Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an Inglis actor. He haes played on stage Hamlet; on telly Nathan Barley, Criminal Justice, The Hour an London Spy; an film roles includin Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), I'm Not There (2007), Bright Star (2009), Brideshead Revisited (2008), Cloud Atlas (2012), The Lobster (2015), Suffragette (2015), The Danish Girl (2015).[1] an the role o Q in the James Bond films Skyfall (2012) an Spectre (2015),[2]. He played the vyce o Paddington Bear in Paddington (2014) an Paddington 2 (2017).[3]

Ben Whishaw
BornBenjamin John Whishaw
(1980-10-14) 14 October 1980 (age 44)
Clifton, Bedfordshire, Ingland
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
ThriftActor
Years active1999–present
Hame tounLangford, Bedfordshire
Pairtner(s)Mark Bradshaw (2012–present)

Early life

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Whishaw wis born in Clifton, Bedfordshire, an wis upfreshen thare an in Langford, the son o Linda (née Hope), that wirks in cosmetics, an Jose Whishaw, that wirks in information technology.[4] His faither is o French, German an Roushie hithercome, an his mither is o English backgrund.[5][6] He haes a fraternal twin, James. "Whishaw" isna the faimily's oreeginal faimily name; the faimily wis oreeginally named Stellmacher, a German tred name for a cartwright.[7]

He firstly rase tae weel-forrence as a member o the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre, Big Spirit, at Hitchin's Queen Mother Theatre. He attended Henlow Middle School an syne Samuel Whitbread Community College in Shefford. He graduated frae the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2003.[8]

Career

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Whishaw wis involved in mony productions wi Big Spirit, includin If This is a Man (an aw performed as The Drowned & The Saved), a piece devised bi the company based on the beuk o the same name bi Primo Levi, a survivor o Auschwitz concentration camp. It wis adapted intae a pheesical theatre piece bi the group an taen tae the 1995 Edinburgh Festival, whaur it garnered five-starny reviews an muckle creetical ruise.

 
Whishaw wi Judi Dench in Peter and Alice, at the Noël Coward Theatre in Mey 2013

As the lead in Trevor Nunn's 2004 production o Hamlet at the Old Vic, Whishaw received unco reviews an wis nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor an the Ian Charleson Award. The role wis daled wi Al Weaver in an daimen paction that saw Whishaw playin aw nichts binna for Monandays an matinées. Nunn is clypit tae hiv makkit this paction auchtin tae the youthie o the twa actors playin the lead, tae exeem some o the stress on ilk ane. It wis Whishaw, houaniver, that featurt maist weel-forritly in the marketin materials an in the feck o reviews.[citation needit]

His film an telly creedits include Layer Cake an Chris Morris's 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley, in whit he played a chairacter cawed Pingu. He wis named "Most Promising Newcomer" at the 2001 British Independent Film Awards fo My Brother Tom, an in 2005 he wis nominated as best actor in fower awaird ceremonies for his portrayal o Hamlet. He an aw played Keith Richards in the Brian Jones biopic Stoned. In the ware o 2005, Whishaw received lots o mird for his role as a drog troker in Philip Ridley's threapful stage play Mercury Fur.[citation needit]

In Perfume, Whishaw played Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume makker whase craft turns deidly. The film wis released in Germany in September 2006 an in US theatres in December 2006. In the ilk year, Whishaw wrocht on Paweł Pawlikowski's forhoued The Restraint of Beasts.[9] Whishaw appeared as ane o the Bob Dylan reincarnations in I'm Not There in 2007, in the BBC's Criminal Justice in 2008, in a new adaptation o Brideshead Revisited, an in a stage adaptation o The Idiot at the National Theatre cawed ...some trace of her.[10]

At the end o 2009 he starred in Cock, a new play bi Mike Bartlett at the Royal Court Theatre.[11] An aw in 2009 he starred as the poet John Keats in the film Bright Star. In Februar 2010, Whishaw makkit a sonsie aff-Broadway stairt at MCC Theater in the Americaen premiere o the awairding-winnin play The Pride bi Alexi Kaye Campbell. He played Ariel in Julie Taymor's 2010 film adaptation o The Tempest, an wis featurt in The Hour, a BBC Two drama series.[12]

In 2012 Whishaw appeared as Richard II in the telly film Richard II, a pairt o the BBC Two series The Hollow Crown, for whit he received the British Academy Television Award for Leadin Actor.[13]

An aw in 2012, he appeared as pairt o the ensemble cast o the science-fiction drama film Cloud Atlas.

Whishaw appeared in the 23t James Bond film, Skyfall, in the role o Q.[14] He portrayed a smawer Q than in umwhile films; Peter Burton an Desmond Llewelyn baith received the role whan thay war in thair fowerties, while Llewelyn an John Cleese played the role intae thair aichties an saxties, respectively. In addeetion, he wis teamed a third time wi Daniel Craig efter thay starred in the films The Trench an Layer Cake.

