- Born
- Birth nameWilliam Francis Nighy
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- Bill Nighy is an award-winning British character actor. He was born William Francis Nighy on December 12, 1949 in Caterham, Surrey, England, to Catherine Josephine (Whittaker), a psychiatric nurse from Glasgow, and Alfred Martin Nighy, who was English-born and managed a garage in Croydon.
At school, he gained 'O'-levels in English Language and English Literature and enjoyed reading, particularly Ernest Hemingway. On leaving school he wanted to become a journalist but didn't have the required qualifications. He eventually went on to work as a messenger boy for the Field magazine. He stayed in Paris for a while because he wanted to write "the great novel", but he only managed to write the title. When he ran out of money, the British consul shipped him home.
Nighy wound up training at Guildford School of Dance and Drama in London, and has since then worked consistently in film, television, and on stage.
Nighy is perhaps best-known to international audiences for his memorable performance as washed-up pop singer Billy Mack in Love Actually (2003), which won him a BAFTA for best supporting actor. He has also made appearances in major franchises: he played vampire leader Viktor in Underworld (2003), Underworld: Evolution (2006) and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), did the performance capture and voice for Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and made a brief appearance as Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010).
Nighy's recent film credits include roles in I Capture the Castle (2003), 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) and The Boat That Rocked (2009). He has also provided voice work for many animated movies in the past few years including Flushed Away (2006), Astro Boy (2009), Rango (2011) and Arthur Christmas (2011).
With supporting turns in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012) and Total Recall (2012), 2012 was a busy year for Nighy. There are no signs of slowing down either, as he next appeared in Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), About Time (2013), and I, Frankenstein (2014).
Nighy has also had an active career on the small screen, beginning with Agony (1979), and his first widely-recognized role was in 1991 mini-series The Men's Room (1991). He has also made a habit of working on television with Harry Potter director David Yates: projects together include State of Play (2003), The Young Visiters (2003), The Girl in the Café (2005) and Page Eight (2011). Nighy won a Golden Globe for his performance in Gideon's Daughter (2005).
Nighy actually began his career on the stage, and has earned acclaim for his work in numerous plays including "The Vertical Hour," "Pravda". "A Map of the World", Tom Stoppard's Arcadia in 1993, and David Hare's Skylight. He received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in 2001 play "Blue/Orange."
Bill's partner was actress Diana Quick (he asked her to marry him but she said: "don't ask me again"; he called her his wife because anything else would have been too difficult). They have a daughter, Mary Nighy, who is studying at university and contemplating an acting career. She has already begun to appear on TV dramas and radio programs.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous and Dianne Martin - Bill Nighy is an award-winning actor of the stage and screen whose extensive filmography illustrates an illustrious career. Amongst others, Nighy has received a BAFTA Award, a London Film Critics Circle Award, and an Evening Standard British Film Award. Audiences can see Nighy in "The Bookshop," a film set in a small town in 1959 England that tells the story of a woman who decides, against polite but ruthless local opposition, to open a bookshop, a decision which becomes a political minefield. Nighy stars alongside Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson. Nighy has also finished filming "Heidi: Queen of the Mountain," in which he plays the beloved Grandfather alongside Anna Friel and Greg Wise, as well as "Triple Word Score," a supernatural comedy-drama that follows the story of Nighy searching for his missing son with whom he shared a passion for the board game Scrabble. Nighy's iconic turn as an aging rock star in Richard Curtis's 2003 ensemble comedy hit "Love Actually" won him his previously mentioned Evening Standard British Film Award. He recently reprised the role in "Red Nose Day Actually" (2017), a charity special that revisited the much-loved original characters. Nighy has returned to working with Richard Curtis throughout his career, lending his character acting talent to Curtis' varied scripts. The Toronto International Film Festival in Autumn 2016 saw the premiere of gothic murder mystery "The Limehouse Golem," an adaptation of Peter Ackroyd's 1994 novel, which also stars Daniel Mays and Olivia Clarke. Also featured during TIFF 2016 was "Their Finest," in which Nighy 'on irresistible form' (Daily Express) stars alongside Sam Claflin and Gemma Arterton in the story of a film crew attempting to boost war-time morale. 2015 saw Nighy reprise his role of Douglas in the hotly awaited sequel, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," starring once again opposite the stellar cast of the first movie. This was followed by a turn as the iconic Sergeant Wilson in the motion picture production of the beloved television comedy "Dad's Army," opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Gambon and Toby Jones (released February 2016). September 2014 saw the release of "Pride," a feature film recalling the true story of gay and lesbian activists raising money to support the families of the striking Welsh miners in 1984. Nighy starred opposite Imelda Staunton and Dominic West in the critically acclaimed and widely lauded film, which went on to win Best British Independent Film at the 2014 BIFAs and receive nominations at the 2015 BAFTAS and Golden Globe Awards. Early in 2013, Bill starred in "Jack the Giant Slayer," another box office hit, making $65.2M at the US Box Office. Following this, Bill once again teamed up with Richard