About

Known credits:
151
Birthday:
1949-12-12
Place of birth:
Caterham, Surrey, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Bill Nighy

Overview

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

Acting

2024 That Christmas Actor Bill (voice) N/A
N/A
2024 JOY Actor Patrick Steptoe N/A
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2024 The Wild Robot Actor Longneck (voice) 68
Fair
2024 Kent: Garden of England Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2024 Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue Actor Conrad (voice) 59
Average
2024 10 Lives Actor Professor Craven (voice) 62
Fair
2024 The First Omen Actor Cardinal Lawrence 65
Fair
2024 The Beautiful Game Actor Mal 60
Fair
2023 Role Play Actor Bob 59
Average
2023 Darkling Actor N/A
N/A
2023 Spectre of the Bear Actor Bennett (voice) N/A
N/A
2023 Bloody Fury Actor Bloody's Consciousness (voice) N/A
N/A
2023 Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2022 The Laughter & Secrets of 'Love Actually': 20 Years Later Actor Self N/A
N/A
2022 Living Actor Williams 63
Fair
2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Actor Thomas Jerome Newton 72
Good
2021 Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens Actor Self - Narrator N/A
N/A
2021 Lotus: A New Dawn Actor Self - Narrator N/A
N/A
2021 Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge Actor Self - Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
2021 Buckley's Chance Actor Spencer 59
Average
2021 Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty Actor Self - Narrator (voice) 70
Good
2021 World's Most Scenic River Journeys Actor Narrator 70
Good
2020 Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Minamata Actor Robert "Bob" Hayes 62
Fair
2020 Emma. Actor Mr. Woodhouse 67
Fair
2019 The Kindness of Strangers Actor Timofey 59
Average
2019 StarDog and TurboCat Actor Sinclair (voice) 60
Fair
2019 World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys Actor Narrator (voice) 70
Good
2019 Hope Gap Actor Edward 59
Average
2019 Pokémon Detective Pikachu Actor Howard Clifford 68
Fair
2019 Sometimes Always Never Actor Alan 59
Average
2018 Ordeal by Innocence Actor Leo Argyll 69
Fair
2017 The Bookshop Actor Mr. Brundish 61
Fair
2017 Castlevania Actor Saint Germain (voice) 82
Very good
2017 Red Nose Day Actually Actor Billy Mack 63
Fair
2017 Their Finest Actor Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank 62
Fair
2016 The Limehouse Golem Actor John Kildare 60
Fair
2016 Dad's Army Actor Sergeant Wilson 56
Average
2016 Norm of the North Actor Socrates (voice) 53
Average
2015 A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman Actor Self - 'Flushed Away' and 'Arthur Christmas' 59
Average
2015 The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Actor Douglas Ainslie 61
Fair
2014 Pride Actor Cliff 71
Good
2014 National Theatre Live: Skylight Actor Tom Sergeant 59
Average
2014 Salting the Battlefield Actor Johnny Worricker 59
Average
2014 Turks & Caicos Actor Johnny Worricker 59
Average
2014 I, Frankenstein Actor Naberius 54
Average
2013 About Time Actor Dad 78
Good
2013 The World's End Actor The Network (voice) 67
Fair
2013 The Hungry Corpse Actor The Hungry Corpse N/A
N/A
2013 Great White Shark Actor Self - Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2013 Jack the Giant Slayer Actor General Fallon 58
Average
2013 Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene Actor Graham Greene (voice) 58
Average
2012 London: The Modern Babylon Actor Spoken Quotations (voice) 59
Average
2012 Total Recall Actor Matthias 60
Fair
2012 Wrath of the Titans Actor Hephaestus 57
Average
2012 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Actor Douglas Ainslie 66
Fair
2011 Arthur Christmas Actor Grandsanta (voice) 65
Fair
2011 Page Eight Actor Johnny Worricker 61
Fair
2011 Worricker Trilogy Actor Johnny Worricker N/A
N/A
2011 Astonish Me Actor The Professor 59
Average
2011 Real Creatures of Dirt Actor Self / Rattlesnake Jake 59
Average
2011 Rango Actor Rattlesnake Jake (voice) 67
Fair
2011 Chalet Girl Actor Richard Madsen 61
Fair
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Actor Rufus Scrimgeour 77
Good
2010 Wild Target Actor Victor Maynard 61
Fair
2009 Glorious 39 Actor Alexander Keyes 59
Average
2009 Astro Boy Actor Dr. Elefun (voice) 61
Fair
2009 G-Force Actor Leonard Saber 55
Average
2009 The Big Art Project Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2009 The Boat That Rocked Actor Quentin 69
