The new thriller, Black Doves, is set to hit Netflix on 5 December, featuring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw in the lead roles of this six-part series. They share the screen with other notable actors including Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, Kathryn Hunter, Ella Lily Hyland, Gabrielle Creevy and Omari Douglas.
Black Doves centres around spy Helen Webb (Knightley), who is undercover as a politician’s wife. After discovering her lover’s murder, she joins forces with an assassin from her past to exact revenge and uncover hidden truths.
Ben, aged 44, plays Sam in the new series, marking his first TV role this year. In 2024, he has appeared in films such as Limonov: The Ballad and Paddington in Peru, as well as the West End revival of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.
Ben is perhaps most recognised for his role in My Brother Tom, which earned him a British Independent Film Award, and his portrayal of Hamlet in a 2004 production, for which he received an Olivier Award.
His acting credits also include TV shows like Criminal Justice and The Hour, and films such as Bright Star, I’m Not There and Mary Poppins Returns. Many will know him as Q from the James Bond films Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die, reports the Mirror.
The actor has lent his voice to Paddington Bear in numerous projects, including the latest Paddington film. Ben also has an impressive list of theatre credits, having starred in productions like Julius Caesar, The Seagull and Norma Jeane Baker of Troy.
Ben has consistently kept his personal life away from the limelight despite his illustrious career. The 44 year old actor maintained a policy of not discussing his private life for numerous years following his rise to fame.
In an interview with The Telegraph, he once remarked: “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.”
However, in 2014 Ben openly talked about his sexuality after having entered into a civil partnership two years prior with Australian composer Mark Bradshaw, whom he originally met back in 2009.
At that time, he described his coming out as a tense ordeal but noted “everyone was surprisingly lovely”. After living together for a decade, Ben and Mark parted ways in 2022.
Since their separation, Ben has played his cards close to his chest, steering clear of public comments regarding the reasons for their split.
