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Bill Nighy

Date of birth: 1949-12-12

Place of birth: Caterham, Surrey, England, UK

Known for: Acting

Also known as: William Francis Nighy, ויליאם פרנסיס "ביל" ניי, بیل نای

Bill Nighy

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).

Movie Credits

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
3.7

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

2006-07-06

Captain Jack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones'

Underworld
3.4

Underworld

2003-09-19

Vampires and werewolves have waged a nocturnal war against each other for centuries. But all bets ar

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
3.6

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-05-19

Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann join forces with the revived Captain Barbossa to free Jack Sparrow f

Love Actually
3.6

Love Actually

2003-09-07

Eight very different couples deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all se

Notes on a Scandal
3.5

Notes on a Scandal

2006-12-25

A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of h

Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates
2

Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates

2003-12-02

Still Crazy
3.4

Still Crazy

1998-10-30

In the 1970s, Strange Fruit were it. They lived the rock lifestyle to the max, groupies, drugs, inte

Shaun of the Dead
3.8

Shaun of the Dead

2004-04-09

Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, abov

Valkyrie
3.5

Valkyrie

2008-12-25

Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg returns to his native German

Underworld: Evolution
3.3

Underworld: Evolution

2006-01-12

As the war between the vampires and the Lycans rages on, Selene, a former member of the Death Dealer

10 Lives
3.9

10 Lives

2024-04-18

A pampered cat takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt after he is rescued and loved by R

The Constant Gardener
3.5

The Constant Gardener

2005-08-31

Justin Quayle is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not c

Guest House Paradiso
3

Guest House Paradiso

1999-12-03

Richie and Eddie are in charge of the worst hotel in the UK, Guest House Paradiso, neighbouring a nu

Hot Fuzz
3.8

Hot Fuzz

2007-02-14

Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the slee

Thirteen at Dinner
2.9

Thirteen at Dinner

1985-09-19

Actress Jane Wilkinson wants a divorce, but her husband, Lord Edgware, refuses. She convinces Hercul

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
3.3

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005-04-28

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swep

Flushed Away
3.1

Flushed Away

2006-10-22

London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for

The Little Drummer Girl
2.8

The Little Drummer Girl

1984-10-19

An American Actress with a penchant for lying is forceably recruited by Mosad, the Israeli intellige

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
3.3

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

2009-01-22

A prequel to the first two Underworld films, this fantasy explains the origins of the feud between t

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
3.9

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

2010-11-17

Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining

Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener
2

Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener

2006-01-10

The Constant Gardener featurette.

Enduring Love
2.9

Enduring Love

2004-10-29

Two strangers become dangerously close after witnessing a deadly accident. On a beautiful cloudless

Stormbreaker
2.6

Stormbreaker

2006-07-21

Alex Rider thinks he is a normal school boy, until his uncle is killed. He discovers that his uncle

The Girl in the Café
3.5

The Girl in the Café

2005-06-25

Lawrence, an aging, lonely civil servant falls for Gina, an enigmatic young woman. When he takes her

Glorious 39
3

Glorious 39

2009-11-20

A mysterious tale set around a traditional British family on the eve of World War Two. Oblivious to

Lucky Break
3

Lucky Break

2001-08-24

Half-way through his 12-year prison sentence for an incompetent armed robbery, Jimmy Hands gets a lu

FairyTale: A True Story
3.2

FairyTale: A True Story

1997-10-24

In 1917, two children take a photograph, which is soon believed by some to be the first scientific e

Wild Target
3.2

Wild Target

2010-06-17

Victor Maynard is a middle-aged, solitary assassin who lives to please his formidable mother, despit

Rango
3.4

Rango

2011-03-02

When Rango, a lost family pet, accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt, the l

The Magic Roundabout
2.7

The Magic Roundabout

2004-10-24

A shaggy, candy-loving puppy named Dougal along with a group of friends embarks on a dangerous journ

Astro Boy
3.2

Astro Boy

2009-10-15

Set in the futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy (Atom) is a young robot with incredible powers created b

Total Recall
3

Total Recall

2012-08-02

Factory worker Doug Quaid takes a virtual mind-trip vacation with the Rekall company, opting for imp

Blow Dry
2.9

Blow Dry

2001-03-01

The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to Keighley, a town where Phil and son Brian run

I Capture the Castle
3.4

I Capture the Castle

2003-05-09

In 1930s England, 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain and her eccentric family struggle to survive in a d

