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.
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).
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0631490
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207179
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Filmography (Movies)
Shelter
Character:
Release Date:28/01/2026
& Sons
Character:Andrew
Release Date:07/09/2025
This Is the Beginning
Character:
Release Date:17/08/2025
Bulk
Character:(voice)
Release Date:14/08/2025
That Christmas
Character:Lighthouse Bill (voice)
Release Date:27/11/2024
Joy
Character:Patrick Steptoe
Release Date:15/11/2024
The Wild Robot
Character:Longneck (voice)
Release Date:12/09/2024
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue
Character:Conrad (voice)
Release Date:01/05/2024
10 Lives
Character:Professor Craven (voice)
Release Date:18/04/2024
The First Omen
Character:Cardinal Lawrence
Release Date:03/04/2024
The Beautiful Game
Character:Mal
Release Date:22/03/2024
Role Play
Character:Bob
Release Date:14/12/2023
Darkling
Character:
Release Date:23/10/2023
Spectre of the Bear
Character:Bennett (voice)
Release Date:07/10/2023
Bloody Fury
Character:Bloody's Consciousness (voice)
Release Date:23/09/2023
The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special
Character:Self
Release Date:29/11/2022
Living
Character:Williams
Release Date:04/11/2022
Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Release Date:14/12/2021
Lotus: A New Dawn
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Release Date:28/07/2021
Buckley's Chance
Character:Spencer
Release Date:24/06/2021
Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/2020
Minamata
Character:Robert "Bob" Hayes
Release Date:13/03/2020
Emma.
Character:Mr. Woodhouse
Release Date:13/02/2020
The Kindness of Strangers
Character:Timofey
Release Date:12/12/2019
StarDog and TurboCat
Character:Sinclair (voice)
Release Date:06/12/2019
Hope Gap
Character:Edward
Release Date:03/10/2019
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Character:Howard Clifford
Release Date:03/05/2019
Sometimes Always Never
Character:Alan
Release Date:14/03/2019
The Bookshop
Character:Mr. Brundish
Release Date:10/11/2017
Red Nose Day Actually
Character:Billy Mack
Release Date:24/03/2017
Their Finest
Character:Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank
Release Date:19/02/2017
The Limehouse Golem
Character:John Kildare
Release Date:18/10/2016
Dad's Army
Character:Sergeant Wilson
Release Date:05/02/2016
Norm of the North
Character:Socrates (voice)
Release Date:14/01/2016
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman
Character:Self - 'Flushed Away' and 'Arthur Christmas'
Release Date:26/12/2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Character:Douglas Ainslie
Release Date:26/02/2015
Pride
Character:Cliff
Release Date:12/09/2014
National Theatre Live: Skylight
Character:Tom Sergeant
Release Date:24/07/2014
Salting the Battlefield
Character:Johnny Worricker
Release Date:27/03/2014
Turks & Caicos
Character:Johnny Worricker
Release Date:20/03/2014
I, Frankenstein
Character:Naberius
Release Date:22/01/2014
About Time
Character:Dad
Release Date:04/09/2013
The World's End
Character:The Network (voice)
Release Date:18/07/2013
The Hungry Corpse
Character:The Hungry Corpse
Release Date:26/06/2013
Great White Shark
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Release Date:24/05/2013
Jack the Giant Slayer
Character:General Fallon
Release Date:27/02/2013
Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene
Character:Graham Greene (voice)
Release Date:01/01/2013
London: The Modern Babylon
Character:Spoken Quotations (voice)
Release Date:03/08/2012
Total Recall
Character:Matthias
Release Date:02/08/2012
Wrath of the Titans
Character:Hephaestus
Release Date:28/03/2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Character:Douglas Ainslie
