Ben Whishaw has achieved the satisfying status of reliably great. The British actor has turned in countless thoughtful performances, on stage, film and television, but we are, in fact, here to count. More specifically, his six best roles, from blockbusters (he’s been in two beloved franchises) to quiet romantic dramas, à la his latest release, the very good Passages.
6. James Bond
Whishaw plays Q, a role previously occupied by John Cleese (there’s an about-turn for you), in the final three of Daniel Craig’s entries: Skyfall, Spectre, No Time To Die. While the Bond films are huge, franchise-building events, Whishaw brought surprising quirk to Q who was slightly snappy and gay (Whishaw himself is openly gay). If nothing ever reached the heights of Q’s introduction – a back-and-forth in the National Portrait Gallery – these films were all the better for Whishaw’s involvement (a running theme). Too bad he is unlikely to reappear in the role: he signed on for three films only.
5. Passages
In Ira Sachs’ latest film, about a toxic love triangle, Whishaw plays Paris-based English artist, Martin, who is married to a German filmmaker, Tomas (an excellent turn by Franz Rogowski). When Tomas begins sleeping with a woman (Agathe, another memorable showing from Adèle Exarchopoulos), chaos ensues between the two men. While this is Rogowski’s film through and through, Whishaw draws out a very relatable pain and defiance in Martin (and contributes to a great sex scene). A trio of excellent performances in a well-written, sensitively-directed film.
4. This Is Going To Hurt
Based on Adam Kay’s bestselling memoir about his life as a junior doctor, the BBC series – in which Whishaw plays Kay – brings to life the highs and considerable lows of everyday life in the NHS. While the show sometimes suffered from pacing issues, Whishaw anchored it with a reassuring depth: prickly, good hearted, very stressed, refreshingly introspective. An essential entry into the Whishaw universe.
3. A Very English Scandal
After Whishaw faced off against Hugh Grant in Paddington 2, he confronted him once again in A Very English Scandal. Written by Russell T Davies, directed by Stephen Frears, the three-part series told the true story between MP Jeremy Thrope (that’s Grant) and his lover Norman Josiffe (that would be Whishaw). Watching these two actors, two of Britain’s best, at the top of their game was electric.
2. Paddington 1 & 2
Whishaw comes second only to Queen Elizabeth II as the person most closely associated with the loveable Peruvian bear (I am afraid, at this point, he overtakes author Michael Bond in public imagination). In both of Paul King’s instant-classic films, Whishaw lends the bear a childlike worldliness, unafraid to make his opinion known or ask a simple question (sometimes hard tasks for grown-ups!). It is joy-killing to analyse the delight of these children’s films – like explaining a knock knock joke – but without Whishaw, they surely would not have been received quite so rapturously. Anyone with a small child, or nephew or niece, will know that Whishaw also voices the bear in the animated series, which makes it ideal viewing for adults too. And also, the first film is better than the sequel.
1. Bright Star
If Jane Campion’s 2009 depiction of the poet John Keats is a little dated – all loose wrists and puffy shirts, when we know the doomed Romantic to be a little more robust – it doesn’t take away from Whishaw’s performance or the significant beauty of this film. We know the story: the promising but underrated Keats loves Fanny Brawne (played here by Abbie Cornish), but life (friends, illness, finances) gets in the way. To some, this will remain Whishaw’s defining role, one that captured his foppish manner, yearning soulfulness – always with the potential for darkness underneath.
Henry Wong is a senior culture writer at Esquire, working across digital and print. He covers film, television, books, and art for the magazine, and also writes profiles.
