Bill Nighy
Known For
Acting
Born
1949-12-12 in Caterham, Surrey, England, UK
Biography
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).
Most Known For
Doctor Who
as Dr Black
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self
Shelter
as Manafort
Minder
as Oates
Play for Today
as Dave
Peak Practice
as Alan Sinclair
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
as Rufus Scrimgeour
Parkinson
as Self
The Wild Robot
as Longneck (voice)
Castlevania
as Saint Germain (voice)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
as Davy Jones
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
as Davy Jones
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
as Lockwood
Playhouse
as Bruno
Richard & Judy
as Self
About Time
as Dad
Shaun of the Dead
as Phillip
Black Books
as Man at bar
Rango
as Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
Harlan Coben's Lazarus
as Doctor Lazarus 'Dr L'