William Francis Nighy is a British actor. Known for his work in numerous stage, television and film productions, he has received several awards including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award, and also has had nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.
He started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with The Illuminatus! in 1977. 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 Chekhov's The Seagull in 1994. He received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor nomination for his role in Blue/Orange in 2001. He acted on Broadway in the David Hare plays The Vertical Hour and Skylight, earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination for the latter.
Nighy's early film roles include the comedies Still Crazy, Guest House Paradiso and Blow Dry. He rose to international stardom with his role in Love Actually, which earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.