Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy

Born 12/12/1949 (74 years old)
Caterham, Surrey, England, UK

Biography

Bill Nighy, an award-winning actor of the stage and screen. Born in England, Nighy began his career on the British stage and has since earned acclaim for his work in numerous plays, including David Hare's "The Vertical Hour," "Pravda" and "A Map of the World."  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 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.

His film work includes the blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1," as well as 2012's "Total Recall," the action adventure "Wrath of the Titans" and "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," which earned BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominations.   He also starred in the title role of the PBS television production of "Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene."

His long list of film credits also includes "Wild Target," with Rupert Grint and Emily Blunt; "Pirate Radio," which reunited him with Richard Curtis; Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," with Tom Cruise; Richard Eyre's "Notes on a Scandal," for which he earned a London Film Critics Circle Award nomination; "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution"; Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener," garnering a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) nomination; "Lawless Heart," which brought him a BIFA nomination; and "Still Crazy," for which he won an Evening Standard British Film Award.  He is also unrecognizable as the tentacled pirate captain Davy Jones in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," and lent his voice to several animated features, including "Flushed Away."

Nighy won a BAFTA Award, a London Film Critics Circle Award, and an Evening Standard British Film Award for his performance as an aging rock star in Richard Curtis's 2003 ensemble comedy hit "Love Actually."  He also won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for his collective work in that film, as well as "AKA," "I Capture the Castle" and "Lawless Heart."

Also well known for his work on the small screen, 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 has worked several times with director David Yates, including the acclaimed BBC project "State of Play," for which he won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor.  Yates also directed him in the BBC telefilm "The Young Visiters," and HBO's "The Girl in the Café," which brought him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.  He later won a Golden Globe in the same category for his performance in the 2005 telefilm "Gideon's Daughter."  His television work also includes dozens of series guest roles and longform projects, including the one for which he first gained attention, 1991's "The Men's Room."

Warner Bros.

Actor

Movies
2024

10 Lives

 

Dragonkeeper

 

Gracie and Pedro's Not So Awesome Adventure

 

Joy

 

Role Play

 

The Beautiful Game

 

The First Omen

 

The Wild Robot

2022

Living

Ads

Ads

 

The Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour - narrator

2021

Buckley's Chance

2020

Emma.

 

Minamata

2019

Heidi: Queen of the Mountain

 

Hope Gap

 

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

 

StarDog and TurboCat

 

The Kindness of Strangers

2018

Sometimes Always Never

2017

Bookshop

2016

Dad's Army

 

Norm of the North

 

The Limehouse Golem

 

Their Finest

2015

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2014

I, Frankenstein

 

Pride

 

Salting the Battlefield (TV movie)

 

Turks & Caicos (TV movie)

2013

About Time

 

Jack the Giant Slayer

 

The World's End

2012

Total Recall

 

Wrath of the Titans

2011

Arthur Christmas

 

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

 

Chalet Girl

 

Page Eight (TV movie)

 

Rango

2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

 

Wild Target

2009

Astro Boy

 

G-Force

 

Glorious 39

 

Pirate Radio

 

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

2008

A Fox's Tale

 

Valkyrie

2007

Hot Fuzz

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2006

Flushed Away

 

Notes on a Scandal

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

 

Stormbreaker

 

Underworld: Evolution

2005

Gideon's Daughter (TV movie)

 

Sprung! The Magic Roundabout

 

The Constant Gardener

 

The Girl in the Café (TV movie)

 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2004

Enduring Love

 

Shaun of the Dead

2003

I Capture the Castle

 

Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher (TV movie)

 

Love Actually

 

Ready When You Are Mr. McGill (TV movie)

 

The Lost Prince (TV movie)

 

The Young Visiters (TV movie)

 

Underworld

2002

AKA

 

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Well Schooled in Murder (TV movie)

2001

Blow Dry

 

Lucky Break

 

The Lawless Heart

2000

Longitude (TV movie)

1999

Guest House Paradiso

1998

Still Crazy

1997

Fairy Tale: A True Story

1996

Indian Summer

 

True Blue

1994

Being Human

1993

Don't Leave Me This Way (TV movie)

 

The Maitlands (TV movie)

 

Unnatural Causes (TV movie)

1992

A Masculine Ending (TV movie)

1991

Absolute Hell (TV movie)

 

Antonia and Jane

1989

Mack the Knife

 

The Phantom of the Opera

1985

Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil (TV movie)

 

Thirteen at Dinner (TV movie)

1983

Curse of the Pink Panther

1982

Easter 2016 (TV movie)

1981

Eye of the Needle

Series
2022

The Man Who Fell to Earth

 

The Man Who Sold the World (E10)

 

As the World Falls Down (E09)

 

Cracked Actor (E07)

  more episodes (6)
2020

Castlevania

 

Abandon All Hope (S03E10)

 

The Harvest (S03E09)

 

What the Night Brings (S03E08)

  more episodes (6)
2018

Ordeal by Innocence

 

Episode 3 (E03)

 

Episode 2 (E02)

 

Episode 1 (E01)

2010

Doctor Who

 

Vincent and the Doctor (S05E10)

2009

10 Minute Tales

2008

Masterpiece Contemporary

2004

He Knew He Was Right

2003

Canterbury Tales

 

State of Play

 

Episode 6 (E06)

 

Episode 5 (E05)

 

Episode 4 (E04)

  more episodes (3)
2000

Animated Tales of the World

1998

The Canterbury Tales

1994

Wycliffe

1991

The Men's Room

1990

Making News

1986

Screenplay

1985

The Last Place on Earth

1983

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

 

Reilly: Ace of Spies

1979

Agony

Documentaries
2021

Johnny Depp: King of Cult

 

Lotus: A New Dawn (TV movie) - narrator

 

Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty (series) - narrator

 

World's Most Scenic River Journeys (series) - narrator

2019

The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys (series) - narrator

2018

Follow This (series) - a.f.

2013

Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene

2011

The Big Picture (series)

2008

Meerkat Manor (series) - narrator

 

Home Alone - narrator (S04E12)

 

UK Border Force (series)

2007

Meerkat Manor (series) - narrator

 

Journey's End - narrator (S03E08)

 

Heavy the Crown - narrator (S03E07)

 

Sibling Rivalry - narrator (S03E06)

 

The Tale of Len & Squiggy - narrator (S03E05)

2006

Meerkat Manor (series) - narrator

 

The Killing Fields - narrator (S02E13)

 

The Godmother - narrator (S02E12)

 

Growing Pains - narrator (S02E11)

  more episodes (10)
2005

Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (TV movie)

 

Meerkat Manor (series) - narrator

 

Moving On - narrator (S01E13)

 

The Calm Before the Storm - narrator (S01E12)

 

An Awfully Big Adventure - narrator (S01E11)

  more episodes (10)
1976

Occupy!

Music videos
2022

Florence + the Machine: Free

2003

Christmas All Around

Theatrical recording
2014

Skylight

2009

National Theatre Live

Short
2023

Bloody Fury

2017

Red Nose Day Actually (TV movie)

2011

Astonish Me

2010

The RRF in New Recruit

2009

Statuesque (TV movie)

2007

Bloopers of the Caribbean

 

Coping Strategies

Performer