Golden Globes 2019: Ben Whishaw says there need to be more gay actors playing straight roles

'It needs to be an even playing field for everybody'

Ben Whishaw has said there needs to be more LGBT+ actors being cast in straight roles.

The British 38-year-old was talking backstage after winning the Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a TV miniseries for BBC’s A Very English Scandal.

Darren Criss, who was nominated for the same award for The Assassination Of Gianni Versace, recently said he would no longer play homosexual characters on screen as he’s not a gay man himself.

Asked about this, Whishaw disagreed, saying: “No. I don’t think that should happen because I really believe that actors can embody and portray anything and we shouldn’t be defined only by what we are. I think there was a time when we didn’t know anything about actors, they were very mysterious. But now we know everything.

“So no, I don’t think that. On the other hand, I think there needs to be greater equality. I would like to see more gay actors playing straight roles. It needs to be an even playing field for everybody that would be my ideal. I don’t know how far we’re away from that.”

Whishaw added: “That’s where we should be aiming.”

Whishaw played Norman Scott – the former lover of Jeremy Thorpe – in A Very English Scandal. He recently starred alongside Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the classic 1964 original.

The new film’s box office success led to calls for a third instalment. However, Whishaw believes there should be a “long break” before any new movie.

The evening, designed to award the best in film and television, also saw wins for Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. You can find a full list of winners here.