Nigel Whitmey was born in Alberta, Canada, his family having emigrated there from Liverpool, England, where his father had been employed as a dock worker. He came to London in the mid-1980s to study drama at RADA and here he met actress Abigail Thaw, daughter of John, whom he married in 1986. He has worked chiefly in Britain but did return to Canada to make the 1997 film 'Twilight of the Ice Nymphs' for Guy Maddin. However, although he was the male lead he had his name removed from the credits as Maddin dubbed his voice with that of another actor.