Ben Whishaw
14 October 1980
Clifton, Bedfordshire, England, UK
5' 9" (1,75 m)
Benjamin John Whishaw was born in Clifton, Bedfordshire, to Linda (Hope), who works in cosmetics, and Jose Whishaw, who works in information technology. He has a twin brother, James. He is of French, German, Russian (father) and English (mother) descent.
Ben attended Samuel Whitbread Community College where his interest in theatre grew and he became a member of the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre at Hitchin's Queen Mother Theatre. During his time there he rose to prominence in many productions, most notably If This Is a Man, based on the book of the same name by Primo Levi, a survivor of Nazi World War II prisoner of war camp. The play was taken to the Edinburgh Festival in 1995 where it garnered five-star reviews and great critical acclaim with Ben Whishaw getting rave reviews for his portrayal of Levi.
Ben then enrolled in, RADA from where he graduated in 2004 and soon landed the role of Hamlet in Trevor Nunn's 2004 production making him one of the youngest actors to portray Hamlet on-stage. Hamlet opened to rave reviews with many critics hailing Ben as the next Laurence Olivier and applauding his portrayal of Hamlet with leading critics haling the birth of a star. Whishaw's film and TV credits include Crimen organizado (2004) and Christopher Morris 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley (2005), in which he played a character called Pingu. He was named "Most Promising Newcomer" at the 2001 British Independent Film Awards (for My Brother Tom (2001)) and, in 2005, nominated as best actor in four award ceremonies for his Hamlet. He also played Keith Richards in the Stephen Woolleybiopic Stoned (2005). Whishaw played in El perfume, historia de un asesino (2006) as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume maker whose craft turns deadly getting raves once again for his stunning portrayal. Whishaw appeared in 2007's I'm Not There. (2007) as one of the Bob Dylan reincarnations and in 2008 in Presunto culpable (2008) a TV series. He appears in the forthcoming films The Tempest (2010) and Bright Star (2009). - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ben's fan
Ben attended Samuel Whitbread Community College where his interest in theatre grew and he became a member of the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre at Hitchin's Queen Mother Theatre. During his time there he rose to prominence in many productions, most notably If This Is a Man, based on the book of the same name by Primo Levi, a survivor of Nazi World War II prisoner of war camp. The play was taken to the Edinburgh Festival in 1995 where it garnered five-star reviews and great critical acclaim with Ben Whishaw getting rave reviews for his portrayal of Levi.
Ben then enrolled in, RADA from where he graduated in 2004 and soon landed the role of Hamlet in Trevor Nunn's 2004 production making him one of the youngest actors to portray Hamlet on-stage. Hamlet opened to rave reviews with many critics hailing Ben as the next Laurence Olivier and applauding his portrayal of Hamlet with leading critics haling the birth of a star. Whishaw's film and TV credits include Crimen organizado (2004) and Christopher Morris 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley (2005), in which he played a character called Pingu. He was named "Most Promising Newcomer" at the 2001 British Independent Film Awards (for My Brother Tom (2001)) and, in 2005, nominated as best actor in four award ceremonies for his Hamlet. He also played Keith Richards in the Stephen Woolleybiopic Stoned (2005). Whishaw played in El perfume, historia de un asesino (2006) as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume maker whose craft turns deadly getting raves once again for his stunning portrayal. Whishaw appeared in 2007's I'm Not There. (2007) as one of the Bob Dylan reincarnations and in 2008 in Presunto culpable (2008) a TV series. He appears in the forthcoming films The Tempest (2010) and Bright Star (2009). - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ben's fan
Graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
Has a twin brother, James.
Enjoys music, dance, visual arts and traveling.
Grew up in Bedfordshire, and attended the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre at the Hitchin's Queen Mother Theatre.
Took in a couple of stray cats living in his neighborhood.
Beat out Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom for the role of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille in El perfume, historia de un asesino (2006).
Favorite actor is James Stewart.
Favourite film is Vértigo. De entre los muertos (1958).
Lives in London.
Father is a computer engineer and mother is a sales person.
Good friends with his Retorno a Brideshead (2008) co-star Matthew Goode.
Enjoys reading, painting and gardening in his spare time.
Entered into a civil partnership with his partner Mark Bradshaw in August 2012. They met on the set of Bright Star (2009).
Met his husband, Australian composer Mark Bradshaw on the set while making Bright Star(2009), in 2008, and was civilly married in August 2012.
At age 32, he is the youngest actor to portray Q in a James Bond film.
Confirmed to be one of the actors performing in 'His Dark Materials' at the Royal National Theatre. [August 2004]
Played Hamlet to rave reviews at the Old Vic, London. [May 2004]
Performing John Logan's "Peter & Alice" with Judi Dench at Noel Coward Theatre, London. Starring as Peter Llewellyn Davies. [May 2013]
Starring off-Broadway as "Oliver" in "The Pride", by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Joe Mantello. With Hugh Dancy, Adam James, Andrea Riseborough. [February 2010]
Appearing in "His Dark Materials" at the Royal National Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner. [December 2003]
His paternal grandfather, John Vladimir Stellmacher, was of German and Russian descent, and spied for the British during World War II, later taking the surname "Whishaw". His paternal grandmother, Olga Adele Bernard, was French. Ben's mother is of English background.
Has played several characters who were writers. Among the real figures he played a character inspired on Arthur Rimbaud in I'm Not There. (2007), John Keats in Bright Star(2009), Herman Melville in En el corazón del mar (2015); and among the fictional ones he played Robert Frobisher in El atlas de las nubes (2012).
I began to feel that he was a character who, left to his own devices, wouldn't really speak at all. I thought about him as being autistic in some way. He simply doesn't understand human beings. Social situations terrify him. On the character Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
It's difficult, it's a bit like acting in a silent movie. That's what Dustin Hoffman said to me, anyway. We did the scenes with him in the first two weeks, and as he was leaving he said, 'Well now you're making a silent film, Ben; good luck!".- On making El perfume, historia de un asesino (2006)
I've been out to LA a couple of times but, over there, the Grenouille in me always comes to the surface. I feel completely terrified, totally flummoxed, like I don't understand what the hell is going on. I've no desire at all to go back there.
I do think Dylan's incredible.I sort of fell in love with him. I became obsessed. But I've moved on now. I always do.
There are certainly other things I'd like to have a go at one day.I'd like to have a go at directing. Or maybe I'll go back to painting. Or maybe thinking about those things is just my way of protecting myself if it all goes wrong.
I don't have any ambition to make lots of money or win an Oscar or anything like that. It's not about that for me. I'm very lucky to have found the thing that makes me tick.
I didn't really get much. I was with all these beautiful girls who I've murdered, all looking gorgeous, and I was the spare prick at the wedding. - About Berlin Film Festival's paparazzi.
I'm so lucky to be able to do what I do, and it would be abusing it just to make money. I don't need lots of money, I'm not motivated by that. I would feel really dirty I think.
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