Bill Nighy said that his upcoming film The Beautiful Game is "special" and that filming alongside those who had experienced the Homeless World Cup was "very affecting".
The British actor stars as the manager of England’s homeless football team in Thea Sharrock’s Netflix sports drama about the annual Homeless World Cup, an international football tournament for homeless people.
"It is basically me and a bunch of young nutters running around Rome in the hottest summer in recorded memory, that’s the reality," Nighy told the PA news agency during a special screening of the film in London, ahead of its Netflix launch on 29 March.
"One thing that was very affecting was the fact that a lot of the people who came to play the other teams like the Japanese, French, German team, they were people who had already gone through the Homeless World Cup process and were no longer homeless and were rehabilitated – so that was very affecting."
In the film, Nighy’s character Mal takes his players to Rome in the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, and at the last minute adds talented striker Vinny – played by Michael Ward – to the team.
Nighy described the film as "special, because it's about something special".
"It is a funny movie - it’s designed to make you laugh and to be touching and move you a little bit and also deliver the information about the Homeless World Cup," he added.
The 74-year-old said the stadium was built in the middle of Rome and the teams had to appear everyday for filming as a heatwave swept across the country.
He told PA: "I was lucky, I didn’t have to play football, but the boys had to play football.
"It was so hot that the Italian government warned people not to leave the safety of their homes – you figure it’s probably for real, but the boys had to play football all day long, so they were heroic," he said.
"It was very affecting to be all of us all mixed together and hear all the stories."
Irish actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, best known from his starring role on RTÉ's Love/Hate, also has a role in the film.
Meanwhile It’s A Sin star Callum Scott Howells said he learnt about the Homeless World Cup after landing the role of Nathan.
"I feel so happy that it has come into my life, I feel so proud to be part of a film that is about such an important cause and a cause that has changed so many people's lives," he told PA.
"It came at a time when I had just done It’s A Sin and it was before all my other stuff. I’m a big football fan, I love football and it was very different to everything else that I’ve done so it was perfect.
"The script was just perfect, the character was so lovely and I think doing something on Netflix is always a big high in anyone’s career."
The 24-year-old also said he gets his bottom out during the film which he described as a "high point".
Source: Press Association
