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Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy TV Listings

ChannelDate & TimeTitleBuy
STARZMon, Feb 15, 10:20 AMUnderworld: Rise of the LycansBuy
STARZMon, Feb 15, 5:40 PMUnderworld: Rise of the LycansBuy
STARZTue, Feb 16, 12:40 AMUnderworld: Rise of the LycansBuy
STARZSun, Feb 21, 4:40 AMUnderworld: Rise of the LycansBuy
USASun, Feb 21, 4:33 PMPirates of the Caribbean: At World's EndBuy
STARZSun, Feb 21, 8:27 PMUnderworld: Rise of the LycansBuy
USAMon, Feb 22, 12:00 AMPirates of the Caribbean: At World's EndBuy
MOMAXeMon, Feb 22, 6:00 AMAlex Rider: Operation StormbreakerBuy

Bill Nighy Biography

Bill Nighy
  • Birth Name: William Francis Nighy
  • Birth Place: Caterham, Surrey, England
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 12/12/1949, Sagittarius
  • Profession: Actor
When Nighy became a star with his wickedly funny turn as a boozy and blunt rock star in 2003's Love Actually, he was an overnight success 30 years in the making. Although he had consistently turned in stellar work on stage and screen in his homeland, few folks stateside knew his name. Initially harboring ambitions to become a writer, a teenage Nighy twice ran away from his native England only to end up penniless in France. At the suggestion of a girlfriend he turned to performing in the '70s and immediately found his calling, working as a member of Liverpool's Everyman Theatre Company and the traveling troupe Van Load. In the '80s, he forged a fruitful relationship with playwright David Hare, earning raves for his performances in Pravda, Skylight and 1982's A Map of the World, which introduced Nighy to longtime companion and his daughter's mama Diana Quick. Although his star rose on stage, on screen he was only landing bit parts, mostly on British TV. Perhaps this stumbling block is what drove him to drink, or maybe that was just part of his anarchic spirit. When Nighy sobered up in the '90s, his career also perked up. His breakthrough came with the 1998 rock-and-roll comedy Still Crazy. While Nighy was just shy of 50, his turn as a washed-up rocker trying to make a comeback struck a chord and turned him into something of an unlikely sex symbol, with his lank frame clad in skin-tight black duds. Five years later, he expanded on this archetype in the ensemble romantic comedy Love Actually, effortlessly stealing every scene he was in and winning a BAFTA award for his work. That same year, he appeared as a veteran vampire in Underworld, and while it wasn't a critical favorite, it did introduce his distinctive, pale mug to the youth set. A plethora of parts followed, in both prestigious (the TV-movie Gideon's Daughter, which won him a Golden Globe award) and popular (his villainous turn in the second Pirates of the Caribbean flick) projects, but Nighy approached all his roles, high or low, with the same dedication and skill.
Bill Nighy Fast Facts:
  • At age 15, he ran away from home intending to write a book. He got as far as the South of France and, starving, turned to the British consul for help. His father wired him money so he could return home.
  • Came to prominence in England starring in the 1991 BBC2 drama The Men's Room.
  • Won BAFTAs for his work in Love Actually and the British miniseries State of Play, both in 2003.
  • Made his Broadway debut opposite Julianne Moore in 2006's The Vertical Hour.
  • Is a huge Rolling Stones fan.
  • Suffers from Dupuytren's Contracture, a hereditary condition that has left the two last fingers on both hands permanently bent back against the palms.
    Bill Nighy Relationships:
  • Alfred Nighy - Father
  • Catherine Nighy - Mother
  • Diana Quick - Ex-significant Other
  • Mary Nighy - Daughter

    • Bill Nighy Awards:
  • 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
  • 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner

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