Bill Nighy on dashed writing dreams and his new role as a reclusive novelist
Actor Bill Nighy discusses his new film & Sons, in which he plays a reclusive novelist, reflecting on his own abandoned dream of becoming a writer and his views on fame and modern life.
Actor Bill Nighy, 76, stars in the new film & Sons as AN Dyer, a reclusive and difficult novelist who gathers his family on his deathbed to make an announcement that pushes the story into science-fiction territory. The film also features Imelda Staunton, Johnny Flynn, George MacKay and Noah Jupe.
Unlike his character, who refuses to take phone calls, Nighy said he actually spends a lot of time on the phone and enjoys texting, though he has given up Zoom calls and working lunches, which he finds unpleasant. He also shared his views on emojis, saying he likes the flamingo, purple dahlia and leaping shark, but avoids smiley faces.
An abandoned dream of writing
Nighy revealed that in his youth he dreamed of becoming a writer, inspired by Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Encouraged by a teacher, he took a job at The Field magazine at age 15, and later moved to Paris hoping to become a writer, but ended up begging near the Trocadéro. His literary ambitions eventually faded, and someone suggested he try drama school instead.
Nighy is known for roles in Love Actually, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and Living, which earned him his only Oscar nomination to date. He also hosts the podcast Ill-Advised, which has more than 300,000 monthly listeners and was named 2026 Podcast of the Year by the Broadcasting Press Guild.
