Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy

William Francis Nighy (born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received numerous awards, including two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Academy Award and a Tony Award. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with The Illuminatus! in 1977. There he gained acclaim for his roles in David Hare's Pravda in 1985, Harold Pinter's Betrayal in 1991, Tom Stoppard's Arcadia in 1993, and Anton Chekov's The Seagull in 1994. He received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor nomination for his performance in Blue/Orange in 2001. He made his Broadway debut in Hare's The Vertical Hour in 2006, and returned in the 2015 revival of Hare's Skylight earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. Early film roles include in the comedies Still Crazy (1998), and Blow Dry (1999) before his breakout role in Love Actually (2003) which earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He soon gained recognition portraying Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series (2006-2007), and Viktor in the Underworld film series (2003-2009). Other films include Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), The Constant Gardener (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Hot Fuzz (2007), Valkyrie (2008), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), About Time (2013), Emma (2020), and Living (2022), the last of these earning him his first career Academy Award nomination. Nighy has gained acclaim for his roles in television earning a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance in BBC One series State of Play (2003), and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the BBC film Gideon's Daughter (2007). He's also known for his roles in HBO's The Girl in the Café (2006) and PBS's Page Eight (2012).

KNOWN FOR
CREDITS
PHOTOS

TV Series

Wycliffe

Wycliffe

6
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

7.1
The One Show

The One Show

4.538
Meerkat Manor

Meerkat Manor

7.5
Performance

Performance

6
Agony

Agony

6.5
Richard & Judy

Richard & Judy

2.9
State of Play

State of Play

7.5
World's Most Scenic River Journeys

World's Most Scenic River Journeys

8
He Knew He Was Right

He Knew He Was Right

7.8
Making News

Making News

6
Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty

Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty

9
The Lost Prince

The Lost Prince

7
The Big Art Project

The Big Art Project

0
The Last Place on Earth

The Last Place on Earth

6.8
Live from Studio Five

Live from Studio Five

3.3
Doctor Who

Doctor Who

7.5
Minder

Minder

6.8
Canterbury Tales

Canterbury Tales

6.9
Fox

Fox

5.7
People Like Us

People Like Us

7.9
Peak Practice

Peak Practice

6.1
Chillers

Chillers

6.2
The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth

7.4
Kavanagh Q.C.

Kavanagh Q.C.

