In a recent interview, out British
actor Ben Whishaw said that he believes anti-gay “attitudes have
only really shifted over the last five years.”
The 37-year-old Whishaw, who is best
know for playing Q in recent James Bond films, entered a civil
partnership with partner Mark Bradshaw, an Australian composer, in
2012.
Whishaw plays Norman Scott in the BBC's
upcoming three-part drama A Very English Scandal.
Based on a book by British journalist
John Preston and written by Russell T. Davies, who created Queer
as Folk, Cucumber and Banana, A Very English
Scandal stars Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe, a politician with
aspirations of becoming prime minister who was accused of conspiring
to murder his ex-lover, Norman Scott.
Whishaw told UK LGBT glossy Attitude
that he was shocked at how Scott, the victim of the plot, was treated
by the system.
“I'm sort of amazed,” he
said. “I feel as if attitudes have only really shifted in a
widespread way over the past five years or so, when it has become
unacceptable to say homophobic things – even under your breath.”
“But for lots of my life it was
[acceptable], and you encountered it a lot. And I’m sure it’s
still happening all over the place.”
“Back then, obviously, you could be a
senior judge and say all those revolting things, and they painted
Norman as this hysterical poof. It’s awful, but kind of hilarious
as well,” Whishaw added.
A Very English Scandal airs next
week on BBC One and is expected to stream on Amazon Prime Video in
the United States.