Curtis for his much-anticipated time-travelling romantic comedy "About Time," also starring Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams. In January 2014, Nighy appeared in "I, Frankenstein," which was written and directed by Stuart Beatie. Nighy starred in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2012) to much critical acclaim. Boasting a stellar British cast, including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Celia Imrie and Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel, the film was released in the UK in February 2012 and in the USA in May 2012 and made a staggering $46.4 million at the US box office alone. Nighy's incredible list of film credits also includes "Wild Target" (2010), with Rupert Grint and Emily Blunt; "Pirate Radio" (aka "The Boat That Rocked," 2009), which reunited him with Richard Curtis; Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie" (2008), with Tom Cruise; Richard Eyre's "Notes on a Scandal" (2006), for which he earned a London Film Critics Circle Award nomination; "Underworld"" and "Underworld: Evolution;" Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener" (2005) which garnered a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) nomination; "Lawless Heart" (2001) which brought him a BIFA nomination; and "Still Crazy" (1998), for which he won an Evening Standard British Film Award. Nighy is unrecognizable as the tentacled pirate captain Davy Jones in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). He has lent his voice to several animated features, including "Flushed Away" (2006). Further roles include Minister Rufus Scrimgeour in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part On" (2010) and the role of Slartibartfast in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005). Nighy began his career on the stage and has since earned acclaim for his work in numerous plays, including David Hare's "Pravda" (1985), "Skylight" (1995) and "A Map of the World" (1983). He has also performed in plays by other leading dramatists, including Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, Brian Friel, Anton Chekhov and Peter Gill. He received an Olivier Award nomination in 2001 for Best Actor for his performance in Joe Penhall's "Blue/Orange." On Broadway, he starred in the 2006 premiere of David Hare's "The Vertical Hour," directed by Sam Mendes. In 2016, for one night only Nighy joined the cast of David Hare's "Stuff Happens," as the Narrator, at the National Theatre alongside Alex Jennings and Carey Mulligan. Nighy returned to the stage in June 2014 for the major West End revival of David Hare's Olivier award-winning "Skylight." Directed by Steven Daldry, Nighy starred opposite Matthew Beard and Carey Mulligan at the Wyndham's Theatre. The run's success was further confirmed when the cast relocated to Broadway in March 2015, for which they received Best Revival of a Play at the Tony Awards. Nighy was nominated for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Tom Sergeant. Also well known for his work on the small screen, in 2012 Nighy earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the BBC television movie "Page Eight," directed by David Hare and produced by Harry Potter producer David Heyman. Nighy reunited with David Hare in 2014 for the second and third installments of the "The Worricker Trilogy," featuring Nighy as MI5 agent Johnny Worricker. "Turks & Caicos" and ""Salting the Battlefield"" both aired in 2014, in which Nighy once again joined a cast including Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Walken and Ralph Fiennes, among others, to conclude the trilogy. Nighy's television work includes dozens of series guest roles and long-form projects, including the one for which he first gained attention, 1991's "The Men's Room." Since then, Nighy has worked several times with director David Yates, including the acclaimed BBC project "State of Play" (2003), for which he won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. Yates also directed him in the BBC telefilm "The Young Visiters" (2003), and HBO's "The Girl in the Café" (2005), which brought him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. Later in 2005, Nighy won a Golden Globe in the same category for his performance in the 2005 telefilm "Gideon's Daughter."- IMDb Mini Biography By: Amazon Video X-Ray
- Children
- ParentsCatherine Josephine WhittakerAlfred Martin Nighy
- RelativesAnna Nighy(Sibling)Martin Nighy(Sibling)
- His gaunt, pale appearance
- Offbeat characters
- He has Dupuytren's Contracture, a hereditary condition which causes the ring and little fingers of each hand to be permanently bent inwards towards the palm.
- He played the part of "Sam Gamgee" in the original BBC radio production of The Lord of the Rings alongside Ian Holm as "Frodo". Peter Jackson (director of the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)) gave this version to those members of his cast who hadn't read the book.
- He turned down the chance to play the Doctor in Doctor Who (2005).
- He has a daughter, Mary Nighy (born July 17, 1984) with Diana Quick, who was his long-time partner.
- He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Actor in his performance of Blue/Orange at the Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe Stage.
- I got briefly mistaken for someone who might be good in bed, which was very, very good.
- I wanted to be a journalist, I thought it was glamorous and that I'd meet beautiful women in the rain.
- I've always slightly worried about the kids who play football around my house. They know I'm an actor, but felt sorry for me because they'd never seen anything I've done.
- "The British consul shipped me home for 25 quid and I had to pay my father back, he was a wee bit cross." (about being in Paris)
- You come to realise there is this huge disparity between what you think about yourself and your work and what other people think about you and your work, at first you either think they're insane or that it's a conspiracy to make you look stupid. Or maybe, just maybe, they're right, and you're sometimes quite good at what you do.
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