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Bill Nighy: I stole complete works of Shakespeare to help me get into drama school

Actor says he took books after applying to acting school to impress a girl, and he now refuses to perform in Bard’s plays

He performed the role of Eliza Doolittle from Shaw’s play Pygmalion, and the part of Cesario in Twelfth Night. Despite the panel looking “a bit confused” by his interpretation of the brief, Nighy said he was invited back “with more suitable material” and he was later accepted into the drama school. During his career – besides his Oscar nomination last year for his role in Living, he has also won two Baftas and a Golden Globe – Nighy has performed two Shakespeare plays professionally: The Taming fo the Shrew at the Gateway theatre in Chester, and King Lear with Anthony Hopkins at the National Theatre in London.

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