Hitchhiker's Guide/Underworld crossover

[IBBoard]

I just watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on Sunday night (the 2005 version) and my Fiancee saw Slartibartfast and went crazy about how she recognised him and couldn't remember what his name was. I didn't have a clue at first, but then I'm not very great with actors - they're there to play a part, not to be recognised

Anyway, it turns out that Slartibartfast is played by Bill Nighy who is Viktor in Underworld (the elder Vampire who gets awoken early by Selene/Kate Beckinsale). Once I knew who it was I could kinda see it and hear it, but it just didn't look like him at first. Not a clue how my Fiancee noticed it

[TGSC]

He's been in loads of stuff, he's great, it was brilliant casting for H2G2

[IBBoard]

He's probably one of those people who's in all sorts but who you don't tend to notice. Either that or maybe it's just me

But John Malkovich, I know, has been in all sorts and is a 'famous' actor, but I couldn't name one thing he's been in (except Being John Malkovich, I suspect!)

Having just looked at Bill Nighy's IMDB entry I can't say I recognise most of those films He has been in a fair few TV series though. I like the way they use a pic of him as Viktor as his profile pic as well!

[Simguinus]

As well as being VIktor the Ventrue in Underworld, Bill Nighy was also in Love First, the voice of Sam Gamgee in the mighty BBC Radio 4 adaptation of LOTR, and also appeared in "Yes, Minister" (Episode "Jobs for the Boys" Season 2). He was also Shaun's step-dad in Shaun of the Dead.

John Malkovich has been significant as Valmont in Dangerous Liasons, Cyrus the Virus in Con Air, Charles VII in Jean d'Arc (the Luc Besson version), Tom Ripley in the infiinitely superior to "The Talented Mr Ripley"; "Ripley's Game", and F.W Murnau in the hilarious and disturbing "Shadow of a Vampire."

Both are the kind of character actors who regularly portray small parts and villains - Underworld and Con Air. Ripley's Game are odd leading roles for both. Yet both are the kind of actor who very rarely appears in something poor, and always delivers the goods. Malkovich as Ripley is by far and away the better portrayal versus the insipid and slighlty camp Matt Damon, whose performance in Talented Mr Ripley was far from talented.

[IBBoard]

Personally, I'm not so sure about Shaun of the Dead. I tried watching it once and it was just so...stupidly and almost predictably unfunny.

Didn't realise the Malkovich was in Con Air, or that Nighy had been in Yes, Minister *tries to think* there was someone else who had been in a TV series like that that I found out about the other day and was suprised. Can't think who it was now...