James Bond actor Ben Whishaw confirms he is gay and ‘proud to be’ in a civil partnership
British film actor Ben Whishaw has confirmed in an interview that he is gay, and that he entered into a civil partnership in 2012.
The 32-year-old actor, who plays Q in the latest James Bond film Skyfall, said he entered into a civil partnership with his partner, Australian composer Mark Bradshaw, back in August 2012.
Speaking on his behalf, a spokesperson said: “Ben has never hidden his sexuality, but like many actors he prefers not to discuss his family or life outside of his work.
“Due to speculation, I can confirm that Ben and Mark entered into a civil partnership in August 2012. They were proud to do so and are very happy.”
Whishaw, who also performed in BBC drama The Hour, met 30-year-old Bradshaw on the set of the 2009 film Bright Star, which he starred in, and Bradshaw composed the music for.
Speaking to MailOnline, a friend of the couple said:”Everyone’s delighted for them. Mark’s a lovely guy, very talented and very close to Jane Campion. There hasn’t been a chance for a big celebration because of Ben’s schedule but I’m sure there will be one at some point.”
In a previous interview, Whishaw gained attention around his sexuality, when he was asked whether it was important for young gay and lesbian people to have positive role models, to which he replied: “I feel in my heart that it’s important, but I don’t quite know yet the way to go about that. Maybe that’s the transitional thing I feel I’m in the middle of at the moment.”
He continued: “For me, it’s important to keep a level of anonymity. As an actor, your job is to persuade people that you’re someone else. So if you’re constantly telling people about yourself, I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot.”
