You know who we’ve always loved, actually? Today, we double down on the dapper and surprising British actor Bill Nighy. His new movie, Living, will likely land him a best-actor nomination for playing a bland bureaucrat who, upon learning that he has a terminal illness, walks away from this staid, seemingly stoic life, and embraces connection in the time he has left. Nighy (pronounced “nigh,” in case you’re still wondering) spoke to Hugh Jackman at a reception for the movie hosted by Anna Wintour. And for one of VF’s Career Timeline videos, he walks us through his whole journey as an actor. Among other things, he reveals one of Love Actually’s most enduring gifts: “One of the greatest things that ever happened to me, and ask any actor—it meant that I didn’t have to audition ever again for the rest of my life. You don’t have to sit in any of those outer offices sweating, worrying, short of breath, going and making a fool of yourself, and going home and, you know, weeping.”
ELSEWHERE in Hollywood, Chris Murphy talks to comedian Matt Rogers about his new special, Have You Heard of Christmas?, in which he displays his many talents as a comedian, sketch writer, actor, and singer. Our chief critic, Richard Lawson, reviews Will Smith’s unapologetically brutal new movie, Emancipation. And Jeremy Pope talks about what hit home for him while playing a gay man who enlists in the military in The Inspection.