Bill Nighy Biography
Born: December 12, 1949
Already a critically acclaimed theatre actor before he made his first television appearance with a regular role in the British series Agony from 1980 to 1981, Bill Nighy has won a number of awards and nominations, including the Best Actor award at the Barclay's Theatre Awards for David Hare's Skylight as well as the Peter Sellers Comedy Award for his role as Ray Simms in Still Crazy (1998).
Born in Surrey, England, Bill Nighy first made the transition to film with a role in Eye of the Needle (1981), starring Donald Sutherland. Other film roles include playing a doctor in Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) starring David Niven, Barton in The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Tiger in Mack the Knife (1990) starring Raul Julia and Richard Harris, and Julian in Being Human (1993) starring Robin Williams.
In 2003, he appeared as Viktor in the box office hit Underworld (2003), and appeared as an aging rock star in Love Actually (2003) opposite a slew of A-list British and American actors such as Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Billy Bob Thornton and Emma Thompson. In 2007, he won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Villain for playing Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).
In 2010, Nighy joined the Harry Potter series, portraying Minister Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. He also provided a voice for the animated feature Rango (2011), starring Johnny Depp. Nighy can also be seen in several recent blockbusters, like Wrath of the Titans (2012), Total Recall (2012), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and Jack the Giant Killer (2013).
Other credits include I, Frankenstein (2014), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), Norm of the North (2016), the dramedy Their Finest (2017) with Gemma Arterton and Sam Claflin, as well as The Limehouse Golem (2017).
In 2007 he won his first Golden Globe for his performance in the TV movie Gideon's Daughter (2005).
For his latest film, Living (2022), Nighy has received nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
Bill and his former girlfriend, actress Diana Quick, have a daughter together.