Detective Pikachu actor Bill Nighy is decorating his home with 'ancient Pokémon wall hangings'

Bill Nighy.
(Image credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)

Bill Nighy apparently had such a good experience working on Pokémon Detective Pikachu that he's ready to turn his home into a full-on Pokémon shrine.

The 69-year-old actor in a new interview with The Guardian described knowing virtually nothing about Pokémon before signing up for the new live-action film, which hits theaters on Friday. But after taking a "crash course" in the franchise, which involved buying "every book available, including the deeply impressive Pokédex," he has become an unlikely super fan.

In fact, Nighy described taking "ancient Pokémon wall hangings," which his character has in the film, home with him after shooting. They currently reside in his cellar, but Nighy fully plans to hang them up once he finds "a wall strong enough to hold them."

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Nighy also delightfully geeked out about collecting Pokémon and receiving a limited-edition Pikachu from the CEO of the Pokémon Company himself. "Pikachu," Nighy said. "Who can resist!?"

Next time you're out conquering gyms in Pokemon Go, don't be surprised to run into Nighy, who told The Guardian he's planning to download the app and give it a spin. And if you're looking to make conversation, just bring up Mew, who Nighy gleefully described as his favorite Pokémon. "The ancient Mew was probably my top, top favorite because he's just majestic and he was the very first," Nighy said. "...He was elegant and powerful."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.