7
Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country

Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country

0
South Of The Border

South Of The Border

0
Ordeal by Innocence

Ordeal by Innocence

7
10 Minute Tales

10 Minute Tales

7.5
Black Books

Black Books

8.058
Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge

Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge

10
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

7.9
Eye of the Storm

Eye of the Storm

8
Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

5.3
Lazarus

Lazarus

0
Grumpy Old Men

Grumpy Old Men

7.2
Longitude

Longitude

7
Performance

Performance

6
Castlevania

Castlevania

8.261
Testament: The Bible in Animation

Testament: The Bible in Animation

6.4
Play for Today

Play for Today

6.333
Timeshift

Timeshift

7
Reilly: Ace of Spies

Reilly: Ace of Spies

7
World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

8.1
Kent: Garden of England

Kent: Garden of England

0
Parkinson

Parkinson

0
This Morning

This Morning

5.2
Ride or Die

Ride or Die

0

Movies

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

7.366
Underworld

Underworld

6.835
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

7.3
Love Actually

Love Actually

7.105
Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal

7.1
Still Crazy

Still Crazy

6.7
Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates

Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates

4
Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead

7.538
Underworld: Evolution

Underworld: Evolution

6.592
Valkyrie

Valkyrie

6.948
10 Lives

10 Lives

7.8
The Constant Gardener

The Constant Gardener

6.996
Guest House Paradiso

Guest House Paradiso

6.136
Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz

7.562
Thirteen at Dinner

Thirteen at Dinner

5.681
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

6.671
Flushed Away

Flushed Away

6.308
The Little Drummer Girl

The Little Drummer Girl

5.5
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

6.535
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

7.741
Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener

Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener

4
Enduring Love

Enduring Love

5.676
Stormbreaker

Stormbreaker

5.2
The Girl in the Café

The Girl in the Café

7.145
Lucky Break

Lucky Break

6.2
Glorious 39

Glorious 39

6
FairyTale: A True Story

FairyTale: A True Story

6.4
Wild Target

Wild Target

6.4
Rango

Rango

6.876
The Magic Roundabout

The Magic Roundabout

5.4
Astro Boy

Astro Boy

6.3
Total Recall

Total Recall

6.025
Blow Dry

Blow Dry

5.9
I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle

6.797
True Blue

True Blue

6.1
The Boat That Rocked

The Boat That Rocked

7.23
Longitude

Longitude

7.25
Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas

6.769
G-Force

G-Force

5.459
Real Creatures of Dirt

Real Creatures of Dirt

6
Mack the Knife

Mack the Knife

6.6
Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer

5.856
Page Eight

Page Eight

6.6
The Young Visiters

The Young Visiters

5.357
Unnatural Causes

Unnatural Causes

0
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

6.946
Wrath of the Titans

Wrath of the Titans

5.744
Chalet Girl

Chalet Girl

6.4
Lawless Heart

Lawless Heart

5.1
Gideon's Daughter

Gideon's Daughter

6.2
The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

5.6
I, Frankenstein

I, Frankenstein

5.362
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil

Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil

4.85
The World's End

The World's End

6.808
About Time

About Time

7.914
The First Omen

The First Omen

6.9
Alive and Kicking

Alive and Kicking

4.9
Pride

Pride

7.7
Joy

Joy

6.946
Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Lord Fauntleroy

7.3
Turks & Caicos

Turks & Caicos

6.274
Salting the Battlefield

Salting the Battlefield

6.3
Easter 2016

Easter 2016

0
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

6.415
Role Play

Role Play

6
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue

Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue

6.702
National Theatre Live: Skylight

National Theatre Live: Skylight

8.9
Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens

Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens

0
The Maitlands

The Maitlands

0
Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz

Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz

0
Curse of the Pink Panther

Curse of the Pink Panther

4.61
Darkling

Darkling

0
The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot

8.312
500 Miles

500 Miles

0
Norm of the North

Norm of the North

4.624
Their Finest

Their Finest

6.649
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special

The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special

4
Being Human

Being Human

5.1
Dad's Army

Dad's Army

5
Slapper

Slapper

3.5
Spectre of the Bear

Spectre of the Bear

0
That Christmas

That Christmas

7.2
Bloody Fury

Bloody Fury

0
Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher

Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher

6
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill

Ready When You Are, Mr McGill

7.3
Burst

Burst

0
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman

7
Don't Leave Me This Way

Don't Leave Me This Way

7
Absolute Hell

Absolute Hell

5.7
& Sons

& Sons

0
A Masculine Ending

A Masculine Ending

0
Astonish Me

Astonish Me

8
Fox

Fox

1
The Limehouse Golem

The Limehouse Golem

6.2
London: The Modern Babylon

London: The Modern Babylon

6.5
Dreams of Leaving

Dreams of Leaving

7
The Bookshop

The Bookshop

6.491
Red Nose Day Actually

Red Nose Day Actually

7
We Love Cigarettes

We Love Cigarettes

0
Antonia and Jane

Antonia and Jane

5.5
Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

0
Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

6.921
The Kindness of Strangers

The Kindness of Strangers

6.4
Hope Gap

Hope Gap

6.269
Great White Shark

Great White Shark

6.2
Sometimes Always Never

Sometimes Always Never

6.3
Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene

Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene

1
Emma.

Emma.

7.016
Minamata

Minamata

6.929
StarDog and TurboCat

StarDog and TurboCat

7.047
The Hungry Corpse

The Hungry Corpse

0
Eye of the Needle

Eye of the Needle

6.649
Death Watch

Death Watch

6.3
Soldiers Talking, Cleanly

Soldiers Talking, Cleanly

0
Living

Living

7.002
Under the Skin

Under the Skin

0
Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular

Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular

8.5
AKA

AKA

5.6
Buckley's Chance

Buckley's Chance

6.2
Occupy!

Occupy!

0
Lotus: A New Dawn

Lotus: A New Dawn

6
The Beautiful Game

The Beautiful Game

6.3
Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

0
Deasey (Desperate)

Deasey (Desperate)

0
Standing in for Henry

Standing in for Henry

0
The Bass Player

The Bass Player

0
Untitled Jason Statham Action-Thriller

Untitled Jason Statham Action-Thriller

0
Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews

Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews

0
Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise

0