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Ben Whishaw has revealed that being openly gay ‘wasn’t a sustainable position to be in’ when he was starting out as an actor.
The Paddington star, 44, made his acting break back in 2004 in a production of Hamlet at the Old Vic and won an Emmy for his performance in BBC drama Criminal Justice five years later.
He has since gone out to star in an array of acclaimed dramas, from A Very English Scandal (2019) to This Is Going To Hurt (2023) – both of which he won BAFTA Awards for – and is known for his role as Q in the James Bond franchise.
But now, Ben has opened up about one major hurdle he faced at the beginning of his acting journey.
Ben, who came out as gay in 2014, said that when he was starting out there were very few high profile actors who were openly gay – so being open about your sexuality didn’t feel ‘sustainable’.
He told Sunday Times Style: ‘Well, there were very few gay actors who were out when I started and so being out didn’t seem like a sustainable position to be in.
Ben Whishaw has revealed that being openly gay ‘wasn’t a sustainable position to be in’ when he was starting out as an actor (Seen on Saturday)
The Paddington star, 44, made his acting break back in 2004 in a production of Hamlet at the Old Vic (Pictured)
‘But now it kind of is sustainable, but, actually, it opens up so many questions I have for myself.
‘Because, again, part of me still thinks that it is nobody’s business.’
Ben’s last rumoured romance was with Fleabag star Kadiff Kirwan.
The film star is said to have met Kadiff, 36, when they both played doctors in the BBC series This Is Going To Hurt.
According to The Sun last January, the pair have been seeing each other for a few months and enjoyed a romantic trip to Greece last year.
A source said: ‘Ben and Kadiff are on the same page when it comes to being private with their love lives. But they are very close and have loads of mutual friends, so hang out together a lot.
‘They got together after starring in This Is Going To Hurt and have quietly been an item ever since.’
The pair haven’t been spotted out together much, however, they did attend Margate Pride together last year where they posed for a snap together.
Ben, who came out as gay in 2014, said that when starting out there were very few high profile actors who were openly gay (Seen in July)
He told Sunday Times Style: ‘Well, there were very few gay actors who were out when I started and so being out didn’t seem like a sustainable position to be in’ (Seen in Black Doves)
Kadiff dropped a hint about his relationship during an appearance on Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast where he referred to Ben as his ‘other half’.
Asked who he would like around the table for his last supper, he replied: ‘All my pals, my other half and my besties.’
Ben was reported to have split from his husband of 10 years, Mark Bradshaw, in April 2022, with travel and work schedules said to be behind the breakup.
The couple met in 2009 on the set of Bright Star in which Ben played the poet John Keats. Mark, a composer, wrote the score for the film.
They entered into a civil partnership in Sydney in 2012. It was said the pair were ‘proud to do so and are very happy’.
Ben had not publicly discussed his sexuality before his marriage, saying at the time that he believed talking about his personal life as an actor was like ‘shooting yourself in the foot’.
