#365 - Bill Nighy - Actor - A very British Christmas Special
We all perceive his captivating presence on screen, teetering between grace and awkwardness, the intentional and the spontaneous.
Bill Nighy's humor embodies the essential qualities of British comedy while also showcasing remarkable versatility.
Born in Caterham, United Kingdom in 1949, Bill Nighy always dreamt of becoming a writer. However, life had other plans for him. After giving up his ambitions of becoming a writer, his comedic genius has been celebrated worldwide, earning him an Oscar for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama.
He started his career on the stage of Liverpool's Everyman Theatre and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre in the late 1970s. He then appeared on British television and radio, relishing the opportunity to play "anyone, because on the radio your appearance doesn't matter."
His career reached a turning point in 2003 marked by his involvement in the film “Underworld” where he played the vampire Elder Viktor, and especially by the role that brought him international recognition: the jaded rocker Billy Mack in “Love Actually”.
Almost two decades later, he proved equal skills in a role that resonated more closely with him: the character of Mr. Williams, a mundane bureaucrat in “The Living'”(2022), who discovers a new zest for life. This performance comes highly recommended.
Convinced that his impressive career is the result of chance and lucky encounters, Bill Nighy is a modest workaholic, embodying the epitome of British self-deprecation.
In this once-in-a-lifetime episode, we delve into:
- Tribalism and football clubs,
- How Bill procrastinated his entire writing career and inadvertently became an award-winning actor,
- How self-doubt fuels procrastination,
- The few times he escaped England to visit Paris and Marseille as a teenager,
- Theater-induced anxiety and not throwing up before stepping onto the stage,
- Mod fashion
A unique conversation marked by Bill's elegance, quirkiness, subtlety, charm, and kindness.
Merry Christmas !
TIMELINE :
- OO:00:00 Just call him Bill
- 00:17:00 Bill Nighy’s latest movie, The Living (2022)
- 00:23:50 Procrastination
- 00:38:14 Work is not giving into despair or self-doubt
- 00:45:40 Theatre & managing stage-induced anxiety
- 00:59:50 The relationship Bill has with (not) writing
- 01:12:05 Acting on the radio & drama school
- 01:21:40 All the times Bill ran away to France
- 01:31:30 The influence of Bill’s father on his career
- 01:36:40 Playing leading roles
- 01:41:16 2003,Underworld, and Love Actually - a turning point
- 01:58:00 Words for the younger Bill
- 02:00:40 Fashion
- 02:12:15 Bill’s hands - the Dupuytren contracture
Bill and I quoted several old GDIY episodes:
Bill and I talked about :
- His filmography
- The Living
- Love Actually
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Boat That Rocked
- Harry Potter
- Underworld
- Sir David Hair
- Modernist fashion icons
- Paul Wheeler, lead singer of The Jam
- Martin Freeman
- Françoise Hardy
- David Frost’s show That was the news that was
Bill recommends you read :
How do you like the theme music? We owe it all to Morgan Prudhomme! Contact him at: https://studio-module.com.
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