Bill Nighy
William Francis Nighy (/naɪ/; born 12 December 1949) is a British actor. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has received various accolades, including two BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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. 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 Chekhov's The Seagull in 1994. He received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor nomination for his role in Blue/Orange in 2001. He acted on Broadway in the David Hare plays The Vertical Hour (2006) and Skylight (2015), earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination for the latter.
Nighy's early film roles include the comedies Still Crazy (1998), Guest House Paradiso (1999) and Blow Dry (2001). He rose to international stardom with his role in Love Actually (2003), for which he won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to portray Viktor in the Underworld film series (2003–2009) and Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series (2006–2007). His 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), Wild Target (2010), 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 which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Nighy has gained acclaim for his television roles, earning a BAFTA Award for his role in the BBC One series State of Play (2003), and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the BBC film Gideon's Daughter (2007). He is also known for his roles in The Girl in the Café (2006), the BBC's Worricker trilogy, which includes Page Eight (2012), Turks & Caicos (2014), and Salting the Battlefield (2014), and the BBC's Ordeal by Innocence (2018).
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66Credits36 TV · 30 films
1970–2026Years activefirst to latest
10.0 Highest ratedSouth of the Border
7.4 Average ratingacross 63 titles
Top TV shows 36best Bill Nighy shows
- 1
South of the BorderTony Freason · 1 ep · 1988 - 2
CastlevaniaSaint Germain (voice) · 20 eps · 2017 - 3
People Like UsWill Rushmore · 1 ep · 1999 - 4
World's Most Scenic Railway JourneysNarrator (voice) · 39 eps · 2019 - 5
Black BooksMan at bar · 1 ep · 2000 - 6
Eye of the StormTom Frewen · 6 eps · 1993 - 7
Auf Wiedersehen, PetJeffrey Grainger · 6 eps · 1983 - 8
Doctor WhoDr Black · 1 ep · 2005 - 9
He Knew He Was RightColonel Osborne · 3 eps · 2004 - 10
Meerkat ManorNarrator · 52 eps · 2005 - 11
10 Minute TalesMr Jellaby · 1 ep · 2009 - 12
The Man Who Fell to EarthThomas Jerome Newton · 10 eps · 2022 - 13
The Last Place on EarthCecil Meares · 7 eps · 1985 - 14
State of PlayCameron Foster · 6 eps · 2003 - 15
Kavanagh Q.C.Giles Culpepper QC · 1 ep · 1995 - 16
The Inspector Lynley MysteriesLockwood · 1 ep · 2002 - 17
The Lost PrinceStamfordham · 2 eps · 2003 - 18
MinderOates · 1 ep · 1979 - 19
Reilly: Ace of SpiesGoschen · 1 ep · 1983 - 20
Testament: The Bible in AnimationBelshazzar (voice) · 1 ep · 1996 - 21
PlayhouseBruno · 1 ep · 1974 - 22
LongitudeLord Sandwich · 1 ep · 2000 - 23
Ordeal by InnocenceLeo Argyll · 3 eps · 2018 - 24
Canterbury TalesJames · 1 ep · 2003 - 25
ChillersTom Dickenson · 1 ep · 1990 - 26
Play for TodayDave · 1 ep · 1970 - 27
FoxColin Street · 2 eps · 1980 - 28
Peak PracticeAlan Sinclair · 1 ep · 1993 - 29
Harlan Coben's LazarusDoctor Lazarus 'Dr L' · 6 eps · 2025 - 30
PerformanceRoger Maitland · 1 ep · 1991 - 31Making NewsSam Courtney · 6 eps · 1990
- 32
AgonyVincent Fish · 7 eps · 1979 - 33
WycliffeDavid Cleeve · 1 ep · 1994 - 34
Ride or DieThe Director · 8 eps · 2026 - 35The Big Art ProjectNarrator · 4 eps · 2009
- 36California AvenueJerry
Top movies 30best Bill Nighy movies
- 1
Occupy!Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool · 1976 - 2
Bottom Mindless ViolenceMr. Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2004 - 3
Easter 2016Connor Mullan · 1982 - 4
Deasey (Desperate)Deasy · 1979 - 5
National Theatre Live: SkylightTom Sergeant · 2014 - 6
The Wild RobotLongneck (voice) · 2024 · Family - 7
A Masculine EndingJohn Tracey · 1992 - 8
Astonish MeThe Professor · 2011 - 9
About TimeDad · 2013 · Drama - 10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1Rufus Scrimgeour · 2010 · Adventure - 11
PrideCliff · 2014 - 12
ShelterManafort · 2026 - 13
10 LivesProfessor Craven (voice) · 2024 - 14
Hot FuzzMet Chief Inspector · 2007 - 15
Shaun of the DeadPhillip · 2004 · Horror - 16
LongitudeLord Sandwich · 2000 - 17
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ChestDavy Jones · 2006 · Adventure - 18
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's EndDavy Jones · 2007 · Adventure - 19
Love ActuallyBilly Mack · 2003 · Comedy - 20
ValkyrieFriedrich Olbricht · 2008 · Drama - 21
Pokémon Detective PikachuHoward Clifford · 2019 · Action - 22
RangoRattlesnake Jake (voice) · 2011 · Animation - 23
UnderworldViktor · 2003 · Fantasy - 24
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxySlartibartfast · 2005 · Adventure - 25
Underworld: EvolutionViktor · 2006 · Fantasy - 26
Underworld: Rise of the LycansViktor · 2009 · Fantasy - 27
Flushed AwayWhitey (voice) · 2006 · Adventure - 28
Total RecallMatthias · 2012 · Action - 29
Jack the Giant SlayerGeneral Fallon · 2013 · Fantasy - 30
Wrath of the TitansHephaestus · 2012 · Fantasy
