Focus on: Bill Nighy

SBS World Movies and SBS On Demand celebrate the timeless charm of a beloved cinematic icon 5 Nighy a week.

(L-R) 'The Bookshop', 'The Limehouse Golem', 'Wild Target', 'Hope Gap' Credit: distributor/SBS

SBS World Movies and SBS On Demand are showcasing the work of Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor Bill Nighy, one of Britain's most celebrated and beloved actors. His career has spanned six decades, and we are delighted to present some of his best and most entertaining performances.

Sometimes, Always, Never

Sometimes, Always, Never

Alan (Bill Nighy) is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son Peter (Sam Riley) and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family. Although the film is about love, loss and regret it is really an eccentric off-beat comedy that is unexpected, vividly stylish and heartfelt.

Sometimes, Always, Never (PG) airs on SBS World Movies Monday, 21 August at 9.30pm and is available to stream at SBS On Demand.

Wild Target

Wild Target

In this crime comedy caper from director Jonathan Lynn (The Whole Nine Yards, My Cousin Vinny), Nighy plays Victor Maynard, the most respected assassin in the UK - and also the most expensive. When he finds himself drawn to one of his intended victims, art-thief Rose (Emily Blunt), his professional routine is interrupted and a comedy of errors begins. He spares her life, unexpectedly acquiring in the process a young apprentice, Tony (Rupert Grint). Believing Victor to be a private detective, his two new companions tag along, while he attempts to thwart the murderous attentions of his unhappy client (Rupert Everett).

Wild Target (M) airs on SBS World Movies Tuesday, 22 August at 9.30pm and will be available to stream at SBS On Demand after broadcast for 30 days.

Blow Dry

Blow Dry Credit: distributor

With a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Slumdog Millionaire) this UK/USA comedy is a hilarious story about love, happiness - and great hair! As the National Hair Championships descend upon a small town in England, the country's top stylists aren't expecting much from the local talent. But they didn't count on Phil Allen (Alan Rickman), the retired golden boy of the competition circuit, entering the fray. Nighy plays Raymond "Ray" Robertson, defending champion and Phil's rival. Things get complicated when Phil and Ray's children Brian (Josh Hartnett) and Christina (Rachel Leigh Cook) start a relationship, it's like the Capulet and Montague's of hair competitions. Laugh along as the locals dazzle the out-of-towners with some hair do's - and don'ts!

Blow Dry (M) airs on SBS World Movies Wednesday, 23 August at 9.30pm and will be available to stream at SBS On Demand after broadcast for 7 days.

Hope Gap

This drama from director/writer William Nicholson (Breathe, Gladiator) features powerhouse performances from Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and Josh O'Connor. Grace (Bening) and Edward (Nighy), married for 29 years, live in a small seaside town near a cove under the cliffs called Hope Gap. When their son Jamie (Josh O’Connor) comes to visit for the weekend, Edward informs him that he plans to leave Grace, that same day. The film tracks the unravelling of three lives, through stages of shock, disbelief and anger, to a resolution of sorts. There are no villains and there are no easy answers. A husband, a wife, a son are forced to face hard truths, and out of those truths fashion new lives.

Hope Gap (M) airs on SBS World Movies Thursday, 24 August at 9.30pm and is available to stream at SBS On Demand.

The Limehouse Golem

Before The Ripper, fear had another name. We take a bit of a darker turn with this Gothic mystery tale set in 1880 Victorian London. The streets are gripped with fear as a serial killer is on the loose and leaving cryptic messages written in the blood of his victims. With few leads and increasing public pressure, Scotland Yard assigns the case to Inspector Kildare (Nighy), a seasoned detective who has a sneaking suspicion that he's being set up to fail. Faced with a long list of suspects, Kildare must rely on the help of witness Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke), a music hall star, to stop the murders and bring the maniac to justice. All is not what it seems and everyone is a suspect and everyone has a secret.

The Limehouse Golem (MA15+) airs on SBS World Movies Friday, 25 August at 9.30pm and is available to stream at SBS On Demand.

The Bookshop

There's nothing like sitting down with a good book, but having a nice cup of tea and putting this film on comes pretty close, so let's make it 6 Nighy a week.

Based on Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel of the same name; The Bookshop is set in 1959, Florence Green (Emily Mortimer), a free-spirited widow, puts grief behind her and risks everything to open up a bookshop – the first such shop in the sleepy seaside town of Hardborough. Her activities bring her a kindred spirit and ally in the figure of Mr. Brundish (Bill Nighy) who is himself sick of the town’s stale atmosphere. But this mini social revolution soon brings her fierce enemies: like Mrs. Gamart (Patricia Clarkson), who is a wannabe doyenne of the local arts scene. When Florence refuses to bend to Gamart’s will, they begin a struggle not just for the bookshop but for the very heart and soul of the town.

The Bookshop (PG) is now streaming at SBS On Demand.

Explore the FOCUS ON: BILL NIGHY collection at SBS On Demand