Award-winning actor Bill Nighy will receive the International Star Award, Actor for Living at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. The Film Awards will take place in-person on January 5, 2023 with the festival running through January 16, 2023.
A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru transposed to London, Living is the story of an ordinary man, Mr. Williams (played by Bill Nighy), reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful. Directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Kazuo Ishiguro, the Sony Pictures Classics film also stars Tom Burke, Aimee Lou Wood, and Alex Sharp.
“Bill Nighy delivers a tender and moving performance, addressing both the weight of life and death in the masterful film Living,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this outstanding accomplishment and triumphant work across his acting career, it is our honor to present the International Star Award, Actor to Bill Nighy.”
Bill Nighy’s film credits include Love Actually, Minamata; Emma; The Kindness Of Strangers; Pokemon: Detective Pikachu; Sometimes, Always, Never; Hope Gap; The Bookshop; Ordeal By Innocence; The Limehouse Golem; Their Finest; Pride; About Time; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Wild Target; Pirate Radio; Valkyrie; Notes on A Scandal; The Constant Gardener; Lawless Heart; and Still Crazy. His upcoming projects include The Beautiful Game, a Netflix film directed by Thea Sharrock which centers around a group of English homeless footballers, who travel from London to Rome for the Homeless World Cup.
Nighy joins this year’s previously announced honorees Austin Butler (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor), Cate Blanchett (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Viola Davis (Chairman’s Award), Colin Farrell (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Sarah Polley (Director of the Year Award), Michelle Yeoh (International Star Award) and The Fabelmans (Vanguard Award).
Past recipients of the International Star Award, Actor include Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Kaluuya and Gary Oldman. Kaluuya, went on to win the Academy Award® for Best Actor, while Banderas, Fassbender, Oldman, and Bardem received Best Actor Oscar® nominations for each of their respective films.