Philip Seymour Hoffman plays The Count, Bill Nighy plays Quentin, and Rhys Ifans plays Gavin Kavanagh in the 2009 comedy-drama The Boat That Rocked.
Main cast
- The CountPhilip Seymour HoffmanMain
- QuentinBill NighyMain
- Gavin KavanaghRhys IfansMain
- CarlTom SturridgeMain
- DaveNick FrostMain
- SimonChris O’DowdMain
- Angus ‘The Nut’ NutsfordRhys DarbyMain
- Midnight MarkTom WisdomMain
- Thick KevinRalph BrownMain
- On-the-Job JohnnyWill AdamsdaleMain
Supporting cast
- CharlotteEmma ThompsonSupp
- EleanorJanuary JonesSupp
- Sir Alistair DormandyKenneth BranaghSupp
- TwattJack DavenportSupp
- MarianneTalulah RileySupp
- FelicityKatherine ParkinsonSupp
Guest & voice
- Young CarlCharlie RoweGuest
- HaroldTom BrookeGuest
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About this cast
The Boat That Rocked is a 2009 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Curtis, set in 1966 about a pirate radio station broadcasting rock and pop music from a ship in the North Sea. The ensemble cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman as the American DJ The Count, Bill Nighy as the station’s manager Quentin, and Rhys Ifans as the legendary DJ Gavin Kavanagh, alongside a host of…
FAQs
Who plays The Count in The Boat That Rocked?
Philip Seymour Hoffman plays The Count, the American DJ on the pirate radio ship.
Who plays Quentin in The Boat That Rocked?
Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the calm and fatherly manager of the radio station.
Who plays Gavin Kavanagh in The Boat That Rocked?
Rhys Ifans plays Gavin Kavanagh, the legendary and flamboyant DJ who returns to the ship.
Is The Boat That Rocked based on a true story?
The film is inspired by the real pirate radio stations of the 1960s, such as Radio Caroline, but the characters and specific events are fictional.
What is the film’s soundtrack?
The soundtrack features classic 1960s rock and pop songs, including tracks by The Kinks, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Sources & where to watch: IMDb · Wikipedia · Where to watch (JustWatch UK) · Updated June 2026