go to the girl's hotel and lay by the pool. They occupy some sunbeds that were already taken and Simon smears sunscreen on Will's back in the shape of a s******* c***. By the time the girls arrive, Will has a cock-shaped sunburn on his back. He admits to Alison that he's still a virgin, which Alison mentions is "cute".
After Simon and Jay get in a fight and fall out, Will and Simon try to get tickets to the boat party on the next day. This ends in disaster, so they go back to the dance club and get drunk before meeting up with Jay, Neil and the girls. Alison makes a deal with Will that if he's still a virgin and she's single in a year, she will have sex with him. Everyone, sans Neil, goes skinny dipping and when Will and Alison get undressed, Alison lets Will touch her breast. Some time later, Will and Neil have a heart-to-heart about enjoying life. Will then leads the boys out on the town where they party, get drunk and genuinely have a good time.
The morning after, Alison reveals that she dumped her boyfriend, since he was unfaithful. She then gives Will her spare ticket to the boat party. While on the boat, Alison offers to alter her deal with Will so that instead of having sex in a year, they could have sex all year-meaning she wanted to be his girlfriend.
While enjoying the rest of their holiday, Will sends a photo of his new girlfriend to his father, finally gaining his respect. The two then part ways at the airport, only to reunite back in England, where Will introduces her to his mum.
The Inbetweeners 2
At the beginning of the 2nd film Will is a first year undergraduate at the University of Bristol. Like when he was a school he is struggling to fit in. This is revealed when Neil and Simon accompany Will to a party dressed as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. When his classmates open the door it is revealed that the party is not fancy dress, and he is laughed at for falling for their joke. Furthermore the boys are refused enterance to the party. Will is ridiculed further that evening when he returned to his room to find that his fellow students have duct taped all his furniture to the ceiling. It is also revealed that Alison had dumped Will after the events of the first film possibly due to his social awkwardness.
Will visits Jay in Australia along with Simon and Neil to see if Jay's mental gap year was worth going to Australia. Along the way, he meets up with his childhood sweetheart Katie Evans and his new enemy; Ben Thornton-Wild. Will attempts to pull Katie while thinking that she fancies him due to the kiss on the lips. At the campfire, Will sings a cringy, and high-pitched song for Katie which causes her to kiss Will and attempt to have sex with him, although Will seemed to feel uncomfortable with it, but he fingers her to sleep, but Will gets into trouble with a girl called Agnetha who sleeps below Will which causes a incident involving Will and his rape alarm.
The next day, Katie reveals that she is bad when she is drunk which leads to sex or kissing. Will is disappointed that she couldn't remember last night's events. Will also arrives at Splash Planet to hang out with Katie and Ben. Will and Ben race down the water slide. Neil accidently poos himself and it follows Will down the slide. Wanting to reach the end of the slide and trying not to get poo on to him, he later wins a race with Ben, but ends up vomiting as Neil's poo ended up on Will's face which closes down Splash Planet. Will was still attracted to Katie that he (like Charlotte in the series) dumps his friends to be with Katie, which causes an argument between Will and Simon.