Bill Nighy says his role in Their Finest made him feel old

ATTEMPTS to boost public morale were particularly important during the war years.

A new film, Their Finest, out this week, sees the attempts of a British film crew to make a propaganda movie.

With Bill Nighy on board, we’re in for a real treat — even if his casting did make the actor feel old.

On reading the script, it occured to him that he’s reached the age where certain scripts will be sent to him.

“I get these kinds of scripts all the time,” he explains.

“They were looking for someone to play a chronically-self-absorbed, pompous actor in his declining years and they thought of me, and you think: ‘Hang on!’

“It’s easier to process some mornings than others. You sometimes just realise: ‘Oh, I’m old!’

“I remember getting a call once for Hamlet when I was about 40 and they said: ‘It’s Hamlet,’ and I was like: ‘Well, where is it?’ and they said: “Moscow, Tokyo . . .’

“I said: ‘I’m not sure. I don’t think I want to play Hamlet.’

“They said: ‘It’s not Hamlet. It’s Claudius. It’s Hamlet’s Uncle.’ And then you realise: ‘Oh, now I’m middle-aged.’

“I’m always getting offered roles like that — falling apart, a nuisance around women, shady, shallow, no moral fibre . . . ‘Well, maybe Bill Nighy could do it.’

“But with this film, I liked everything about it.

“The first thing was that Lone Scherfig was going to direct it,” says Bill, who recently reprised his role of Billy Mack in Love Actually for Red Nose Day.

“We’ve tried to work together before.

“I adore her. She’s a wonderful person and she’s a fantastic film-maker.

“If I had to work with Lone Scherfig every day, I’d run into work.

“She also laughed at my jokes, which is the way to my heart,” he smiles.

Bill’s co-star Gemma Arterton — who made a name for herself as Strawberry Fields in Bond film Quantum of Solace — also enjoyed working on the film — partly because of who she’d be working with.

“Bill was already attached to the film when I received the script, which was one of the draws, I’ve got to say,” says Gemma.

“They sent me the script and I thought it was so elegant and beautifully written, and it was so nice to read a script with a rhythm and wit, and it was quite fast-paced.

“I loved the characters and I love that period of time — such an interesting time for film-making and women as well.”

The movie deals with the theme of sexism, with women treated unfairly at the time, and Gemma’s character, Catrin Cole, is subjected to discrimination, which she begins to overcome through the course of the film.

“A series of events happen to her which make her realise that actually she’s quite clever and she’s a good writer and she deserves better,” explains Gemma.

“But she does it off her own back rather than shouting and screaming. It’s all very subtly done in the film.”

Their Finest is in cinemas now.