Ben Whishaw says he found scene referencing Q’s sexuality in Bond film No Time to Die ‘unsatisfying’

‘I thought a lot about whether I should question it,’ actor said

Ben Whishaw has admitted he thinks “some things were not great about” the decision to acknowledge Q’s sexuality in No Time to Die.

In the Bond film, which was released in 2021, a scene sees Bond (Daniel Craig) and Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) asking for Q’s help – but a flustered Q is unhappy as he’s preparing for a date, telling them: “He’ll be here in 20 minutes.”

When the subject of the scene was raised in a new interview, Whishaw told The Guardian that, beyond a positive text from TV writer Russell T Davies, he was yet to receive “any feedback”.

“I’m really interested in these questions,” he said, adding: “And I’m very happy to admit maybe some things were not great about that [creative] decision.”

After the journalist questioned the fleeting nature of the moment, suggesting that it seemed as if the studio felt strong-armed into including the reference, Whishaw disagreed.

“I suppose I don’t feel it was forced upon the studio,” he said. “That was not my impression of how this came about. I think it came from a good place.”

The Paddington voice star admitted to having concerns about the scene during a chat with producer Barbara Broccoli, stating: “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.”

However, Whishaw said that “for whatever reason, I didn’t pick it apart with anybody on the film”.

Ben Whishaw said he initially remembers feeling the scene was ‘unsatisfying’ (Eon Productions)

“Maybe on another kind of project I would have done?” he wondered, adding: “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.”

Whishaw will next be seen in BBC series This Is Going to Hurt, which begins 8 February at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer