Ben Whishaw has discussed how the lack of openly LGBTQ+ actors in Hollywood is due to outdated societal attitudes.
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The British actor, known for appearing in the Paddington and James Bond franchises, came out as gay in 2014 and has spoken to The Guardian about the need to keep his personal life out of the spotlight.
“It’s complicated and probably different for every individual,” he explained. “But I think it’s still something to do with the fact that if you want to be really successful, you have to conform to what is deemed to be heterosexual taste, or something.”
The actor continued: “Or be sexy in a heterosexual way. I’m always amazed by how much sex is underneath everything, actually. Or desire. There’s still a lot of homophobia and hatred. I mean, it’s better, but it’s still true. Also, who knows what journey people are on with these things? I don’t blame people for being private.”
In 2018, Rupert Everett said that the film industry treats gay actors as “second-class citizens”, and revealed he missed out on roles because of his sexuality. Matt Bomer also shared last year that he believed he missed out on the role of Superman in the early 2000s because of being openly gay.
Sir Ian McKellen, a noted campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and one of the founding members of Stonewall UK, spoke in March about actors being hesitant to come out for fear that it would damage their careers. He encouraged more actors to be open about who they are, saying “I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it.”
This year, Ben Whishaw starred in the hit Netflix series Black Doves, opposite Keira Knightley. The pair recently confirmed that there will be a second season of the show, in a video where they toasted the thriller’s success.
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