Bill Nighy
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).
Known For










Credits
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500 Miles Future★ NR
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& Sons Future★ NR
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★ NR
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Lazarus FutureDoctor Lazarus ' Dr L'★ NR
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Ride or Die FutureThe Director★ NR
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That Christmas 2024Lighthouse Bill (voice)★ 7.2
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Joy 2024Patrick Steptoe★ 7
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The Wild Robot 2024Longneck (voice)★ 8.3
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ NR
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Conrad (voice)★ 6.5
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10 Lives 2024Professor Craven (voice)★ 7.8
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The First Omen 2024Cardinal Lawrence★ 6.9
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The Beautiful Game 2024Mal★ 6.3
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Role Play 2023Bob★ 6
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Darkling 2023★ NR
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Spectre of the Bear 2023Bennett (voice)★ NR
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Bloody Fury 2023Bloody's Consciousness (voice)★ NR
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ NR
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Living 2022Williams★ 7
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Thomas Jerome Newton★ 7.4
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ NR
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Lotus: A New Dawn 2021Self - Narrator (voice)★ 6
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ 10
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Buckley's Chance 2021Spencer★ 6.2
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ 9
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Self - Narrator (voice)★ 8
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Self★ 8.5
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Minamata 2020Robert "Bob" Hayes★ 6.9
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Emma. 2020Mr. Woodhouse★ 7
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Timofey★ 6.4
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StarDog and TurboCat 2019Sinclair (voice)★ 7.1
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Narrator (voice)★ 8.1
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Hope Gap 2019Edward★ 6.3
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Howard Clifford★ 6.9
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Alan★ 6.3
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Ordeal by Innocence 2018Leo Argyll★ 7
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The Bookshop 2017Mr. Brundish★ 6.5
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Castlevania 2017Saint Germain (voice)★ 8.3
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Billy Mack★ 7.1
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Their Finest 2017Ambrose Hilliard / Uncle Frank★ 6.7
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The Limehouse Golem 2016John Kildare★ 6.2
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Dad's Army 2016Sergeant Wilson★ 5
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Norm of the North 2016Socrates (voice)★ 4.6
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Self - 'Flushed Away' and 'Arthur Christmas'★ 7
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Douglas Ainslie★ 6.4
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Pride 2014Cliff★ 7.7
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Tom Sergeant★ 9.1
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Johnny Worricker★ 6.2
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Turks & Caicos 2014Johnny Worricker★ 6.3
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I, Frankenstein 2014Naberius★ 5.4
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About Time 2013Dad★ 7.9
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The World's End 2013The Network (voice)★ 6.8
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The Hungry Corpse 2013The Hungry Corpse★ NR
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Great White Shark 2013Self - Narrator (voice)★ 6.2
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General Fallon★ 5.9
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Graham Greene (voice)★ 1
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Spoken Quotations (voice)★ 6.5
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Total Recall 2012Matthias★ 6
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Wrath of the Titans 2012Hephaestus★ 5.7
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Douglas Ainslie★ 6.9
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Arthur Christmas 2011Grandsanta (voice)★ 6.8
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Page Eight 2011Johnny Worricker★ 6.6
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Astonish Me 2011The Professor★ 8
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Self / Rattlesnake Jake★ 6
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Rango 2011Rattlesnake Jake (voice)★ 6.9
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Chalet Girl 2011Richard Madsen★ 6.4
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Rufus Scrimgeour★ 7.7
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Wild Target 2010Victor Maynard★ 6.4
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10 Minute Tales 2009★ 7.5
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Glorious 39 2009Alexander Keyes★ 6
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Astro Boy 2009Dr. Elefun / Robotsky (voice)★ 6.3
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G-Force 2009Leonard Saber★ 5.5
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The Big Art Project 2009Narrator★ NR
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The Boat That Rocked 2009Quentin★ 7.2
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Viktor★ 6.5
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Valkyrie 2008Friedrich Olbricht★ 6.9
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Slapper 2008Arnold Percy★ 3.5
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A Fox's Tale 2008Ringmaster (voice)★ 1.7
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Self★ NR
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Davy Jones★ 7.3
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Hot Fuzz 2007Met Chief Inspector★ 7.6
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Notes on a Scandal 2006Richard Hart★ 7.1
