Age: 76
male
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).
Bill Nighy
The Grand Duke of Owls
for The Grand Duke of Owls in Rock-A-Doodle
Suggested by filmdreamer
Edmond's favorite story is about Chanticleer, a rooster whose singing makes the sun rise every morning until the Grand Duke of Owls, whose alliance despises the sun, makes him look like a fraud. The owls drive Chanticleer from the farm and put it under a spell of perpetual darkness. As Edmond's own farm suffers, he calls to Chanticleer and accidentally summons the Duke himself, who transforms him into a kitten to devour him. He's rescued by Chanticleer's friends, Patou the Farm Hound, Snipes the magpie, and Peepers the mouse, and they go on an adventure to the city where Chanticleer has become a rock star. Chanticleer himself feels distant and misses his old life but is often drowns his sorrows with his singing and performances. The group must find Chanticleer and get him home, all while evading the wrath of other creatures of the night. Edmond as well must find a way to get back home and back to normal before it's too late.
