“It’s ‘The Boat That Rocked’ in England. In Germany, it was ‘Rock Revolution.’ In France, it was ‘Good Morning England,’ and it was different in Denmark, I think,” Nighy says of the many name changes his new movie has gone through. “Anyway, here it’s called ‘Pirate Radio.’”
Bill Nighy has played a plethora of different characters — and species — over his long career, and it’s something he’s rather proud of. “I’ve been a vampire, a zombie, a squid. I’ve been a stoned-out rabbit who sings ‘You’ve Really Got Me’ by the Kinks. I’ve been an albino ex-lab rat with brain damage. I get around,” he says. “I don’t mind when it gets a bit stupid. I kind of like it. And I feel very blessed that I’m able to play a range of parts. Often you don’t.”
For his next trick, Nighy has re-teamed with writer/director Richard Curtis, the man behind classic British romantic-comedies like “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Love Actually” for “Pirate Radio,” which follows the crew of a ship broadcasting rock music from the water off the coast of England, with Nighy as the ship’s captain.
“We do stupid things,” Nighy says.