Ben Whishaw
Actor
Benjamin John "Ben" Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Whishaw is best known for his breakthrough role as Hamlet, his roles in the television series Nathan Barley, Criminal Justice, The Hour and London Spy; and film roles including Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), I'm Not There (2007), Bright Star (2009), Brideshead Revisited (2008), Cloud Atlas (2012), The Lobster (2015) and Suffragette (2015). He has also played the role of Q in the James Bond films starting with Skyfall (2012), and was the voice of Paddington Bear in the 2014 film, Paddington.
Filmography - Acting
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No Time to Die (2020)
As: Q
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Directed by: Cary Fukunaga
Stars: Léa Seydoux | Rami Malek | Ana de Armas | Daniel Craig | Lashana Lynch
Surge (2020)
As: Joseph
A man goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation through London. After he robs a bank he releases a wilder version of himself, ultimately experiencing what it feels like to be alive.
Runtime: 105 min.
Directed by: Aneil Karia
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Ellie Haddington | Jasmine Jobson | Ian Gelder
Little Joe (2019)
As: Chris
A genetically engineered plant scatters its seeds and seems to cause uncanny changes on living creatures. The afflicted appear strange, as if they were replaced - especially for those, who are close to them. Or is it all just imagination? Thus starts a play between various truths,on which end stands the loss of the own identity.
Runtime: 100 min.
Directed by: Jessica Hausner
Stars: David Wilmot | Ben Whishaw | Kerry Fox | Emily Beecham | Kit Connor
O Holy Ghost (2019)
As: Charmaine
A mixture of rapture and disenchantment, O HOLY GHOST follows the inner experiences of two believers at opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum.
Runtime: 16 min.
Directed by: Mark Bradshaw
Stars: Kelly Campbell | Ben Whishaw | Anna Savva | Emma D'Arcy | Fehinti Balogun
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)
As: Uriah Heep
A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is ...
Runtime: 119 min.
Directed by: Armando Iannucci
Stars: Tilda Swinton | Dev Patel | Ben Whishaw | Peter Capaldi | Gwendoline Christie
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
As: Michael Banks
In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Runtime: 131 min.
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Stars: Emily Mortimer | Ben Whishaw | Emily Blunt | Pixie Davies | Nathanael Saleh
Palo Santo (2018)
As: Palo Santo Hologram
Palo Santo, a city on a distant planet, on which human beings are a rare commodity, worshipped and idolized by an android society. Olly, along with the final humans, is recruited to perform in a series of bizarre erotic cabarets, for an artificial master known only as The Showman.
Runtime: 15 min.
Directed by: Fred Rowson
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Olly Alexander | Judi Dench | Vithaya Pansringarm | Tachanan Khontrong
National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar (2018)
As: Brutus
Caesar returns in triumph to Rome and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated élite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital. Nicholas Hytner’s production will thrust the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally ...
Directed by: Nicholas Hytner
Stars: Ben Whishaw | David Morrissey | Adjoa Andoh | David Calder | Michelle Fairley
Paddington 2 (2017)
As: Paddington Brown (voice)
Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.
Runtime: 103 min.
Directed by: Paul King
Stars: Sally Hawkins | Hugh Bonneville | Michael Gambon | Ben Whishaw | Imelda Staunton
Family Happiness (2017)
A story about small cruelties, adult bullying, and the power of a brothers unconditional love for his complex little sister.
Runtime: 15 min.
Directed by: Alice Englert
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Alice Englert | Mark Bradshaw
A Hologram for the King (2016)
As: Dave
Alan Clay, a struggling American businessman, travels to Saudi Arabia to sell a new technology to the King, only to be challenged by endless Middle Eastern bureaucracy, a perpetually absent monarch, and a suspicious growth on his back.
Runtime: 98 min.
Directed by: Tom Tykwer
Stars: Tom Hanks | Sidse Babett Knudsen | Tom Skerritt | Ben Whishaw | Sarita Choudhury
The Danish Girl (2015)
As: Henrik Sandahl
When Gerda Wegener asks her husband Einar to fill in as a portrait model, Einar discovers the person she's meant to be and begins living her life as Lili Elbe. Having realized her true self and with Gerda's love and support, Lili embarks on a groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
Runtime: 119 min.
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Stars: Matthias Schoenaerts | Ben Whishaw | Sebastian Koch | Eddie Redmayne | Alicia Vikander
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
As: Herman Melville
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. But that told only half the story. “Heart of the Sea” reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is ...
Runtime: 122 min.
Directed by: Ron Howard
Stars: Brendan Gleeson | Cillian Murphy | Ben Whishaw | Chris Hemsworth | Benjamin Walker
Spectre (2015)
As: Q
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.
Runtime: 148 min.
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Stars: Léa Seydoux | Ralph Fiennes | Naomie Harris | Christoph Waltz | Daniel Craig
Suffragette (2015)
As: Sonny Watts
Based on true events about the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who were forced underground to evade the State.
