Ben Whishaw says “blatant homophobia” used to be considered “normal”
Ben Whishaw reflected on what it was like to be gay when he was younger and how things have changed since then. The actor will soon be starring in the BBC’s dark comedy series This is Going to Hurt.
He said that depicting Adam Kay, a doctor trying to hide a gay relationship from those in his life, made him reflect on what it was like to be homosexual in the mid-2000s when the real life story happened. “This is set in 2006, which isn’t that long ago, but it was different in terms of how gay people were accepted,” he told Esquire. “I remember blatant homophobia: people shouting at you, throwing s**t at you and trying to start a fight with you.
It was common, normal. “I’m not saying that doesn’t happen anymore because sadly I hear about it, but it definitely started to get a bit better.” The star, who is gay, previously brought LGBTQ+ representation to the James Bond franchise in the form of fan favourite character, Q.
In Daniel Craig’s final film as the iconic spy, the character returned to assist the former spy on his latest mission. Whishaw first played the character, whose name stands for Quartermaster, in 2012’s Skyfall after Q was absent for a few of the franchise’s movies.
