Born 1949 (age 76) · Caterham, Surrey, England, UK
Appears in 185 titles

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).

Filmography

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
7.7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
as Rufus Scrimgeour
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Shaun of the Dead
7.5
Shaun of the Dead
2004
as Phillip
About Time
7.9
About Time
2013
as Dad
Hot Fuzz
7.6
Hot Fuzz
2007
as Met Chief Inspector
Love Actually
7.1
Love Actually
2003
as Billy Mack
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
6.9
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
2019
as Howard Clifford
Rango
6.9
Rango
2011
as Rattlesnake Jake (voice)
Underworld
6.8
Underworld
2003
as Viktor
The Wild Robot
8.3
The Wild Robot
2024
as Longneck (voice)
The World's End
6.8
The World's End
2013
as The Network (voice)
Total Recall
6.0
Total Recall
2012
as Matthias
Jack the Giant Slayer
5.9
Jack the Giant Slayer
2013
as General Fallon
Wrath of the Titans
5.8
Wrath of the Titans
2012
as Hephaestus
Underworld: Evolution
6.6
Underworld: Evolution
2006
as Viktor
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
6.7
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2005
as Slartibartfast
Flushed Away
6.3
Flushed Away
2006
as Whitey (voice)
Valkyrie
7.0
Valkyrie
2008
as Friedrich Olbricht
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
6.5
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
2009
as Viktor