In ware 2013, Whishaw starred on stage alangside Judi Dench in the warld premiere o Peter and Alice, a new play bi John Logan inspired bi the lifes o Alice Liddell an Peter Llewelyn Davies.[15] Frae October 2013 tae Februar 2014 he an aw appeared on stage in the spunk up o Jez Butterworth's Olivier-award-winnin play Mojo, an aw starring Rupert Grint, Brendan Coyle, Daniel Mays an Colin Morgan.[16] He wis nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor[17] for baith roles. In the simmer o 2015 he appeared as Dionysos in Euripides' tragedy Bakkhai at the Almeida Theatre in Lunnon.[18]

In 2014, Whishaw starred in the sequestrate film Lilting an forby vycin Paddington Bear in the film Paddington.[19]

In 2015, Whishaw co-starred in The Lobster, a romantic science fiction drama frae Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos; appeared in Suffragette, a story o the early feminist muivement writtin bi Abi Morgan an forby starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep an his The Hour co-starn, Romola Garai;[20] reprised his role o Q in Spectre, the 24t James Bond film; an played author Herman Melville in Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea.[21][22]

In 2017, Wishaw reprised his role as Paddington Bear in Paddington 2.

Personal life

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For several years Whishaw refuised tae answer quaistions aboot his personal life, sain: "For me, it's important tae keep a level o anonymity. As an actor, your job is tae perswad fowk that yer somebody ither. Sae gif yer constantly tellin fowk aboot yersel, I think yer shuitin yersel in the cuit."[23] In 2011, he tauld Out jurnal: "As an actor you hiv hale richts tae preevacy an meestery, whitiver yer sexuality, whitiver you dae. I dae' see whit for that haes tae be something you commune fair acause you dae something in the public ee. I hiv no unnerstaundin o whit for we turn actors intae celebreeties."[24]

Whishaw entered intae a ceevil pairtnery wi Australien upmakker Mark Bradshaw in August 2012.[25][26] In 2014, he publicly communed his comin oot as a homosexual man, sain that it wis a tacht experience for him but "awbody wis surpreesingly luesome".[27]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Trench, TheThe Trench

Pte. James Deamis
1999 Escort, TheThe Escort

Jay
2001 Baby Little Joe Short film
2001 My Brother Tom Tom British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer

Sochi International Film Festival Award for Best Actor

2002 Spiritual Rampage Short film
2003 Ready When You Are Mr. McGill Bruno
2003 Booze Cruise, TheThe Booze Cruise

Daniel
2004 77 Beds Ishmael Short film
2004 Enduring Love Spud
2004 Layer Cake Sidney
2005 Stoned Keith Richards
2006 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille Bambi Award for Best Film – National (shared wi Bernd Eichinger and Tom Tykwer)

Nominated – British Academy Film Award for Rising Star
Nominated – European Film Award for Best Actor

2007 I'm Not There Arthur Independent Spirit Award for Best Cast
2008 Brideshead Revisited Sebastian Flyte
2009 The International Rene Antall
2009 Bright Star John Keats
2009 Love Hate Tom Short film
2010 Tempest, TheThe Tempest

Ariel
2012 Skyfall Q
2012 Cloud Atlas Cabin Boy

Robert Frobisher
Store Clerk
Georgette
Tribesman

2013 Beat[28] Unkent Short film
2013 The Zero Theorem Doctor 3
2013 Teenage[29] Narrator Documentary
2013 Days and Nights Eric[30]
2014 Lilting Richard[31]
2014 Paddington Paddington Bear Voice
2015 The Muse[32] Edward Dunstan Short film
2015 The Lobster Limping Man Nominated – BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor
2015 Unity[33] Narrator Documentary
2015 Suffragette Sonny
2015 The Danish Girl Henrik
2015 Spectre Q
2015 In the Heart of the Sea Herman Melville
2016 A Hologram for the King Dave
2017 Paddington 2[34] Paddington Bear Voice; post-production
2018 Mary Poppins Returns Michael Banks Filmin

Televeesion

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 Black Cab Ryan Episode: "Work"
2000 Other People's Children Sully 4 episodes
2005 Nathan Barley Pingu 6 episodes
2008 Criminal Justice Ben Coulter 5 episodes

International Emmy Award for best actor
Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Actor

2011–12 Hour, TheThe Hour

Freddie Lyon 12 episodes

Nominated – Broadcasting Press Guild Best Actor (2013)

2012 Richard II Richard II o Ingland Television film

Nominated – Broadcasting Press Guild Best Actor
British Academy Television Award Leadin Actor

2014 Playhouse Presents Ezra Episode: "Foxtrot"
2015 London Spy Danny 5 episodes

Nominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Actor

2017 Queers Perce Episode: "The Man on the Platform"

BBC4 TV monologue written bi Mark Gatiss

2018 A Very English Scandal Norman Scott

Stage

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Year Title Role Theatre Notes
2003 His Dark Materials Brother Jasper Royal National Theatre
2004 Hamlet Hamlet Old Vic Ian Charleson Award Third Prize 2005