True Blue
3

True Blue

1996-11-15

The story of the year the Oxford and Cambridge boat race changed from a gentleman's race to one wher

The Boat That Rocked
3.6

The Boat That Rocked

2009-04-01

When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban on government-censored music, they take t

Longitude
3.6

Longitude

2000-01-02

Parallel stories: 18th century Harrison builds the marine chronometer for safe navigation at sea; 20

Arthur Christmas
3.4

Arthur Christmas

2011-11-10

For hundreds of years, the Claus family has delegated the title "Santa" to a chosen few of its membe

Real Creatures of Dirt
3

Real Creatures of Dirt

2011-07-15

In this fun and educational piece, animal experts talk about the real creatures that inspired the ch

G-Force
2.7

G-Force

2009-07-24

A team of trained secret agent animals, guinea pigs Darwin, Hurley, Juarez, Blaster, mole Speckles,

Mack the Knife
3.3

Mack the Knife

1989-11-01

In 19th century London, a young girl falls for a womanizing criminal and they decide to wed. Her fam

Jack the Giant Slayer
2.9

Jack the Giant Slayer

2013-02-27

The story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway betw

Page Eight
3.3

Page Eight

2011-08-28

Johnny is a long-serving MI5 officer. His boss dies suddenly, leaving behind an inexplicable file wh

The Young Visiters
2.7

The Young Visiters

2003-12-26

The Young Visiters, written in twelve days by nine-year-old Daisy Ashford in 1890, is a surreal blen

Unnatural Causes
3.3

Unnatural Causes

1993-01-02

Roy Marsden returns as author P.D. James's indefatigable gumshoe, Inspector Adam Dalgliesh. This tim

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
3.5

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2012-02-23

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel

Wrath of the Titans
2.9

Wrath of the Titans

2012-03-28

Perseus tries to live a quieter life as a village fisherman while – dangerously weakened by humanity

Chalet Girl
3.2

Chalet Girl

2011-02-02

While working a job at an exclusive ski resort to support her Dad, Kim learns to snowboard and is so

Lawless Heart
2.5

Lawless Heart

2002-06-28

In a British seaside resort, several lives intertwine following the funeral of a gay restaurant owne

Gideon's Daughter
3.1

Gideon's Daughter

2005-10-21

Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson star in a story of grief and celebrity, set in the intense spring

The Phantom of the Opera
2.9

The Phantom of the Opera

1989-11-04

An aspiring opera singer finds herself transported back to Victorian-era London -- and into the arms

Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
2.4

Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil

1985-02-17

The two-part TV movie Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil crystallizes that evil by concentrating on two B

I, Frankenstein
2.7

I, Frankenstein

2014-01-22

200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein's creature, Adam, still walks the earth. But

The World's End
3.4

The World's End

2013-07-18

Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly

About Time
4

About Time

2013-09-04

The night after another unsatisfactory New Year's party, Tim's father tells his son that the men in

The First Omen
3.4

The First Omen

2024-04-03

When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters

Alive and Kicking
2.5

Alive and Kicking

1996-11-08

A passionately committed young dancer is forced to re-examine his career and life when faced with de

Pride
3.9

Pride

2014-09-12

In 1984, a group of LGBT activists decide to raise money to support the National Union of Mineworker

Joy
3.5

Joy

2024-11-15

A young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative surgeon face opposition from the church, stat

Little Lord Fauntleroy
3.7

Little Lord Fauntleroy

1980-12-01

Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death

Turks & Caicos
3.1

Turks & Caicos

2014-03-20

The second movie in David Hare's Johnny Worricker trilogy. Loose-limbed spy Johnny Worricker, last s

Salting the Battlefield
3.1

Salting the Battlefield

2014-03-27

David Hare concludes his trilogy of films about MI5 renegade Johnny Worricker with another fugue on

Easter 2016
0

Easter 2016

1982-05-18

Set in 2016 prior to the centennial of the Easter Rising at Northern Ireland's only integrated teach

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
3.2

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2015-02-26

As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament

Role Play
3

Role Play

2023-12-14

Emma has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey – she also has a secret life

Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue
3.5

Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue

2024-05-01

Family frenemies, Gracie and Pedro, must put their differences aside, embarking on a thrilling quest

National Theatre Live: Skylight
4.5

National Theatre Live: Skylight

2014-07-24

On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis receives an unexpected visit from her f

Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens
0

Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens

2021-12-14

Follows Christmas celebrations at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as staff prepare for one of their b

The Maitlands
0

The Maitlands

1993-11-13

There is a strained atmosphere in the Maitland household which has fallen on hard times.

Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz
0

Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz

2007-06-11

A documentary about the making of Hot Fuzz.

Curse of the Pink Panther
2.3

Curse of the Pink Panther

1983-08-12

Inspector Clouseau disappears, and the Surete wants the world's second best detective to look for hi

Darkling
0

Darkling

2023-10-23

The wanderer of Roger Hyams' films Sunday and Grand Union steps out into the night.

The Wild Robot
4.2

The Wild Robot

2024-09-12

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive

500 Miles
0

500 Miles

A broken family is forced to come together when 16 year old Finn and his livewire younger brother Ch

Norm of the North
2.3

Norm of the North

2016-01-14

Polar bear Norm and his three Arctic lemming buddies are forced out into the world once their icy ho

Their Finest
3.3

Their Finest

2017-02-19

During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter works on a film celebrating England's resili

The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special
2

The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special

2022-11-29

ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer marks the 20th anniversary of the making of the holiday classic movie “

Being Human
2.5

Being Human

1994-05-06

One man must learn the meaning of courage across four lifetimes centuries apart.

Dad's Army
2.5

Dad's Army

2016-02-05

A cinema remake of the classic sitcom Dad's Army (1968). The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon de

Slapper
1.8

Slapper

2008-06-21

A young boy watches a fight in a crowded bar: a masked man versus the people’s champ. But rather tha

Spectre of the Bear
0

Spectre of the Bear

2023-10-07

One man's obsession with crisps becomes unhealthy - and not because he's eating them. Tom's quest fo

That Christmas
3.6

That Christmas

2024-11-27

It's an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in h

Bloody Fury
0

Bloody Fury

2023-09-23

In the Far West, the fur trade is booming. Bloody Furry, one of the last red wolves still alive, dec

Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher
3

Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher

2003-12-29

Spoof documentary looking at the life of Normal Stanley Fletcher, the star of 1970s sitcom Porridge

Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
3.6

Ready When You Are, Mr McGill

2004-09-01

Remake of the 1976 TV drama by Jack Rosenthal. An extra in a TV drama is finally given a line to say

Burst
0

Burst

2004-01-01

A short film about fictional actor Maxwell McCourtney, featuring the cast and crew of 'Enduring Love

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman
3.5

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman

2015-12-26

Julie Walters tells the story of how Morph, Shaun the Sheep and that cheese-loving man Wallace and h

Don't Leave Me This Way
3.5

Don't Leave Me This Way

1993-05-30

British academics Loretta and Bridget run into Sandra, an old school friend at a book launch. Althou

Absolute Hell
2.9

Absolute Hell

1991-10-05

Black comedy set in Soho, London, right after World War II. Half of the fun is seeing a slew of very

& Sons
2.5

& Sons

2025-09-07

A world-renowned but reclusive novelist, believing he is about to die, summons his estranged sons to

A Masculine Ending
0

A Masculine Ending

1992-04-12

While English professor Loretta Lawson is attending a conference in Paris, she stays the night in th

Astonish Me
4

Astonish Me

2011-07-26

When a young boy gets locked in the Natural History Museum after closing, a mysterious guard gives h

Fox
0.5

Fox

1980-03-10

The thirteen-part series recounted the lives of the titular Fox family, who lived in Clapham in Sout

The Limehouse Golem
3.1

The Limehouse Golem

2016-10-18

A series of murders has shaken the community to the point where people believe that only a legendary

London: The Modern Babylon
3.3

London: The Modern Babylon

2012-08-03

London: The Modern Babylon is legendary director Julien Temple's epic time-traveling voyage to the h

Dreams of Leaving
3.5

Dreams of Leaving

1980-01-17

William came to work in Fleet Street in 1971. London meant girls, as many girls as he could find. Th

The Bookshop
3.3

The Bookshop

2017-11-10

Set in a small English town in 1959, a woman decides, against polite but ruthless local opposition,

Red Nose Day Actually
3.5

Red Nose Day Actually

2017-03-24

Fourteen years after the events of the first film, a series of encounters between people in Britain

We Love Cigarettes
0

We Love Cigarettes

2006-06-29

A day in the life of the cigarette. A love of nicotine unites all peoples across the globe, regardle

Antonia and Jane
2.8

Antonia and Jane

1990-07-18

Plain Jane Hartman hates her life. She's goofy, boring and only has sex if she reads Iris Murdoch no

Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
0

Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

2005-07-05

Documentary charting the rise of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from its original guise as a r

Pokémon Detective Pikachu
3.5

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

2019-05-03

In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy comes across an i

The Kindness of Strangers
3.1

The Kindness of Strangers

2019-12-12

Clara and her two sons escape from her abusive husband with little more than their car and plan to s

Hope Gap
3.1

Hope Gap

2019-10-03

Grace lives an idyllic life in a British seaside town, but her world soon comes crashing down when h

Great White Shark
3.1

Great White Shark

2013-05-24

Misrepresented, maligned and on the verge of extinction, the great white shark is an iconic predator

Sometimes Always Never
3.2

Sometimes Always Never

2019-03-14

Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly f

Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene
0.5

Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene

2013-01-01

The documentary uses Graham Greene's own words from his books and recordings, as well as photographs

Emma.
3.5

Emma.

2020-02-13

In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

Minamata
3.5

Minamata

2020-03-13

War photographer W. Eugene Smith travels back to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of

StarDog and TurboCat
3.5

StarDog and TurboCat

2019-12-06

When vigilante cat, Felix, and loyal canine, Buddy, set out to find Buddy’s lost owner, they discove

The Hungry Corpse
0

The Hungry Corpse

2013-06-26

In London's bustling, yet desolate Trafalgar Square, an ancient corpse meets a pigeon with a broken

Eye of the Needle
3.3

Eye of the Needle

1981-07-24

Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber th

Death Watch
3.1

Death Watch

1980-01-23

In a future world where the disease has been finally defeated and everything can be sold, even the c

Soldiers Talking, Cleanly
0

Soldiers Talking, Cleanly

1978-12-05

One man's view of the British Army in Germany - the social life, discipline, drink, women and, occas

Living
3.5

Living

2022-11-04

London, 1953. Mr. Williams, a veteran civil servant, is an important cog within the city's bureaucra

Under the Skin
0

Under the Skin

1982-01-19

"When you get to a man in the case, they're like as a row of pins - For the colonel's lady an' Judy

Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular
4.3

Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular

2020-12-01

Classical music superstar Katherine Jenkins OBE returns to the iconic Royal Albert Hall, her all-tim

AKA
2.8

AKA

2002-01-19

In 1970s Britain, 18-year old Dean feels hampered by his working-class background and his family. In

Buckley's Chance
3.1

Buckley's Chance

2021-06-24

A fish-out-of-water story of a young boy Ridley who becomes lost in the harsh Australian outback wit

Occupy!
0

Occupy!

1976-01-01

Bill Nighy, Pete Postlewaite and (briefly) Julie Walters, then all of the Everyman Theatre Company,

Lotus: A New Dawn
3

Lotus: A New Dawn

2021-07-28

This short documentary follows the fortunes of iconic car manufacturer Lotus. Once famous for its ch

The Beautiful Game
3.1

The Beautiful Game

2024-03-22

A group of advocates to end homelessness organize an annual tournament for homeless people to compet

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'
0

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'

2005-09-05

An in-depth examination of the complete production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).

Deasey (Desperate)
0

Deasey (Desperate)

1979-12-06

Deasey is a dreamer - torn between earning his precarious living as reporter on the London end of a

Standing in for Henry
0

Standing in for Henry

1980-12-19

At an advertising agency in Nottingham, young graphic designer Graham is recruited as a temporary re

The Bass Player
0

The Bass Player

1999-10-01

In the 1800s, a bass player's attempts to woo a young woman lead to both parties being trapped in an

Shelter
0

Shelter

2026-01-30

Mason is a reclusive man living in a remote setting by the sea. When he chooses to rescue a young gi

Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews
0

Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews

2004-04-22

A selection of highlights from Sir Peter Ustinov's appearances on Parkinson. A look back at a multit

Welcome to Paradise
0

Welcome to Paradise

A woman finds herself in a strange, magical carnival with no memory of anything but her own name. Ti

Heart of Darkness
0

Heart of Darkness

Based on Joseph Conrad's novel, Marlow captains a leaky steamboat up the River Congo in search of a

Pink Sky at Night
0

Pink Sky at Night

'Pink Sky at Night' follows brother and sister Finn and Ruby over an unforgettable Cornish midsummer

This is the Beginning
0

This is the Beginning

2025-08-17

A father and daughter attempt to find their way through grief together.

Bulk
1.9

Bulk

2025-08-14

When an over zealous scientist pushes his experiments with string theory too far - his brane explode

Lazarus
0

Lazarus

2025-10-22

After experiencing a personal loss, Lazarus begins having disturbing experiences that can't be expla