Bill trips out for Magic role

Bill Nighy's career has enjoyed a huge boost since he played drug-addled pop-star Billy Mack in Richard Curtis's hit romantic comedy Love Actually - including winning The Peter Sellers Award for Comedy at this year's Evening Standard British Film Awards.

So it makes perfect sense that the Caterham-born actor's latest role is another character who seems to have consumed far more than his fair share of illicit substances.

What is surprising, however, is that Nighy will not be playing a man - but a rabbit. The 53-year-old actor is to be the voice of Dylan in the multi-million-pound animated film of classic cult children's show The Magic Roundabout.

The spaced-out rabbit is the last piece of casting in the star-studded new film, which is due out in spring next year. Robbie Williams is the voice of Dougal the world-weary dog, Ray Winstone is Soldier Sam, Joanna Lumley is the contemplative cow Ermintrude, and Kylie Minogue is the prim little girl Florence. Richard O'Brien will be the voice of hyperactive, springloaded Zebedee, Jim Broadbent is Brian the benevolent snail, and former Dr Who star Tom Baker will voice a new character, ZeBadDee.

The new film has links to more than one Evening Standard British Film Award winner. The late Eric Thompson - father of Best Actress winner Emma Thompson - did the voices and created storylines when The Magic Roundabout, by French author Serge Danot, came to British television.