Bill Nighy was born on December 12, 1949 in Caterham, Surrey, England. He is a Golden Globe and BAFTA-award winning English actor.

He has starred in many radio and television dramas, notably the BBC serial The Men's Room (1991), and more recently the thriller State of Play (2003) and costume drama He Knew He Was Right (2004). He played Sam in the 1981 BBC Radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings, and appeared in the 1980s BBC Radio versions of Yes Minister episodes. He starred alongside Stephen Moore and Lesley Sharp in the acclaimed short radio drama Kerton's Story. He also played a starring role in the 2002 return of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, portraying crooked politician Jeffrey Grainger.

In 2003, Nighy played the role of the Vampire Elder Viktor in the American production Underworld and returned in the same role for the sequel Underworld: Evolution in 2006. He also appeared in the comedy Shaun of the Dead.

In early 2004, the British tabloid press reported Nighy's partner as saying that he had been offered the coveted role of the Doctor in the 2005 revival of the BBC television series Doctor Who.

In 2005, he appeared as Slartibartfast in the film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams and also in the one-off BBC One comedy-drama The Girl in the Café. In February 2006, he appeared in scriptwriter Stephen Poliakoff's one-off drama, Gideon's Daughter. He has also collaborated with British filmmaker Edgar Wright on the cult classic Shaun of the Dead and the recently released Hot Fuzz.

Nighy appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, where he plays the principal villain, Davy Jones. He reprised the role in the 2007 sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. From November 2006 to March 2007, he appeared on Broadway in The Vertical Hour, also starring Julianne Moore.

He also provides the narration for the 2007 BBC series Meerkat Manor. Recently, he played the role of the husband of Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) in the Oscar Nominated 'Notes on a Scandal'. He has twice played burnt-out rockstars: Ray Simms in Still Crazy and Billy Mack in Love Actually.

Nighy is the partner of actress Diana Quick.

Filmography

• Valkyrie (2008)
• Mamma Mia! (2008)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
• Hot Fuzz (2007)
• Notes on a Scandal (2006)
• Flushed Away (2006)
• Stormbreaker (2006)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
• Underworld: Evolution (2006)
• Gideon's Daughter (2005)
• The Constant Gardener (2005)
• The Girl in the Café (2005)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
• The Magic Roundabout (2005)
• Enduring Love (2004)
• "He Knew He Was Right" (2004)
• Shaun of the Dead (2004)
• Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher (2003)
• The Young Visiters (2003)
• "The Canterbury Tales" (1 episode, 2003)
• Underworld (2003)
• Love Actually (2003)
• "State of Play" (6 episodes, 2003)
• The Lost Prince (2003)
• I Capture the Castle (2003)
• Ready When You Are Mr. McGill (2003)
• "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" (6 episodes, 2002)
• "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" (1 episode, 2002)
• AKA (2002)
• "Animated Tales of the World" (1 episode 2001)
• Lucky Break (2001)
• Lawless Heart (2001)
• Blow Dry (2001)
• "Kiss Me Kate" (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
• "The Canterbury Tales" (2 episodes, 1998-2000)
• Longitude (2000)
• The Magic of Vincent (2000)
• Guest House Paradiso (1999)
• "People Like Us" (1 episode, 1999)
• Still Crazy (1998)
• FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
• "Kavanagh QC" QC (1 episode, 1997)
• Treasure Island (1997)
• Indian Summer (1996)
• True Blue (1996)
• "Testament: The Bible in Animation" (1 episode)
• "Wycliffe" (1 episode, 1994)
• The Maitlands (1993) Don't Leave Me This Way (1993)
• "Peak Practice" (1 episode, 1993)
• "Mystery!" (1 episode, 1993)
• Being Human (1993)
• "Eye of the Storm" (1993)
• "Chillers" (1 episode, 1992)
• A Masculine Ending (1992)
• "Bergerac" (1 episode, 1991)
• "Boon" (1 episode, 1991)
• "The Men's Room" (1991)
• Antonia and Jane (1991)
• Absolute Hell (1991)
• Mack the Knife (1990)
• "Making News" (1990)
• The Phantom of the Opera (1989)
• "Storyboard" (1 episode, 1989)
• Thirteen at Dinner (1985)
• Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil (1985)
• "The Last Place on Earth" (1985)
• The Little Drummer Girl (1984)
• "Reilly: The Ace of Spies" (1983)
• Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
• "Jemima Shore Investigates" (1 episode, 1983)
• "Play for Tomorrow" (1 episode, 1982)
• Easter 2016 (1982)
• "Minder" (1 episode, 1982)
• "Play for Today" (2 episodes, 1980-1982)
• Eye of the Needle (1981)
• "Agony" (1979)
• "BBC2 Playhouse" (1 episode, 1980)
• Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)
• "Fox" (1 episode, 1980)
• The Bitch (1979)
• "Softly Softly" (1 episode, 1976)

Awards

• Golden Globe Best Actor in a Television Movie "Gideon's Daughter" 2007
• BAFTA Award Best Supporting Actor "Love Actually" 2004
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Best Supporting Actor "I Capture the Castle," "Lawless Heart" and "Love Actually" 2003