Bill Nighy revealed that he once took the complete works of William Shakespeare from a library as part of his preparation for a drama school audition. The Oscar-nominated actor shared that his motivation for applying to the Guildford School of Acting was to impress a girl. For the audition, he was required to present two pieces: one from a contemporary playwright and another from Shakespeare.

Alongside an older friend, Nighy decided to “steal” not only Shakespeare’s complete works but also those of George Bernard Shaw, which they considered modern. He recounted this experience during an interview with BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life, acknowledging that they could have borrowed the books like everyone else but seemed to be caught up in a rebellious mindset.

While spending time at a pub, Nighy accidentally learned two female roles for his audition. He chose to perform as Eliza Doolittle from Shaw’s Pygmalion and Cesario from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, not realizing that Cesario is actually the character Viola in disguise. Despite the audition panel appearing somewhat perplexed by his unconventional choices, Nighy was invited back to present more appropriate material and eventually gained admission to the drama school.

Interestingly, the girl he aimed to impress had initially sent a letter to the drama school requesting an audition on his behalf. Nighy humorously confessed that he would have pursued any suggestion she made, even if it had been something as far-fetched as becoming an astronaut.

Throughout his career, which included an Oscar nomination last year for his performance in Living, Nighy has acted in two Shakespearean plays professionally. His first role was in The Taming of the Shrew at the Gateway Theatre in Chester, followed by a performance in King Lear alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins at the National Theatre in London.