Bill Nighy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Nighy
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Nighy at the 2020 Berlinale
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William Francis Nighy
12 December 1949 |
| Alma mater | Guildford School of Acting |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1969–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Partner(s) | Diana Quick (1982–2008) |
| Children | Mary Nighy |
| Awards | Full list |
William Francis Nighy (born 12 December 1949) is a famous English actor. He is well-known for his many roles in movies, TV shows, and plays. Bill Nighy has won several awards, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
Nighy began his acting journey at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. He made his first appearance in London at the Royal National Theatre in 1977. He became very popular for his roles in plays like Pravda (1985) and Arcadia (1993). He was even nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in Blue/Orange. Later, he acted on Broadway in plays such as Skylight (2015), which earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination.
Bill Nighy became known around the world for his role in the movie Love Actually (2003). For this film, he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He also played the vampire Viktor in the Underworld movies and the sea captain Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Some of his other popular movies include Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010). In 2022, he starred in the film Living, which led to an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.
On television, Nighy won a BAFTA Award for the BBC series State of Play (2003). He also received a Golden Globe Award for the BBC film Gideon's Daughter (2007). He has appeared in other notable TV shows like The Girl in the Café (2006) and the Worricker trilogy.
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Early Life and Education
William Francis Nighy was born on 12 December 1949 in Caterham, Surrey, England. His father, Alfred Martin Nighy, managed a car garage. His mother, Catherine Josephine Whittaker, was a psychiatric nurse from Glasgow, Scotland.
Bill Nighy grew up as a Roman Catholic and was an altar boy. He has two older siblings, Martin and Anna. He went to the John Fisher School in Purley. There, he got his first taste of acting and found he had a good memory for lines.
As a child, Nighy was quite shy. As a teenager, he loved to read, especially books by authors like Ernest Hemingway. He left school at 15 without any qualifications. Later, he tried to write a novel in Paris with a friend, but it didn't work out.
Before acting, Nighy worked in an employment office and as a messenger for newspapers. He applied to a famous acting school called RADA but was not accepted. Instead, he went to the Guildford School of Dance and Drama to train for the stage.
Acting Career
Starting Out (1969–1984)
After finishing drama school, Bill Nighy worked in different regional theatres. A friend suggested he audition for the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. There, he worked with other actors like Julie Walters. He was also part of a traveling theatre group called Van Load.
Nighy made his first London stage appearance at the Royal National Theatre in 1977. He was cast in plays by writer and director David Hare. He also appeared in British TV series like Play For Today. In 1981, he voiced Samwise Gamgee in a BBC Radio version of The Lord of the Rings.
Gaining Fame (1985–1999)
Nighy became more and more recognized for his stage performances. He acted in plays like Pravda (1985) and The Seagull (1994). At the National Theatre, he performed alongside famous actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench. His role in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia (1993) was especially praised.
He also starred in Harold Pinter's Betrayal in 1991. In 2000, he played a psychiatrist in Blue/Orange, earning an Olivier Award nomination. On TV, he had a major role in the BBC series The Men's Room (1991). He also gained attention for playing a rock star named Ray Simms in the 1998 film Still Crazy.
International Recognition (2000–2009)
In 2003, Bill Nighy played the vampire elder Viktor in the American movie Underworld. He returned to this role in later Underworld films. That same year, he starred as Billy Mack, a rock and roll legend, in the romantic comedy Love Actually. This role won him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
In 2004, he won a BAFTA TV Award for his role in State of Play. He also appeared in the comedy Shaun of the Dead. In 2005, he played Slartibartfast in the film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He also acted in the drama The Constant Gardener and the TV film The Girl in the Café, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
In 2006, Nighy won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Gideon's Daughter. He also made his Broadway debut in the play The Vertical Hour. In the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, he played the villain Davy Jones. His face was mostly created using computer graphics. He also narrated the Animal Planet series Meerkat Manor. In 2008, he appeared as General Friedrich Olbricht in the film Valkyrie. In 2009, he announced he would play Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Continued Success (2010–2019)
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In 2010, Bill Nighy had a small role in the TV show Doctor Who. He voiced Grandsanta in the 2011 animated movie Arthur Christmas. In 2012, he starred in the comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. The cast received a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. He also appeared in action films like Wrath of the Titans and Total Recall.
Nighy played MI5 agent Johnny Worricker in a series of films by David Hare: Page Eight (2011), Turks & Caicos (2014), and Salting the Battlefield (2014). For Page Eight, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 2014, he returned to the stage in London and on Broadway in a revival of Skylight, earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. He also starred in the sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015).
In 2016, he acted in the war film Their Finest, where his performance was highly praised. He also appeared in the comedy Dad's Army and the animated film Norm of the North. In 2017, he starred in The Bookshop. He also reprised his role as Billy Mack in the short film Red Nose Day Actually for a charity event. In 2018, he starred in the BBC One series Ordeal by Innocence, based on an Agatha Christie novel.
Recent Work (2020–Present)
In 2020, Bill Nighy played Mr. Woodhouse in the film Emma, starring alongside Anya Taylor-Joy. His casting was widely praised. In 2022, he took on the main role in Living, an English version of a Japanese drama. His performance in this film received excellent reviews and earned him nominations for major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor.
In the 2022 TV series The Man Who Fell to Earth, Nighy played Thomas Newton, an alien. He is also the narrator for the Channel 5 travel show The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys. Since late 2022, Nighy has also been a guest DJ on BBC 6 Music, filling in for other presenters.
Personal Life
Bill Nighy was in a relationship with English actress Diana Quick starting in 1982. They have a daughter, Mary Nighy, who is also an actress and filmmaker, born in 1984. They also have two grandchildren. Nighy and Quick separated in 2008.
Nighy has a condition called Dupuytren's contracture, which can affect the fingers.
He is a big fan of the football team Crystal Palace F.C. He also supports several charities, including the Crystal Palace Children's Charity and Scene & Heard.
Nighy supports the Robin Hood tax campaign, which aims to tax financial transactions. He believes in "total gender equality" and has chosen film roles that highlight issues of gender inequality. He also cherishes his role in Pride, a film about support between miners and gay rights groups.
In 2004, Nighy was a guest on the radio show Desert Island Discs. He chose "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who as one of his songs so he could play air guitar. For his luxury item, he chose a set of harmonicas.
Bill Nighy is known for his stylish navy suits. He has been recognized as one of the best-dressed men in Britain by magazines like GQ.
He became a fan of the Pokémon franchise while working on the movie Detective Pikachu. He has said that Mew is his favorite Pokémon.
Nighy lives in Pimlico, London.
Acting Credits and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Bill Nighy para niños
- List of British actors
- List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
