Bill Nighy
Sue Lawley's castaway is actor Bill Nighy.
This week Sue's castaway is the award winning actor Bill Nighy.
Originally from Caterham in Surrey, he left school at 15 without any qualifications and ended up working at his local employment office. He hoped to become an author and began work on The Field magazine as a messenger boy, but then ran away to Paris at seventeen to write a novel. This venture failed and he ended up begging on the streets before returning to Britain and the Guildford School of Drama and Dance.
His first film role was as a delivery boy in Joan Collins' steamy film The Bitch. He's featured in numerous stage, TV, and radio dramas including the acclaimed Men's Room in 1991 and, more recently, in State of Play, where he played a newspaper editor. His career has been described by some critics as a slow burn rather than a beacon, although he's now widely recognised as achieving the acclaim he deserves. In February he won Best Supporting Actor at the Baftas for his role as Billy Mack, a washed up singer in the film Love Actually.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Favourite track: Winter by The Rolling Stones
Book: 1st edition of 49 Stories by Ernest Hemingway
Luxury: Boxed set of blues harps (harmonicas) and instruction book
Last on
Music Played
-
The Rolling Stones
Gimme Shelter
- Let It Bleed.
- London.
-
James Brown
I Got You (I Feel Good)
- Soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam.
- AM & PM.
-
Bob Dylan
Just Like Tom Thumb Blues
- More Bob Dylan: Greatest Hits.
- Columbia.
-
The Who
Won't Get Fooled Again
- My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who.
- Polydor.
-
Marvin Gaye
My Love Is Waiting
- Midnight Love.
- CBS.
-
John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison
Healing Game
- Don't Look Back.
- Pointblank.
-
Freaky Realistic
Koochie Ryder
- Frealism.
- Polydor.
-
Castaway's Favourite
-
The Rolling Stones
Winter
- Goat's Head Soup.
- Virgin.
-
-
Book Choice
-
1st edition of 49 Stories - Ernest Hemingway
Luxury Choice
-
Boxed set of blues harps (harmonicas) and instruction book
-
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Sue Lawley |
Interviewed Guest | Bill Nighy |
Broadcasts
- Sun 14 Mar 2004 11:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Fri 19 Mar 2004 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Featured in...
Archive 2000-2005—Desert Island Discs
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
Listen to over 2,000 programmes
Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.
Articles
Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.
Podcast
-
Desert Island Discs
Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.