Ben Whishaw says gay actors have to be ‘sexy in a straight way’ to be ‘really successful’

Actor Ben Whishaw has suggested that gay actors need to be perceived as “sexy in a heterosexual way” in order to find megawatt success in Hollywood.

The British actor, 45, explained in a recent interview with The Guardian that gay actors often need to “conform to what is deemed to be heterosexual taste” in order to achieve huge mainstream success.

Whishaw, who is gay, is best known for playing a range of queer characters on TV hits including A Very English Scandal, Black Doves and This Is Going To Hurt.

Though he has received three BAFTAs, two Emmy Awards, and Golden Globe for his work, he agreed that there are “not very many” gay actors who have achieved his level of success.

“It’s complicated and probably different for every individual,” he told the publication, “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. Or be sexy in a heterosexual way.”

Whishaw added that he is “amazed” by how much sex and desire still dictate popular culture, and suggested that homophobia remains an issue for actors.

“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,” he said.

The James Bond star has previously explained that it didn’t feel “sustainable” to be an out gay actor early in his career.

“There were very few gay actors who were out when I started, so being out didn’t seem like a sustainable position to be in,” he said. “Now it kind of is sustainable but, actually, it opens up so many questions I have for myself because part of me still thinks that it is nobody’s business.”

While LGBTQ+ shows and characters – such as Heated Rivalry or Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) in Stranger Things – have been generally on the rise in recent years, it remains challenging for LGBTQ+ actors to break into the upper echelons of Hollywood stardom.

Last month, GLAAD reported that four in ten of the LGBTQ+ characters who graced our TV screens between 2024 and 2025 won’t be returning in 2026. 

Meanwhile, the last time a gay actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor was in 1999, when Kevin Spacey won for American Beauty. He was not publicly out as gay at the time.

Other LGBTQ+ actors have argued that even some of the best-known queer actors in the industry will reach a glass ceiling.

“You can get to a certain level,” EastEnders actor John Partridge recently told PinkNews, reflecting on Jonathan Bailey’s smash role as Fiyero in Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

“Jonathan Bailey has got to a certain level, but he’s not Tom Cruise. He’s not the frontman. That’s what we’re talking about here. You can be the ‘best friend of’. You’re not going to see Jonathan Bailey as James Bond. You’re not.”

During his chat, Ben Whishaw also said that it’s “hard” for gay directors to make projects that focus on queerness.

“It definitely feels different if you’re making a project that’s about gayness or queerness,” Whishaw said, reflecting on his titular role in Ira Sachs‘ new film Peter Hujar’s Day.

“And there are lots of beautiful gay directors – but not that many. I think it’s hard for them to make films. So it’s precious when you get to be involved with one.”

Peter Hujar’s Day is out now in the US and will be released on 2 January in the UK.

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