James Bond star Ben Whishaw has opened up Q’s LGBTQ+ scene in last year’s No Time To Die.
No Time To Die managed to blow James Bond fan expectations out of the water when it debuted last year. The final film in Daniel Craig’s 007 saga featured numerous firsts, including the first on-screen death of James Bond. As morbid as that it is, the Cary Joji Fukunaga-directed film also featured the first LGBTQ+ portrayal of Q, which could have been groundbreaking… if it went anywhere.
While Ben Whishaw’s Q was subtly revealed to be gay in No Time To Die, the actor has opened up about how the iconic Quartermaster’s sexuality reveal had no bearing on the film. In a chat with The Guardian, Ben Whishaw discussed how he views straight actors who tackle gay parts and how he “doesn’t believe [them]”. The conversation eventually stumbled towards Whishaw expressing disappointment regarding the handling of Q’s sexuality.
“I’m very happy to admit maybe some things were not great about that [creative] decision…And I think I remember feeling something like what you’ve just described. I think I thought, ‘Are we doing this, and then doing nothing with it?’ I remember, perhaps, feeling that was unsatisfying.”
Ben Whishaw made it clear that the No Time To Die character’s sexuality didn’t have the sink of corporate mandates to boost diversity.
“I suppose I don’t feel it was forced upon the studio. That was not my impression of how this came about. I think it came from a good place.”
The Quartermaster held doubts even while the film was in production but opted not to say anything.
“For whatever reason, I didn’t pick it apart with anybody on the film. Maybe on another kind of project I would have done? But it’s a very big machine. I thought a lot about whether I should question it. Finally I didn’t. I accepted this was what was written. And I said the lines. And it is what it is.”
Here is the synopsis for Ben Whishaw’s (likely) final film as James Bond’s Q, No Time to Die:
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, Rory Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Rami Malek, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, David Dencik, and Dali Benssalah.
No Time to Die is now available on home media formats. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the future of the James Bond franchise and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content!
