Bill Nighy ‘Living’ Oscar Dream: Why British Veteran is a Best Actor Contestant
Cinephiles consider it blasphemy to remake any Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa. When the captivating actor Bill Nighy sits at the heart of the story, his charming smile and stunning vocals will win you over.
The Sony Pictures Classics drama, Living, about a civil servant who decides that it is time to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, debuted at Sundance. It has been a hit at Telluride and Venice fests and continues to build word-of mouth buzz. Nighy’s submersion in the role of Mr. Williams (the tale’s main character) is a powerful reminder to Hollywood that Hollywood has long overdue for humblings.
Nighy’s work has many memorable parts, including Davy Jones in “Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest” and Ray Simms as the lead singer of the 1970s band Strange Fruit, in “Still Crazy.” Now, Nighy is getting the best reviews of all for his touching performance in Oliver Hermanus’ adaptation of Kurosawa’s 1952 masterpiece “Ikiru.”
