Bill Nighy has revealed he rarely watches himself on screen because it takes him a long time to “recover”.

The British actor, 70, said he tends to find fault with himself when he views his own television programmes and films.

He told The Guardian: “The trouble is that confidence is a movable feast and I’m not famous for it.

“And, therefore, it takes me quite a long time to recover if I see myself on screen.

“Because all my fears about my inadequacies are confirmed when I watch myself.”

Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy (Ian West/PA)

Nighy, whose films include Love Actually and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, said he knows there is an answer and that it is to “get over yourself”.

“But that’s hard,” he said.

“I suppose it’s a form of dysmorphia. I mean, I hope it’s a form of dysmorphia.”

Nighy’s latest role is in comedy drama film Emma, which is based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel of the same name.