We are delighted to announce that legendary British Actor Bill Nighy becomes a patron of Norfolk Screen and he had this to say about getting involved…“Norfolk is a sensational part of England and provides rich pickings for film makers . I welcome the opportunity to promote both the county and the project”.
Bill Nighy is a multi-award-winning actor of both the stage and screen with an expansive career spanning fifty years. Amongst others, Bill has received a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor (LOVE ACTUALLY) and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries (GIDEON’S DAUGHER).
Bill has most recently been seen alongside Johnny Depp in redemptive thriller MINAMATA, which received its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival 2020 and released theatrically early this year. The film follows war photographer W. Eugene Smith as he travels to Japan and challenges the corporation responsible for poisoning the people of Minamata in 1971. In early 2020, Bill starred in Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, EMMA in the role of Emma’s father Mr Woodhouse alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn.
Bill has recently been announced to lead in the English-language adaptation of LIVING, based on the 1952 Japanese classic Iriku by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni. The film will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and also star Aimee Lou-Wood.
In 2019, Bill was seen in Lone Scherfig’s THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS which opened the Berlin International Film Festival; the highly acclaimed animation POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU; scrabble-centric comedy drama SOMETIMES, ALWAYS, NEVER; and the romantic drama feature film HOPE GAP opposite Annette Benning.
In 2018, Bill starred in the multi-awards winning film, THE BOOKSHOP as reclusive book-lover Edmund Brundish, and in the TV mini-series adaptation of Agatha Christie’s ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE, in which he played the lead role of Leo Argyll. In 2017, Bill was seen on screens in THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM, which premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival in 2016. Also featured during TIFF 2016 was THEIR FINEST, which saw Bill star alongside Gemma Arterton and Sam Claflin. Bill’s iconic turn as an aging rock star in Richard Curtis’s 2003 hit LOVE ACTUALLY won him the Evening Standard British Film Award amongst others. He later reprised the role in the charity special RED NOSE DAY ACTUALLY (2017).
2014 saw Bill star in PRIDE which won Best British Independent Film at the 2014 BIFAs. In 2013, Bill once again teamed up with Richard Curtis for the time travelling romantic comedy, ABOUT TIME. Bill also took the role of Douglas Ainslie in THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2012)and its sequel, THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2015).
Bill’s extensive list of film credits also includes WILD TARGET (2010), PIRATE RADIO (2009) VALKYRIE (2008), NOTES ON A SCANDAL (2006), THE CONSTANT GARDENER (2005), LAWLESS HEART (2001) and STILL CRAZY(1998).
Bill began his career on the stage and has since earned acclaim for his work in numerous plays, including David Hare’s PRAVDA (1985), SKYLIGHT (1995) and A MAP OF THE WORLD (1983). He received an Olivier Award nomination in 2001 for Best Actor for his performance in Joe Penhall’s BLUE/ORANGE.
