
Bill Nighy
William Francis Nighy 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
- 2024 · The Wild Robot as Longneck (voice)
- 2024 · 10 Lives as Professor Craven (voice)
- 2024 · The First Omen as Cardinal Lawrence
- 2023 · Role Play as Bob
- 2022 · LIGHT & MAGIC as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Pokémon Detective Pikachu as Howard Clifford
- 2017 · Castlevania as Saint Germain (voice)
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 2013 · About Time as Dad
- 2013 · The World's End as The Network (voice)
- 2013 · Jack the Giant Slayer as General Fallon
- 2012 · Total Recall as Matthias
- 2012 · Wrath of the Titans as Hephaestus
- 2011 · Rango as Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
- 2010 · Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Rufus Scrimgeour
- 2009 · Underworld: Rise of the Lycans as Viktor
- 2008 · Valkyrie as Friedrich Olbricht
- 2007 · Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as Davy Jones
- 2007 · Hot Fuzz as Met Chief Inspector
- 2006 · Flushed Away as Whitey (voice)
- 2006 · The One Show as Self
- 2006 · Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as Davy Jones
- 2006 · Underworld: Evolution as Viktor
- 2005 · Doctor Who as Dr Black
- 2004 · He Knew He Was Right as Colonel Osborne
- 2004 · Shaun of the Dead as Phillip
- 2003 · Underworld as Viktor
- 2003 · Love Actually as Billy Mack
- 2003 · State of Play as Cameron Foster
- 2002 · Timeshift as self (voice)
- 2002 · The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as Lockwood
- 2001 · Richard & Judy as Self
- 2000 · Black Books as Man at bar
- 1999 · People Like Us as Will Rushmore
- 1998 · Parkinson as Self
- 1995 · Kavanagh Q.C. as Giles Culpepper QC
- 1994 · Wycliffe as David Cleeve
- 1993 · Peak Practice as Alan Sinclair
- 1991 · Performance as Roger Maitland
- 1991 · Performance as Hugh Marriner
- 1983 · Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Jeffrey Grainger
- 1979 · Minder as Oates
- 1974 · Playhouse as Bruno
- 1970 · Play for Today as Dave
- Future · California Avenue as Jerry
- Future · Lazaruss as Doctor Lazarus ' Dr L'
- 2024 · That Christmas as Lighthouse Bill (voice)
- 2024 · Joy as Patrick Steptoe
- 2024 · Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue as Conrad (voice)
- 2022 · Living as Williams
- 2022 · The Man Who Fell to Earth as Thomas Jerome Newton
- 2020 · Emma. as Mr. Woodhouse
- 2019 · Hope Gap as Edward
- 2018 · Ordeal by Innocence as Leo Argyll
- 2017 · The Bookshop as Mr. Brundish
- 2017 · Their Finest as Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank
- 2016 · The Limehouse Golem as John Kildare
- 2016 · Norm of the North as Socrates (voice)
- 2015 · The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Douglas Ainslie
- 2014 · Pride as Cliff
- 2014 · I, Frankenstein as Naberius
- 2012 · The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Douglas Ainslie
- 2011 · Arthur Christmas as Grandsanta (voice)
- 2011 · Page Eight as Johnny Worricker
- 2011 · Chalet Girl as Richard Madsen
- 2010 · Wild Target as Victor Maynard
- 2009 · 10 Minute Tales as
- 2009 · Astro Boy as Dr. Elefun / Robotsky (voice)
- 2009 · G-Force as Leonard Saber
- 2009 · The Boat That Rocked as Quentin
- 2006 · Notes on a Scandal as Richard Hart
- 2006 · Stormbreaker as Alan Blunt
- 2005 · Meerkat Manor as Narrator
- 2005 · The Constant Gardener as Sir Bernard Pellegrin
- 2005 · The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as Slartibartfast
- 2004 · The Magic Roundabout as Dylan (voice)
- 2003 · The Lost Prince as Stamfordham
- 2001 · Blow Dry as Ray Robertson
- 2000 · Longitude as Lord Sandwich
- 2000 · Longitude as Lord Sandwich
- 1990 · Chillers as Tom Dickenson
- 1985 · The Last Place on Earth as Cecil Meares
- 1985 · Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil as Helmut Hoffmann
- Future · Ride or Die as The Director
- 2024 · The Beautiful Game as Mal
- 2022 · The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special as Self
- 2021 · Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · World's Most Scenic River Journeys as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2020 · Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular as Self
- 2020 · Minamata as Robert "Bob" Hayes