Release Date:23/02/2012
Arthur Christmas
Character:Grandsanta (voice)
Release Date:10/11/2011
Page Eight
Character:Johnny Worricker
Release Date:28/08/2011
Astonish Me
Character:The Professor
Release Date:26/07/2011
Real Creatures of Dirt
Character:Self / Rattlesnake Jake
Release Date:15/07/2011
The Man with the Stolen Heart
Character:Narrator
Release Date:14/07/2011
Rango
Character:Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
Release Date:02/03/2011
Chalet Girl
Character:Richard Madsen
Release Date:02/02/2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Character:Rufus Scrimgeour
Release Date:17/11/2010
Wild Target
Character:Victor Maynard
Release Date:17/06/2010
Glorious 39
Character:Alexander Keyes
Release Date:20/11/2009
Astro Boy
Character:Dr. Elefun / Robotsky (voice)
Release Date:15/10/2009
G-Force
Character:Leonard Saber
Release Date:24/07/2009
The Boat That Rocked
Character:Quentin
Release Date:01/04/2009
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Character:Viktor
Release Date:22/01/2009
Valkyrie
Character:Friedrich Olbricht
Release Date:25/12/2008
Slapper
Character:Arnold Percy
Release Date:21/06/2008
Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz
Character:Self
Release Date:11/06/2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Character:Davy Jones
Release Date:19/05/2007
Hot Fuzz
Character:Met Chief Inspector
Release Date:14/02/2007
Notes on a Scandal
Character:Richard Hart
Release Date:25/12/2006
Flushed Away
Character:Whitey (voice)
Release Date:22/10/2006
Stormbreaker
Character:Alan Blunt
Release Date:21/07/2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Character:Davy Jones
Release Date:06/07/2006
We Love Cigarettes
Character:Narrator
Release Date:29/06/2006
Underworld: Evolution
Character:Viktor
Release Date:12/01/2006
Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener
Character:Self
Release Date:10/01/2006
Gideon's Daughter
Character:Gideon Warner
Release Date:21/10/2005
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'
Character:Self
Release Date:05/09/2005
The Constant Gardener
Character:Sir Bernard Pellegrin
Release Date:31/08/2005
Inside 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
Character:Self
Release Date:05/07/2005
The Girl in the Café
Character:Lawrence
Release Date:25/06/2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Character:Slartibartfast
Release Date:28/04/2005
Bottom Mindless Violence
Character:Mr. Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:22/11/2004
Enduring Love
Character:Robin
Release Date:29/10/2004
The Magic Roundabout
Character:Dylan (voice)
Release Date:24/10/2004
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
Character:Phil Parish
Release Date:01/09/2004
Peter Ustinov: The Parkinson Interviews
Character:Self - Narrator
Release Date:22/04/2004
Shaun of the Dead
Character:Phillip
Release Date:09/04/2004
Burst
Character:Maxwell's Fan 22
Release Date:01/01/2004
Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher
Character:Self - Narrator
Release Date:29/12/2003
The Young Visiters
Character:Earl of Clincham
Release Date:26/12/2003
Below Deck: An Interactive History Of Pirates
Character:
Release Date:02/12/2003
Underworld
Character:Viktor
Release Date:19/09/2003
Love Actually
Character:Billy Mack
Release Date:07/09/2003
I Capture the Castle
Character:James Mortmain
Release Date:09/05/2003
Lawless Heart
Character:Dan
Release Date:28/06/2002
AKA
Character:Uncle Louis Gryffoyn
Release Date:19/01/2002
Lucky Break
Character:Roger
Release Date:24/08/2001
Blow Dry
Character:Ray Robertson
Release Date:01/03/2001
Longitude
Character:Lord Sandwich
Release Date:02/01/2000
Guest House Paradiso
Character:Mr. Johnson
Release Date:03/12/1999
The Bass Player
Character:
Release Date:01/10/1999
Still Crazy
Character:Ray Simms
Release Date:30/10/1998
FairyTale: A True Story
Character:Edward Gardner
Release Date:24/10/1997
