Background
Willing is the son of Portuguese painter Paula Rego and English artist Victor Willing and was largely brought up in Portugal, but settled in England at the age of 12.
Willing is the son of Portuguese painter Paula Rego and English artist Victor Willing and was largely brought up in Portugal, but settled in England at the age of 12.
He graduated from The National Film and Television School in 1982 and started directing music videos for bands such as Eurythmics, Bob Geldof, Swing Out Sister, Debbie Gibson, Kirsty MacColl, Kim Appleby, Tony Banks, and Nik Kershaw.
Throughout this period he was also writing screenplays, and in 1996 his adaptation of the Steve Szilagyi novel Photographing Fairies was financed by Polgram Filmed Entertainment and made into a feature film. Alice in Wonderland followed with a cast which included Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Robbie Coltrane, Martin Short, Peter Ustinov, Gene Wilder, Ken Dodd, Christopher Lloyd, George Wendt and Miranda Richardson. In 2013 Nick stepped in to help negotiate an alternative contract for Casa Das Historias Paula Rego, the Lisbon museum dedicated to his mother’s work.
Following Portugal’s bailout by the European Union, the government closed several foundations, including Paula Rego’s, leaving the museum in limbo.
He now remains in an administrative role, representing his mother’s interests at the museum. Interview with Nick Willing "Hypnotic Interview".
"Cinefile". November 20, 2003. "Alice: with the Star & the Writer/Director".
TVTango.com. December 5, 2009.
"Neverland Interview". Collider.com. November 30, 2011. "Haunting of Radcliffe House Interview".
Movies in focus.
May 25, 2015. "Olympus Interview". scifitalk.com. March 27, 2015. "Olympus Interview". scifivision.com.
April 9, 2015.
