Bill Nighy got into acting because he wanted "long periods of no work".
The 67-year-old actor has had a five-decade spanning career which has included roles in popular movies such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’, ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Underworld’.
But Nighy admits his main motivation when he began his acting journey was the prospect of not having to work all the time in a 9-to-5 job.
Speaking to Balance magazine, Nighy said: "I don’t love acting; I did acting because I didn’t want to do some other things. When I got into drama school, the teachers said, ‘We hope you realise there may be long periods where you’re out of work,’ and I had to keep a straight face because that’s exactly what I had in mind. Long periods of no work. That’s what I call glamour. It still gives me a thrill to walk around when everybody else is at work."
Nighy became a household name after starring in the 2003 Christmas movie ‘Love Actually’ as rock star Billy Mack said the film changed his life but admitted people get disappointed when they meet him in real life.
He said: "It changed my life. I remember doing several jobs that year – ‘Underworld’, ‘State of Play’ and ‘Love Actually’ – and I allowed myself to think that if these things even half deliver, then I’ll be OK. Generally I don’t allow myself to think positively. I feel like I’m disappointing them because I’m not Billy Mack, I’m just a normal bloke. I’m very fond of that part, although, I think I could have done it a whole lot better. I always think that."
Nighy also starred alongside Domhnall Gleeson in ‘About Time’ and he said it was a "wonderful job".
He said: "’About Time’ was a wonderful job in Cornwall over a beautiful summer and the script was fabulous."
Bill Nighy