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Flushed Away 2006Whitey (voice)★ 6.3
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Stormbreaker 2006Alan Blunt★ 5.2
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Davy Jones★ 7.4
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We Love Cigarettes 2006Narrator★ NR
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Viktor★ 6.6
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Gideon's Daughter 2005Gideon Warner★ 6.2
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Meerkat Manor 2005Narrator★ 7.5
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Sir Bernard Pellegrin★ 7
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Self★ NR
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The Girl in the Café 2005Lawrence★ 7.1
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Slartibartfast★ 6.7
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Doctor Who 2005Dr Black★ 7.5
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Enduring Love 2004Robin★ 5.7
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The Magic Roundabout 2004Dylan (voice)★ 5.4
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Phil Parish★ 7.3
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Self - Narrator★ NR
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He Knew He Was Right 2004Colonel Osborne★ 7.8
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Shaun of the Dead 2004Phillip★ 7.5
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Burst 2004Maxwell's Fan 22★ NR
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Narrator★ 6
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The Young Visiters 2003Earl of Clincham★ 5.1
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Grumpy Old Men 2003Self★ 7.2
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Underworld 2003Viktor★ 6.8
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Canterbury Tales 2003James★ 6.9
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Love Actually 2003Billy Mack★ 7.1
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State of Play 2003Cameron Foster★ 7.5
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I Capture the Castle 2003James Mortmain★ 6.8
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The Lost Prince 2003Stamfordham★ 7
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Timeshift 2002self (voice)★ 7
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Lawless Heart 2002Dan★ 5.4
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Lockwood★ 7.1
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AKA 2002Uncle Louis Gryffoyn★ 5.6
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Lucky Break 2001Roger★ 6.2
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Blow Dry 2001Ray Robertson★ 5.9
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Black Books 2000Man at bar★ 8.1
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Longitude 2000Lord Sandwich★ 7.3
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Guest House Paradiso 1999Mr. Johnson★ 6.2
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The Bass Player 1999★ NR
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People Like Us 1999Will Rushmore★ 7.9
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Still Crazy 1998Ray Simms★ 6.7
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Edward Gardner★ 6.4
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True Blue 1996Jeremy Saville★ 6.1
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Alive and Kicking 1996Tristan★ 4.9
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Belshazzar (voice)★ 6.4
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Kavanagh Q.C. 1995Giles Culpepper QC★ 7
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Wycliffe 1994David Cleeve★ 6
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Being Human 1994Julian★ 5.1
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The Maitlands 1993Roger Maitland★ NR
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John Tracey★ 7
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Peak Practice 1993Alan Sinclair★ 6.1
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Eye of the Storm 1993Tom Frewen★ 8
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Unnatural Causes 1993Oliver Latham★ NR
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A Masculine Ending 1992John Tracey★ NR
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Absolute Hell 1991Hugh Marriner★ 5.7
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Performance 1991Roger Maitland★ 6
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Chillers 1990Tom Dickenson★ 6.2
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Making News 1990Sam Courtney★ 6
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Antonia and Jane 1990Howard Nash★ 5.5
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Martin Barton★ 5.6
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Mack the Knife 1989Tiger Brown★ 6.6
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South Of The Border 1988Tony Freason★ NR
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Thirteen at Dinner 1985Ronald Marsh★ 5.6
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Cecil Meares★ 6.8
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Helmut Hoffmann★ 4.5
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Al★ 5.5
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Auf Wiedersehen, Pet 1983Jeffrey Grainger★ 7.9
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Reilly: Ace of Spies 1983Goschen★ 7
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ENT Doctor★ 4.6
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Easter 2016 1982Connor Mullan★ NR
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Under the Skin 1982Dave★ NR
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Bergerac 1981Barry★ 6.6
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Eye of the Needle 1981Squadron Leader Blenkinsop★ 6.7
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Bruno★ NR
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Officer★ 7.4
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Fox 1980Colin Street★ 1
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Death Watch 1980Katherine's Co-worker (uncredited)★ 6.3
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Dreams of Leaving 1980William★ 7
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Deasey (Desperate) 1979Deasy★ NR
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Minder 1979Oates★ 6.8
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Agony 1979Vincent Fish★ 6.5
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Bill★ NR
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Occupy! 1976Player in Everyman Theatre Company, Liverpool★ NR
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Play for Today 1970Dave★ 6.3