Evan Williams was born in Alberta, Canada, and spent most of his childhood in Calgary. He credits his father, an engineer, and his mother, a professional artist, for their generosity in supporting him as he sought out his own creative outlet.

He performed first in choir and musical theater productions with the local church, traveling to Moscow as part of a street performance troupe. Evan began to think seriously about a career in acting after being cast as the title role in 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' in high school. He then joined the Summerstock Conservatory where he performed a number of musicals in downtown Calgary, and was the recipient of the Phyllis Pope Award for Best Performance for his portrayal of the eccentric Rabbi in 'Fiddler On the Roof' in 2004.