Ben Whishaw 'would love' for a gay actor to be the next Bond

Press Association

Ben Whishaw 'would love' for a gay actor to be the next James Bond: 'Can you imagine?'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 9/29/21

Ben Whishaw has played Q alongside Daniel Craig's James Bond in three films—Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and now No Time to Die, which is due in U.S. theaters on Oct. 8.

NTTD is Craig's final bow as 007, and while his replacement won't even be discussed until next year, Whishaw has gotten in on the widespread imagining of whom it could be.

In a recent interview with Attitude Magazine, the 40-year-old British actor was asked if he would like to see "an out, gay British actor" take on the iconic spy role.

"God, can you imagine?" Whishaw responded. "I mean, it would be quite an extraordinary thing. Of course I would like to see that. I really believe that we should be working towards a world where anyone can play anything, and it would be really thrilling if it didn't matter about someone's sexuality to take on a role like this. I think that would be real progress. But we'll see. We'll see where we're at. I'm amazed by how much has changed just in the last five or six years, so we'll see."

When asked to specifically name someone he would want to see portray Bond, Whishaw lamented that "there aren't many out, gay British actors." The interviewer pointed out Luke Evans or Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as options.

"I mean, they're both wonderful," Whishaw agreed. "They're both wonderful actors. I think it's not only—God, it's so hard to talk about this stuff. They're both actors who it seems would be really capable of doing it and would be ideal casting. And it would be thrilling to see either of them do it. I wonder if either of them would want to? Because it's not just the demands of the role, but it's the demands of being Bond in the world and what it symbolizes and how it would change your life."

Ben Whishaw on working with Daniel and what 007 means to him #NoTimeToDie pic.twitter.com/mtzvtQRf8N
— James Bond (@007) September 28, 2021

Every Bond needs a good Quartermaster. Ben Whishaw is now at the @RoyalAlbertHall for the World Premiere of #NoTimeToDie. pic.twitter.com/0nfBh8kEBE
— James Bond (@007) September 28, 2021

It was confirmed to The Daily Mail in August 2013 that Whishaw had been in a civil partnership with Australian composer Mark Bradshaw since 2012, and "they were proud to do so and are very happy."

Outside of the Bond franchise, Whishaw has recently starred in A Very English Scandal, for which he won Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie, and Fargo.

Whishaw has been cast as the lead in AMC and BBC's forthcoming seven-part series This Is Going To Hurt based upon Adam Kay's book of the same name.

Watch his full Attitude interview below.