Bill Nighy
Born
December 12, 1949 (75 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Caterham, Surrey, England, UK
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
That Christmas
Lighthouse Bill (voice)
2024
Joy
Patrick Steptoe
2024
The Wild Robot
Longneck (voice)
2024
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue
Conrad (voice)
2024
10 Lives
Professor Craven (voice)
2024
The First Omen
Cardinal Lawrence
2024
Role Play
Bob
2023
Darkling
2023
Spectre of the Bear
Bennett (voice)
2023
Bloody Fury
Bloody's Consciousness (voice)
2023
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special
Self
2022
Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens
Self - Narrator (voice)
2021
Their Finest
Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank
2017
Dad's Army
Sergeant Wilson
2016
Norm of the North
Socrates (voice)
2016
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman
Self - 'Flushed Away' and 'Arthur Christmas'
2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Douglas Ainslie
2015
Pride
Cliff
2014
National Theatre Live: Skylight
Tom Sergeant
2014
Salting the Battlefield
Johnny Worricker
2014
Turks & Caicos
Johnny Worricker
2014
I, Frankenstein
Naberius
2014
About Time
Dad
2013
The World's End
The Network (voice)
2013
Jack the Giant Slayer
General Fallon
2013
Total Recall
Matthias
2012
Wrath of the Titans
Hephaestus
2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Douglas Ainslie
2012
Arthur Christmas
Grandsanta (voice)
2011
Page Eight
Johnny Worricker
2011
Astonish Me
The Professor
2011
Real Creatures of Dirt
Self / Rattlesnake Jake
2011
Rango
Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
2011
Chalet Girl
Richard Madsen
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Rufus Scrimgeour
2010
Wild Target
Victor Maynard
2010
Glorious 39
Alexander Keyes
2009
Astro Boy
Dr. Elefun / Robotsky (voice)
2009
G-Force
Leonard Saber
2009
The Boat That Rocked
Quentin
2009
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Viktor
2009
Valkyrie
Friedrich Olbricht
2008
Slapper
Arnold Percy
2008
Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz
Self
2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Davy Jones
2007
Hot Fuzz
Met Chief Inspector
2007
Notes on a Scandal
Richard Hart
2006
Flushed Away
Whitey (voice)
2006
Stormbreaker
Alan Blunt
2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Davy Jones
2006
Underworld: Evolution
Viktor
2006
Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener
Self
2006
Gideon's Daughter
Gideon Warner
2005
The Constant Gardener
Sir Bernard Pellegrin
2005
The Girl in the Café
Lawrence
2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Slartibartfast
2005
Enduring Love
Robin
2004
The Magic Roundabout
Dylan (voice)
2004
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
Phil Parish
2004
Shaun of the Dead
Phillip
2004
Burst
Maxwell's Fan 22
2004
Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher
Narrator
2003
The Young Visiters
Earl of Clincham
2003
Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates
2003
Underworld
Viktor
2003
Love Actually
Billy Mack
2003
I Capture the Castle
James Mortmain
2003
Lawless Heart
Dan
2002
Lucky Break
Roger
2001
Blow Dry
Ray Robertson
2001
Longitude
Lord Sandwich
2000
Guest House Paradiso
Mr. Johnson
1999
Still Crazy
Ray Simms
1998
FairyTale: A True Story
Edward Gardner
1997
True Blue
Jeremy Saville
1996
Alive and Kicking
Tristan
1996
Being Human
Julian
1994
The Maitlands
Roger Maitland
1993
Don't Leave Me This Way
John Tracey
1993
Unnatural Causes
Oliver Latham
1993
A Masculine Ending
John Tracey
1992
Absolute Hell
Hugh Marriner
1991
The Phantom of the Opera
Martin Barton
1989
Mack the Knife
Tiger Brown
1989
Thirteen at Dinner
Ronald Marsh
1985
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
Helmut Hoffmann
1985
The Little Drummer Girl
Al
1984
Curse of the Pink Panther
ENT Doctor
1983
Easter 2016
Connor Mullan
1982
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Officer
1980
500 Miles
& Sons
The Beautiful Game
Mal
2024
Living
Williams
2022
Lotus: A New Dawn
Self - Narrator (voice)
2021
Buckley's Chance
Spencer
2021
Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular
Self
2020
Minamata
Robert "Bob" Hayes
2020
Emma.
