William Francis Nighy better known as Bill Nighy, was born in Caterham, Surrey, England. Nighy is a triple threat having done movies, television and theater. After trying his hand at a number of jobs, including journalism, Nighy ended up training at Guildford School of Dance and Drama in London. He began his career on the stage, earning acclaim for his work in plays such as The Vertical Hour, Pravda and A Map of the World. He even received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the 2001 play Blue/Orange. He’s best known for his role in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually as the washed-up rock legend Billy Mack. Nighy has also been a part of many popular movie franchises such as playing the vampire leader Viktor in the sci-fi/action Underworld movies alongside Kate Beckinsale, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, where he played the tortured yet evil Davy Jones opposite Johnny Depp and he made a brief yet notable appearance in 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. Nighy has also done extensive work on the small screen debuting in the 1979 comedy Agony. Yet, his first widely-recognized television role didn’t come until the 1991 mini-series The Men’s Room. In honor of his 64th birthday, here is a Top 10 list of Bill Nighy movies.
10. The Constant Gardener: This 2005 drama/thriller was based on the John le Carré novel of the same name. Nighy starred opposite Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. The film, largely told in flashbacks, follows Justin Quayle (Fiennes,) a British diplomat in Kenya, as he tries to solve the murder of his wife Tessa (Weisz,) an Amnesty activist. Nighy played Sir Bernard Pellegrin, head of the Africa Desk at the Foreign Office and Quayle’s boss. Though it was a small part, Nighy made his presence known portraying a staunch government official.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1: This 2010 fantasy film was based on the novel by J.K. Rowling and was the sequel to 2009’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Nighy made a brief appearance as Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. Nighy portrayed the new Minister of Magic to be a capable leader. He co-starred with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Ralph Fiennes. Though his character ultimately dies, Nighy put his unique stamp on his contribution to the immensely popular movie franchise.
8. Rango: This 2011 animated country-western film directed by Gore Verbinski, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Nighy voiced the character of Rattle, a nemesis of the main character, Rango, voiced by Johnny Depp. Nighy’s deep sometimes creepy voice gave Rattle the naughtiness needed for an animated villain.
7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: This 2011 British dramedy had Nighy co-starring with Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Penelope Wilton among others. Nighy played Douglas Ainslie, Jean’s (Wilton’s) husband, who was an optimist to her constant pessimism. Nighy’s infused Douglas with a fun-loving spirit despite his marriage of almost 40 years failing apart.
6. Wrath of the Titans This 2012 fantasy film was the sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans. Nighy co-starred with Sam Worthington, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbell and Liam Neeson. Nighy played Hephaestus, the fallen G-d and son of Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of the G-ds. Nighy’s character tragically sacrificed himself so Perseus (Worthington,) Andromeda (Pike,) and Agenor (Kebbell) could enter the labyrinth leading to Tartarus. Nighy portrayed the tragic G-d incredibly well and showed that his ability to play drama is just as good as his ability to play comedy.
5. Notes on a Scandal: This 2006 British drama/psychological thriller was adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Zoë Heller. Nighy starred opposite Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. He played Richard Hart, the husband of Sheba (Blanchett,) who he leaves after learning of her affair with a 15-year-old student of hers. Lies, betrayals, secrets made this a riveting movie as Dench’s character, Barbara Covett, exposed Sheba’s affair thus also baring an unspoken sexual tension between the two women. Nighy played it close to the vest as the husband who didn’t want to lose his family but couldn’t endure his wife’s betrayal no matter how hard he tried.
4. Underworld: This 2003 action/horror film directed by Len Wiseman had Nighy playing the elder vampire leader Viktor. Co-starring with Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman and Michael Sheen, Nighy, with the help of incredibly intricate makeup, gave Viktor an eerie vibe as a vampire who killed Beckinsale’s character, Selene’s family when she was a child to protect the vampires from the Lycans (werewolves.)
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: This 2006 fantasy adventure film was the sequel to 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It was also directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and introduced Nighy’s character, the devious Davy Jones, captain of the Flying Dutchman. Jones roamed the seas in search of souls to serve upon his vessel for a century. Nighy imbued Jones with an inherent wickedness, which was further amplified by the movie’s stunning special effects.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: This 2007 fantasy adventure was the third film in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and in it, Nighy reprised his role as the vile Davy Jones. Yet, we learned Jones’ backstory, that he died waiting for his true love, who never showed and that event caused him to turn evil. Moviegoers weren’t sure if they should feel bad or despise the character as Nighy portrayed several different emotional sides of Jones. Yet, for me, when Jones plunged his sword into Will Turner’s (Orlando Bloom’s) heart, he was a despicable through and through!
1. Love Actually: Nighy is best known for his role in this 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy as aging rock and roll singer/legend Billy Mack. A movie with a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightly, Colin Firth, Rowan Atkinson, The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln, Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman, Nighy’s off-the-wall demeanor, antics, body language, etc, made this one unforgettable character that shined amidst the incredible star power of the movie.