Nominated – Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor
Nominated – South Bank Sky Arts Award for Breakthrough Artist
Nominated – Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer
Nominated – What's On Stage Theatregoers Choice Awards for Best Actor

2005 Mercury Fur Elliot Paines Plough at the Menier Chocolate Factory
2006 Seagull, TheThe Seagull

Konstantin Royal National Theatre
2007 Leaves of Glass Steven Soho Theatre
2008 ...some trace of her Prince Myshkin Royal National Theatre
2009 Cock John Royal Court Theatre
2010 The Pride Oliver Lucille Lortel Theatre
2013 Peter and Alice Peter Llewelyn Davies Noël Coward Theatre Nominated – WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor
2013 Mojo Baby Harold Pinter Theatre Nominated – WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor
2015 Bakkhai Dionysus Almeida Theatre
2016 The Crucible John Proctor Walter Kerr Theatre Theatre World Award
2017 Against Luke Almeida Theatre
2018 Julius Caesar Brutus Bridge Theatre

Radio

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Year Title Role
2004 Arthur Arthur
2006 Look Back in Anger Jimmy Porter
2011 Cock John


References

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  1. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/commentisfree/2015/oct/25/ben-whishaw-impish-star-steals-the-show-from-james-bond
  2. Kellaway, Kate (17 Mairch 2013). "Ben Whishaw: 'I feel I'm always in the dark' – interview". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 Mairch 2013.
  3. Yamato, Jen (1 Januar 1970). "Bear Necessity: Ben Whishaw To Voice CG 'Paddington'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 17 Julie 2014.
  4. Curtis, Nick (29 Apryle 2004). "My Hamlet Fears". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 8 September 2010.[deid airtin]
  5. 'I found a part of me that was actually a show-off and actually I'm not at all like in real life': How Ben Whishaw became Britain's next big, Dan Davies, The Guardian 9 February 2013
  6. In love with Hamlet, Dylan, Keats . . ., Marianne Gray, The Spectator, 28 October 2009
  7. Bond star Ben Whishaw reveals that his grandfather was a British spy with a double identity
  8. "RADA: The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - Student". rada.ac.uk.
  9. Dawtrey, Adam (20 September 2007). "Pawel Pawlikowski takes on Stalin". Variety.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived frae the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 28 Julie 2008. Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). Royal National Theatre.
  11. Bishop, Caroline (14 August 2009). "Whishaw in Royal Court Autumn". officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  12. [1]. BBC.
  13. "2013 Television Leading Actor". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  14. "Ben Whishaw Cast as Q in New James Bond Film Skyfall". BBC News. 25 November 2011.
  15. "Ben Whishaw to Star Alongside Dame Judi Dench". 18 Julie 2012.
  16. Spencer, Charles (14 November 2013). "Mojo, Harold Pinter Theatre, review". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  17. [2] WhatsOnStage Awards
  18. "Ben Whishaw stars in Almeida's Greek season' - whatsonstage.com". 12 Mairch 2015.
  19. "Sundance: Strand Releasing Acquires Hong Khaou's 'Lilting'". Variety. 5 Februar 2014.
  20. "Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson Join Suffragette". 20 Februar 2014. Archived frae the original on 21 Februar 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  21. "Real adventure that inspired Moby-Dick lures film directors". 7 September 2013.
  22. "Skyfall Writer John Logan Talks Bond 24: 'Build On What We Did On Skyfall, But Make It Its Own Unique Animal'". 18 Januar 2014. Archived frae the original on 21 February 2014. Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (help)
  23. Rampton, James (26 October 2012). "Ben Whishaw on playing Q in Skyfall: 'I don't even have a computer'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  24. McLean, Gareth (27 Mairch 2011). "Ben Whishaw: Mysterious Skin". Out.
  25. Griffiths, Charlotte; Sanderson, Elizabeth (3 August 2013). "Bond star 'marries' his gay partner – and they are both 'so happy and proud'". MailOnline. London. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  26. Sieczkowski, Cavan. "James Bond Actor Officially Comes Out, Reveals He's Married". Huffington Post.
  27. Selby, Jenn (4 August 2014). "Ben Whishaw on the 'courage' it takes to come out as gay". The Independent. Retrieved 14 Februar 2015.
  28. [3] Archived 2013-07-23 at the Wayback Machine . 59 Productions
  29. [4] teenagefilm.com
  30. [5] Twitter: Christian Camargo
  31. [6] hamiltonhodell.co.uk
  32. [7] Archived 2015-05-25 at the Wayback Machine wearecolony.com
  33. Dave McNary (22 Apryle 2015). "Documentary 'Unity' Set for 12 August Release with 100 Star Narrators". Variety. Retrieved 1 Mey 2015.
  34. "Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson Join Paddington 2". ComingSoon.net (in Inglis). 18 October 2016. Retrieved 11 Februar 2017.
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