Mr. Woodhouse
2020
The Kindness of Strangers
Timofey
2019
StarDog and TurboCat
Sinclair (voice)
2019
Hope Gap
Edward
2019
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Howard Clifford
2019
Sometimes Always Never
Alan
2019
The Bookshop
Mr. Brundish
2017
Red Nose Day Actually
Billy Mack
2017
The Limehouse Golem
John Kildare
2016
The Hungry Corpse
The Hungry Corpse
2013
Great White Shark
Self - Narrator (voice)
2013
Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene
Graham Greene (voice)
2013
London: The Modern Babylon
Spoken Quotations (voice)
2012
The One Show
Self · (1 episode)
2006
We Love Cigarettes
Narrator
2006
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'
Self
2005
Meerkat Manor
Narrator · (52 episodes)
2005
Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
Self
2005
Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews
Self - Narrator
2004
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
Lockwood · (1 episode)
2002
AKA
Uncle Louis Gryffoyn
2002
Richard & Judy
Self · (1 episode)
2001
The Bass Player
1999
Wycliffe
David Cleeve · (1 episode)
1994
Performance
Roger Maitland · (1 episode)
1991
Antonia and Jane
Howard Nash
1990
Under the Skin
Dave
1982
Eye of the Needle
Squadron Leader Blenkinsop
1981
Standing in for Henry
Bruno
1980
Fox
Colin Street
1980
Death Watch
Katherine's Co-worker (uncredited)
1980
Dreams of Leaving
William
1980
Deasey (Desperate)
Deasy
1979
Agony
Vincent Fish · (20 episodes)
1979
Soldiers Talking, Cleanly
Bill
1978
Occupy!
Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool
1976
Untitled Jason Statham Action-Thriller
Welcome to Paradise
Hooker Duck Host (voice)
Heart of Darkness
(voice)
Pink Sky at Night
Man
Kent: Garden of England
Self - Narrator (voice) · (5 episodes)
2024
Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country
Self - Narrator (voice) · (6 episodes)
2023
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Thomas Jerome Newton · (10 episodes)
2022
Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge
Self - Narrator (voice) · (2 episodes)
2021
Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty
Self - Narrator (voice) · (13 episodes)
2021
World's Most Scenic River Journeys
Self - Narrator (voice) · (16 episodes)
2021
World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys
Narrator (voice) · (39 episodes)
2019
Ordeal by Innocence
Leo Argyll · (3 episodes)
2018
Castlevania
Saint Germain (voice) · (20 episodes)
2017
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
10 Minute Tales
(1 episode)
2009
Live from Studio Five
Self · (1 episode)
2009
The Big Art Project
Narrator · (4 episodes)
2009
Doctor Who
Dr Black · (1 episode)
2005
He Knew He Was Right
Colonel Osborne · (4 episodes)
2004
Grumpy Old Men
Self · (14 episodes)
2003
Canterbury Tales
James · (1 episode)
2003
State of Play
Cameron Foster · (6 episodes)
2003
The Lost Prince
Stamfordham · (2 episodes)
2003
Timeshift
self (voice) · (1 episode)
2002
Black Books
Man at bar · (1 episode)
2000
Longitude
Lord Sandwich · (2 episodes)
2000
People Like Us
Will Rushmore · (1 episode)
1999
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Testament: The Bible in Animation
Belshazzar (voice) · (1 episode)
1996
Kavanagh Q.C.
Giles Culpepper QC · (1 episode)
1995
Peak Practice
Alan Sinclair · (1 episode)
1993
Eye of the Storm
Tom Frewen · (6 episodes)
1993
Performance
Hugh Marriner · (1 episode)
1991
Chillers
Tom Dickenson · (1 episode)
1990
Making News
Sam Courtney · (6 episodes)
1990
South Of The Border
Tony Freason · (1 episode)
1988
This Morning
Self · (1 episode)
1988
The Last Place on Earth
Cecil Meares · (7 episodes)
1985
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Jeffrey Grainger · (6 episodes)
1983
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Goschen · (1 episode)
1983
Fox
Colin Street · (2 episodes)
1980
Minder
Oates · (1 episode)
1979
Lazaruss
Doctor Lazarus ' Dr L' · (2 episodes)
Play for Today
Dave · (1 episode)
1970
Ride or Die
The Director · (2 episodes)
California Avenue
Jerry · (0 episode)
Playhouse
Bruno · (1 episode)
1974