Runtime: 106 min.
Directed by: Sarah Gavron
Stars: Brendan Gleeson | Helena Bonham Carter | Carey Mulligan | Meryl Streep | Anne-Marie Duff
The Lobster (2015)
As: John
In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
Runtime: 119 min.
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Stars: Colin Farrell | Léa Seydoux | Ben Whishaw | Rachel Weisz | Ariane Labed
Unity (2015)
As: Himself - Narrator (voice)
Despite the advent of science, literature, technology, philosophy, religion, and so on -- none of these has assuaged humankind from killing one another, the animals, and nature. UNITY is a film about why we can't seem to get along, even after thousands and thousands of years.
Runtime: 99 min.
Directed by: Shaun Monson
Stars: Alison Eastwood | Aaron Paul | Amanda Seyfried | Adrian Grenier | Adam Levine
Paddington (2014)
As: Paddington (voice)
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a new home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family.
Runtime: 95 min.
Directed by: Paul King
Stars: Sally Hawkins | Hugh Bonneville | Ben Whishaw | Samuel Joslin | Madeleine Harris
Days and Nights (2014)
As: Eric
Reckless desire wreaks havoc over Memorial Day weekend as a family confronts the volatile and fragile nature of love. A modern retelling of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull", set in rural New England.
Runtime: 92 min.
Directed by: Christian Camargo
Stars: Jean Reno | William Hurt | Katie Holmes | Ben Whishaw | Allison Janney
Lilting (2014)
As: Richard
A young man of Chinese-Cambodian descent dies, leaving behind his isolated mother and his lover of four years. Though the two don't share a language, they grow close through their grief.
Runtime: 83 min.
Directed by: Hong Khaou
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Morven Christie | Andrew Leung | Naomi Christie | Cheng Pei-Pei
The Muse (2014)
As: Edward
Legend has it that if a human man falls in love with a mermaid she will grow legs; legs that will, if she so desires, carry her far, far away from the very man she cast her watery spell upon... But what becomes of the human man, when her spell remains but she is gone? Edward Dunstan (Ben Whishaw) is a photographer and filmmaker obsessed by his muse (Kristen McMenamy). Blinded ...
Runtime: 14 min.
Directed by: Tim Walker
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Kristen McMenamy
Beat (2013)
As: Man
A film about a man walking a paper-thin line between hopelessness and euphoria, testing and pushing the boundaries of conventions and impulse.
Runtime: 12 min.
Directed by: Aneil Karia
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Henry Garrett | Keiron Jecchinis | Chelsea Fitzgerald
The Zero Theorem (2013)
As: Doctor 3
A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him.
Runtime: 107 min.
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Stars: Matt Damon | David Thewlis | Mélanie Thierry | Christoph Waltz | Lucas Hedges
Teenage (2013)
As: British Boy (voice)
Teenagers did not exist before the 20th century. Not until the early 1950s did the term gain widespread recognition, but with Teenage, Matt Wolf offers compelling evidence that “teenagers” had a tumultuous effect on the previous half-decade.
Runtime: 78 min.
Directed by: Matt Wolf
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Jena Malone | Julia Hummer | Ben Rosenfield | Jessie Usher
Skyfall (2012)
As: Q
When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory, the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows - ...
Runtime: 143 min.
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Stars: Ralph Fiennes | Naomie Harris | Javier Bardem | Judi Dench | Daniel Craig
Cloud Atlas (2012)
As: Cabin Boy / Robert Frobisher / Store Clerk / Georgette / Tribesman
A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries ...
Runtime: 172 min.
Directed by: Lilly Wachowski | Lana Wachowski | Tom Tykwer
Stars: Hugo Weaving | Tom Hanks | Jim Sturgess | Jim Broadbent | Halle Berry
The Tempest (2010)
As: Ariel
An adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare. Prospera (a female version of Shakespeare's Prospero) is the usurped ruler of Milan who has been banished to a mysterious island with her daughter. Using her magical powers, she draws her enemies to the island to exact her revenge.
Runtime: 110 min.
Directed by: Julie Taymor
Stars: Helen Mirren | Felicity Jones | David Strathairn | Reeve Carney | Tom Conti
All Signs of Death (2010)
As: Web
Centers on an inveterate twenty-something slacker who stumbles into a career as a crime scene cleaner, only to find himself entangled with a murder mystery, a femme fatale and the loose ends of his own past.
Directed by: Alan Ball
Stars: Max Martini | Clayne Crawford | Ben Whishaw | Mahershala Ali | Mercedes Mason
Bright Star (2009)
As: John Keats
In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats, who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to the taciturn Keats. Although he agrees to teach her about poetry, Keats cannot act on his reciprocated feelings for Fanny, since as a struggling poet he has ...
Runtime: 119 min.
Directed by: Jane Campion
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Paul Schneider | Abbie Cornish | Kerry Fox | Edie Martin
Love Hate (2009)
As: Tom
A sweet-natured charity worker finds his life turned upside down, when he falls in love with a mysterious woman.