- 2019 · The Kindness of Strangers as Timofey
- 2019 · StarDog and TurboCat as Sinclair (voice)
- 2019 · World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys as Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · Sometimes Always Never as Alan
- 2017 · Red Nose Day Actually as Billy Mack
- 2016 · Dad's Army as Sergeant Wilson
- 2015 · A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman as Self - 'Flushed Away' and 'Arthur Christmas'
- 2014 · National Theatre Live: Skylight as Tom Sergeant
- 2014 · Salting the Battlefield as Johnny Worricker
- 2014 · Turks & Caicos as Johnny Worricker
- 2012 · London: The Modern Babylon as Spoken Quotations (voice)
- 2011 · Real Creatures of Dirt as Self / Rattlesnake Jake
- 2009 · Glorious 39 as Alexander Keyes
- 2008 · Slapper as Arnold Percy
- 2005 · Gideon's Daughter as Gideon Warner
- 2005 · The Girl in the Café as Lawrence
- 2004 · Enduring Love as Robin
- 2003 · Grumpy Old Men as Self
- 2003 · I Capture the Castle as James Mortmain
- 2002 · AKA as Uncle Louis Gryffoyn
- 2001 · Lucky Break as Roger
- 1997 · FairyTale: A True Story as Edward Gardner
- 1996 · Testament: The Bible in Animation as Belshazzar (voice)
- 1994 · Being Human as Julian
- 1993 · Don't Leave Me This Way as John Tracey
- 1993 · Eye of the Storm as Tom Frewen
- 1993 · Unnatural Causes as Oliver Latham
- 1992 · A Masculine Ending as John Tracey
- 1990 · Making News as Sam Courtney
- 1990 · Antonia and Jane as Howard Nash
- 1989 · The Phantom of the Opera as Martin Barton
- 1988 · South Of The Border as Tony Freason
- 1980 · Fox as Colin Street
- Future · & Sons as
- 1988 · This Morning as Self
- 1984 · The Little Drummer Girl as Al
- 1982 · Under the Skin as Dave
- 1980 · Death Watch as Katherine's Co-worker (uncredited)
- 1979 · Agony as Vincent Fish
- Future · Untitled Jason Statham Action-Thriller as
- 2025 · This is the Beginning as
- 2025 · Bulk as (voice)
- 2024 · Kent: Garden of England as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · Darkling as
- 2023 · Spectre of the Bear as Bennett (voice)
- 2023 · Bloody Fury as Bloody's Consciousness (voice)
- 2023 · Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Lotus: A New Dawn as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Buckley's Chance as Spencer
- 2013 · The Hungry Corpse as The Hungry Corpse
- 2013 · Great White Shark as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene as Graham Greene (voice)
- 2011 · Astonish Me as The Professor
- 2009 · Live from Studio Five as Self
- 2009 · The Big Art Project as Narrator
- 2007 · Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz as Self
- 2006 · We Love Cigarettes as Narrator
- 2006 · Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener as Self
- 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' as Self
- 2005 · Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' as Self
- 2004 · Ready When You Are, Mr McGill as Phil Parish
- 2004 · Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews as Self - Narrator
- 2004 · Burst as Maxwell's Fan 22
- 2003 · Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher as Narrator
- 2003 · The Young Visiters as Earl of Clincham
- 2003 · Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates as
- 2003 · Canterbury Tales as James
- 2002 · Lawless Heart as Dan
- 1999 · Guest House Paradiso as Mr. Johnson
- 1999 · The Bass Player as
- 1998 · Still Crazy as Ray Simms
- 1996 · True Blue as Jeremy Saville
- 1996 · Alive and Kicking as Tristan
- 1993 · The Maitlands as Roger Maitland
- 1991 · Absolute Hell as Hugh Marriner
- 1989 · Mack the Knife as Tiger Brown
- 1985 · Thirteen at Dinner as Ronald Marsh
- 1983 · Reilly: Ace of Spies as Goschen
- 1983 · Curse of the Pink Panther as ENT Doctor
- 1982 · Easter 2016 as Connor Mullan
- 1981 · Eye of the Needle as Squadron Leader Blenkinsop
- 1980 · Standing in for Henry as Bruno
- 1980 · Little Lord Fauntleroy as Officer
- 1980 · Fox as Colin Street
- Future · 500 Miles as
- Future · Heart of Darkness as (voice)
- 1980 · Dreams of Leaving as William
- 1979 · Deasey (Desperate) as Deasy
- 1978 · Soldiers Talking, Cleanly as Bill
- Future · Welcome to Paradise as Hooker Duck Host (voice)
- 1976 · Occupy! as Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool
- Future · Pink Sky at Night as Man