This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn't exist.
Award-winning actor Ben Whishaw is notable for his versatility. From dark comedy to horror to prestige TV, Whishaw has mastered a variety of genres and arguably has yet to give a false performance. Although, his characters possess one common denominator. Whether they work a soul-crushing job or deal with circumstances involving grief and loss, his characters are always down on their luck.
Ira Sachs' new steamy romance Passages — where he has a prominent role —is the latest to continue that tradition. To tie into the film's release, we've compiled a list of nine of his best roles to date on both film and television, from the ones with the lowest to the biggest need of a hug.
9. Joseph in Surge
Joseph feels suffocated by his monotonous job as an airport security worker. He searches people time after time to the point where he probably forgets each person the minute he's through searching them. Looking to add some adrenaline into his mundane life, he engages in self-destructive behaviour, including a bank robbery. Joseph is a man of few words and with minimal backstory. Yet, whenever Whishaw lets out so much as a demented laugh, it is a small window into Joseph's fragmented psyche. Whishaw goes all-in as a man of such mystery even if an Indeed search to get him out of his draining job could prevent Joseph's city mayhem.
8. Martin in Passages
Martin seems to have an idyllic life. He has a decent printer job and a stable relationship with his filmmaking partner, Tomas (Franz Rogowski). But things take an immediate tailspin once Tomas has an affair with schoolteacher Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos). While Martin feels despair, he still balances holding onto what he and Tomas have and finding his happiness by attempting to break things off.
As Martin, Whishaw exercises his ability to shatter the viewer with just a glance. Even without saying anything, Whishaw's pained face offers incredible insight into Martin's turbulent feelings. He leaves the viewer heartbroken over Tomas' neglect while potentially understanding why he'd want to stick around.
7. Paddington Bear in Paddington
Paddington Bear is a beacon of kindness in an often cruel world. When he first arrives in London, he does have some mishaps, like mistakenly wrecking his newfound family's household. Being hunted by an evil taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) only adds to his troubles. Yet, he always tries to keep his head held high. Even his love for marmalade is enough to keep his infectious optimism going. He makes one want to hug him both to assure him things will be fine and because he's a joy to be around.
6. Limping Man in The Lobster
Compared to the other roles on this list, his role in The Lobster — credited as Limping Man — is far more limited. However, his plight involves experiencing the familiar non-lethal torture device called the institution of marriage. Pressured to find a companion or be turned into an animal, Limping Man restlessly seeks a partner by any means. When eventually paired with an unnamed woman with chronic nosebleeds (Jessica Barden), who knows what the future holds? But that only makes him all the more doomed. If both are not a match, he must seek a life of forced monogamy once more.
5. Michael Banks in Mary Poppins Returns
In this entertaining legacy sequel, Whishaw unsurprisingly has the weightiest character arc out of all the performers. Whishaw plays the grown-up Michael Banks, who tries to handle being a single dad to his children after the tragic death of his wife. Furthermore, working a stressful part-time banking job while on the verge of losing his house adds to his troubles. At one point, he channels his never-ending worry into song with his solo musical number “A Conversation.”
His voice quivers as he yearns for his wife to be with him and wonders how to carry on without her. The whole film has him exuding physically nervous energy over his predicament. But that musical number alone elicits sympathy, making the viewer want to let Michael know things will look up eventually.
4. Richard in Lilting
Whishaw's unsung, career-best work in Lilting is utterly devastating. In director Hong Khaou's feature debut, Whishaw plays Richard, a man who attempts to open up to his deceased lover's mother, Junn (Chang Pei-Pei). Despite not having a shared language or knowing each other well, both try collectively to come to terms with their grief.
Like Michael Banks from Mary Poppins Returns, his interpretation of Richard is an agonising depiction of loss. However, what ranks Richard even higher is his degree of solitude. Part of his reason for connecting with Junn is likely wanting to be less physically alone. After all, as bad as grief is, nobody should have to go through it on their own or feel like they should.
3. Adam Kay in This is Going to Hurt
The miniseries has a fitting title. Indeed, this sharply funny yet gruelling look at the OBGYN ward of an NHS hospital is a painful pill to swallow. Its central protagonist, Adam Kay, certainly goes through it as he deals with problems ranging from building malfunctions to nasty patients. The difficulties of his job also bleed into his at-home life, testing his relationships with his mother and partner. As Adam often breaks the fourth wall to vent his frustrations, Whishaw seamlessly conveys his piercing wit and occasional sensitivity. However, if what Adam endures is a regular shift, imagine if the show took place during the COVID crisis.
2. Danny Holt in London Spy
Continuing the string of grief-stricken protagonists is London Spy's Danny Holt. A hedonistic warehouse worker who engages in casual sex and clubbing, Danny strikes gold after crossing paths with the dashing Alex (Edward Holcroft). That's until Alex's sudden murder. Danny must not only deal with his demise but come to terms with Alex's secret life as an MI6 agent. As Danny thrusts himself into a strange espionage world to solve the mystery of Alex's death in this engaging miniseries, one feels the agony of seeing someone realise that the man who could be “the one” hasn't entirely been what he seemed.
1. Norman Josiffe/Scott in A Very English Scandal
Interestingly, the list's last entry is the role that won Whishaw his first — and thus far only — Primetime Emmy. In A Very English Scandal, Whishaw plays Norman Scott, initially known as Norman Josiffe, a former stable boy who falls for Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant). After Jeremy abandons Norman, Norman is left depressed and homeless before going into exile in Ireland. To make matters worse, as Norman desperately tries contacting Jeremy, Jeremy plots his assassination for the sake of his political career. According to the finale's end credits, the real-life Norman still doesn't have the National Insurance card that Jeremy had long promised him.
Although A Very English Scandal has darkly funny moments, it remains an intense dramatisation of the scandal it depicts. Whishaw's performance acts as its charismatic yet fragile heart. His courtroom monologue in the finale, especially, packs a heavy emotional punch.