Runtime: 20 min.
Directed by: Blake Ritson | Dylan Ritson
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Blake Ritson | Hayley Atwell | Hattie Morahan | Anna Carteret
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
As: Sebastian Flyte
Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War.
Runtime: 133 min.
Directed by: Julian Jarrold
Stars: Emma Thompson | Michael Gambon | Ben Whishaw | Matthew Goode | Hayley Atwell
Criminal Justice (2008)
The worst thing Ben has ever done is, tonight, he takes his Dad's black cab out without his permission. But that's not why Ben ends the evening in a police cell. What looked to be a spontaneous evening of fun with a sexy stranger, Melanie, has culminated in a dead girl and Ben covered in her blood, holding the murder weapon. All the evidence points to Ben. There are no other leads. But he didn t do it. ...
Runtime: 584 min.
Directed by: Otto Bathurst | Luke Watson
Stars: Pete Postlethwaite | Con O'Neill | Ben Whishaw | Lindsay Duncan | Bill Paterson
I'm Not There. (2007)
As: Arthur
Six actors portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.
Runtime: 135 min.
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Stars: Heath Ledger | Cate Blanchett | Julianne Moore | Ben Whishaw | Charlotte Gainsbourg
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
As: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for the ultimate perfume.
Runtime: 147 min.
Directed by: Tom Tykwer
Stars: John Hurt | Ben Whishaw | Rachel Hurd-Wood | Alan Rickman | Dustin Hoffman
Stoned (2005)
As: Keith Richards
A chronicle of the sordid life and suspicious death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, who was found in the bottom of his swimming pool weeks after being let go from the band.
Runtime: 102 min.
Directed by: Stephen Woolley
Stars: Paddy Considine | Leo Gregory | Ben Whishaw | David Morrissey | Tuva Novotny
Enduring Love (2004)
As: Spud
Two strangers become dangerously close after witnessing a deadly accident. On a beautiful cloudless day a young couple celebrate their reunion with a picnic. Joe has planned a postcard-perfect afternoon in the English countryside with his partner, Claire. But as Joe and Claire prepare to open a bottle of champagne, their idyll comes to an abrupt end. A hot air balloon drifts into the field, obviously ...
Runtime: 100 min.
Directed by: Roger Michell
Stars: Rhys Ifans | Bill Nighy | Susan Lynch | Samantha Morton | Daniel Craig
Layer Cake (2004)
As: Sidney
When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...
Runtime: 105 min.
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Tom Hardy | Sally Hawkins | Colm Meaney | George Harris | Daniel Craig
The Booze Cruise (2003)
As: Daniel
A group of men from Kent; Clive (Martin Clunes), Rob (Neil Pearson), Dave (Mark Benton), Maurice (Brian Murphy) and Daniel (Ben Whishaw) - go on a booze cruise to France, with mixed success and many mishaps along the way. Events involving their wives and families back home also form a large part of the plot.
Runtime: 120 min.
Directed by: Paul Seed
Stars: Mark Benton | Martin Clunes | Neil Pearson | Anne Reid | Brian Murphy
Spiritual Rampage (2003)
Two boys go to a park to look for girls. Unusually, one of them is doing it for Lord Krishna.
Runtime: 10 min.
Directed by: Alnoor Dewshi
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Natalie Press | Laura Rees | Adam Rhys Dee
My Brother Tom (2001)
As: Tom
A teenage girl, Jessica, befriends a teenage boy called Tom, who is bullied by a local gang. She is abused by Jack, who is both her neighbour and school teacher, and Tom is sexually abused by his father. Together they bond in the woods, creating a private reality that no-one else can enter.
Runtime: 105 min.
Directed by: Dom Rotheroe
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Jenna Harrison | Adrian Rawlins | Honeysuckle Weeks | Michael Erskine
Baby (2000)
As: Little Joe
A teenage boy finds all around him has sexual overtones as he lives a teenage life of drugs and masturbation.
Runtime: 12 min.
Directed by: WIZ Andrew John Whiston
Stars: Ben Whishaw | Janet Mitchell | Clive Hayward | Alex Michael | Tabitha Denholm
The Escort (1999)
As: Jay
A movie about a middle aged french man who after a family crisis travels on the spur of the moment to London only to get caught up in the male prostitution business and eventually drugs.
Runtime: 100 min.
Directed by: Michel Blanc
Stars: Noah Taylor | Frances Barber | Daniel Auteuil | Liza Walker | Stuart Townsend
The Trench (1999)
As: Pte. James Deamis
The Trench tells the story of a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme in the summer of 1916, the worst defeat in British military history. Against this ill-fated backdrop, the movie depicts the soldiers' experience as a mixture of boredom, fear, panic, and restlessness, confined to a trench on the front lines.
Runtime: 98 min.
Directed by: William Boyd
Stars: Julian Rhind-Tutt | Danny Dyer | Daniel Craig | James D'Arcy | Paul Nicholls