Fair
2009 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Actor Viktor 64
Fair
2008 Valkyrie Actor Friedrich Olbricht 67
Fair
2008 Slapper Actor Arnold Percy 59
Average
2008 A Fox's Tale Actor Ringmaster (voice) 57
Average
2007 Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz Actor Self N/A
N/A
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Actor Davy Jones 72
Good
2007 Hot Fuzz Actor Met Chief Inspector 74
Good
2006 Notes on a Scandal Actor Richard Hart 66
Fair
2006 Flushed Away Actor Whitey (voice) 62
Fair
2006 Stormbreaker Actor Alan Blunt 55
Average
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Actor Davy Jones 73
Good
2006 We Love Cigarettes Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2006 Underworld: Evolution Actor Viktor 65
Fair
2006 Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener Actor Self 58
Average
2005 Gideon's Daughter Actor Gideon Warner 59
Average
2005 Making of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' Actor Slartibartfast (archive footage) (uncredited) N/A
N/A
2005 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' Actor Self N/A
N/A
2005 Meerkat Manor Actor Narrator 70
Good
2005 The Constant Gardener Actor Sir Bernard Pellegrin 67
Fair
2005 Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' Actor Self N/A
N/A
2005 The Girl in the Café Actor Lawrence 60
Fair
2005 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Actor Slartibartfast 65
Fair
2005 The Magic Roundabout Actor Dylan (voice) 57
Average
2004 Enduring Love Actor Robin 58
Average
2004 The Lost Prince Actor Stamfordham N/A
N/A
2004 Ready When You Are, Mr McGill Actor Phil Parish 59
Average
2004 He Knew He Was Right Actor Colonel Osborne 71
Good
2004 Shaun of the Dead Actor Phillip 74
Good
2004 Burst Actor Maxwell's Fan 22 N/A
N/A
2003 Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher Actor Narrator 59
Average
2003 The Young Visiters Actor Earl of Clincham 58
Average
2003 Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates Actor N/A
N/A
2003 Grumpy Old Men Actor Self 70
Good
2003 Underworld Actor Viktor 67
Fair
2003 Love Actually Actor Billy Mack 70
Good
2003 State of Play Actor Cameron Foster 72
Good
2003 I Capture the Castle Actor James Mortmain 60
Fair
2003 The Lost Prince Actor Stamfordham 69
Fair
2002 Lawless Heart Actor Dan 58
Average
2002 AKA Actor Uncle Louis Gryffoyn 58
Average
2001 Lucky Break Actor Roger 59
Average
2001 Blow Dry Actor Ray Robertson 58
Average
2000 Longitude Actor Lord Sandwich 59
Average
2000 Longitude Actor Lord Sandwich 69
Fair
1999 Guest House Paradiso Actor Mr. Johnson 59
Average
1998 The Canterbury Tales Actor The Merchant (voice) 60
Fair
1998 Still Crazy Actor Ray Simms 60
Fair
1997 FairyTale: A True Story Actor Edward Gardner 59
Average
1996 True Blue Actor Jeremy Saville 59
Average
1996 Alive and Kicking Actor Tristan 58
Average
1994 Being Human Actor Julian 58
Average
1993 The Maitlands Actor Roger Maitland N/A
N/A
1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Actor John Tracey 59
Average
1993 Unnatural Causes Actor Oliver Latham N/A
N/A
1992 A Masculine Ending Actor John Tracey N/A
N/A
1991 Absolute Hell Actor Hugh Marriner 59
Average
1990 Making News Actor Sam Courtney N/A
N/A
1990 Antonia and Jane Actor Howard Nash 59
Average
1989 The Phantom of the Opera Actor Martin Barton 58
Average
1989 Mack the Knife Actor Tiger Brown 59
Average
1985 Thirteen at Dinner Actor Ronald Marsh 58
Average
1985 The Last Place on Earth Actor Cecil Meares 69
Fair
1985 Hitler's SS : Portrait In Evil Actor Helmut Hoffmann 59
Average
1984 The Little Drummer Girl Actor Al 58
Average
1983 Curse of the Pink Panther Actor ENT Doctor 56
Average
1982 Easter 2016 Actor Connor Mullan N/A
N/A
1982 Under the Skin Actor Dave N/A
N/A
1981 Eye of the Needle Actor Squadron Leader Blenkinsop 61
Fair
1980 Standing in for Henry Actor Bruno N/A
N/A
1980 Little Lord Fauntleroy Actor Officer 63
Fair
1980 Fox Actor Colin Street 59
Average
1980 Death Watch Actor Katherine's Co-worker (uncredited) 59
Average
1980 Dreams of Leaving Actor William 59
Average
1979 Deasey Actor Deasy N/A
N/A
1979 Agony Actor Vincent Fish 70
Good
1978 Soldiers Talking, Cleanly Actor Bill N/A
N/A
1976 Occupy! Actor Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool N/A
N/A
& Sons Actor N/A
N/A
500 Miles Actor N/A
N/A
Lazarus Actor Doctor Lazarus ' Dr L' N/A
N/A

Production

2011 Page Eight Production Executive Producer 61
Fair