True Blue
Character:Jeremy Saville
Release Date:15/11/1996
Alive and Kicking
Character:Tristan
Release Date:08/11/1996
Being Human
Character:Julian
Release Date:06/05/1994
The Maitlands
Character:Roger Maitland
Release Date:13/11/1993
Don't Leave Me This Way
Character:John Tracey
Release Date:30/05/1993
Unnatural Causes
Character:Oliver Latham
Release Date:02/01/1993
A Masculine Ending
Character:John Tracey
Release Date:12/04/1992
Absolute Hell
Character:Hugh Marriner
Release Date:05/10/1991
Antonia and Jane
Character:Howard Nash
Release Date:18/07/1990
The Phantom of the Opera
Character:Martin Barton
Release Date:04/11/1989
Mack the Knife
Character:Tiger Brown
Release Date:01/11/1989
Thirteen at Dinner
Character:Ronald Marsh
Release Date:19/09/1985
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
Character:Helmut Hoffmann
Release Date:17/02/1985
The Little Drummer Girl
Character:Al
Release Date:19/10/1984
Curse of the Pink Panther
Character:ENT Doctor
Release Date:12/08/1983
Easter 2016
Character:Connor Mullan
Release Date:18/05/1982
Under the Skin
Character:Dave
Release Date:19/01/1982
Eye of the Needle
Character:Squadron Leader Blenkinsop
Release Date:24/07/1981
Standing in for Henry
Character:Bruno
Release Date:19/12/1980
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Character:Officer
Release Date:01/12/1980
Fox
Character:Colin Street
Release Date:10/03/1980
Death Watch
Character:Katherine's Co-worker (uncredited)
Release Date:23/01/1980
Dreams of Leaving
Character:William
Release Date:17/01/1980
Deasey (Desperate)
Character:Deasy
Release Date:06/12/1979
Soldiers Talking, Cleanly
Character:Bill
Release Date:05/12/1978
Occupy!
Character:Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool
Release Date:01/01/1976
Television Appearances
Harlan Coben's Lazarus
Character:Doctor Lazarus 'Dr L'
Kent: Garden of England
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Norfolk & Suffolk: Coast & Country
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
LIGHT & MAGIC
Character:Self (archive footage)
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Character:Thomas Jerome Newton
Iberia's Woodlands: Life on the Edge
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
World's Most Scenic River Journeys
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys
Character:Narrator (voice)
Ordeal by Innocence
Character:Leo Argyll
Castlevania
Character:Saint Germain (voice)
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Character:Self
10 Minute Tales
Character:
Live from Studio Five
Character:Self
The Big Art Project
Character:Narrator
Meerkat Manor
Character:Narrator
Doctor Who
Character:Dr Black
He Knew He Was Right
Character:Colonel Osborne
Grumpy Old Men
Character:Self
Canterbury Tales
Character:James
State of Play
Character:Cameron Foster
The Lost Prince
Character:Stamfordham
Timeshift
Character:self (voice)
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
Character:Lockwood
Richard & Judy
Character:Self
Black Books
Character:Man at bar
Longitude
Character:Lord Sandwich
People Like Us
Character:Will Rushmore
Parkinson
Character:Self
Testament: The Bible in Animation
Character:Belshazzar (voice)
Kavanagh Q.C.
Character:Giles Culpepper QC
Wycliffe
Character:David Cleeve
Peak Practice
Character:Alan Sinclair
Eye of the Storm
Character:Tom Frewen
Chillers
Character:Tom Dickenson
Performance
Character:Roger Maitland
Performance
Character:Hugh Marriner
Making News
Character:Sam Courtney
South Of The Border
Character:Tony Freason
This Morning
Character:Self
The Last Place on Earth
Character:Cecil Meares
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Character:Jeffrey Grainger
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Character:Goschen
Fox
Character:Colin Street
Minder
Character:Oates
Agony
Character:Vincent Fish
Playhouse
Character:Bruno
Play for Today
Character:Dave
Images
