Ben Whishaw has been in the spotlight since his spy thriller series Black Doves premiered on Netflix. The actor plays assassin Sam Young in the show, who helps out his old friend and spy Helen Webb when her secret is about to get exposed.
Ben has been getting rave reviews for his stellar performance as a queer assassin. Like his character, the actor is gay in real life. So far, he has had one confirmed romantic relationship.
Australian music composer Mark Bradshaw was Ben Whishaw's partner. The two met on the sets of a film in 2009. They entered into a civil partnership in 2012 but broke up 10 years later.
Black Doves star Ben Whishaw was in a civil partnership with Mark Bradshaw for 10 years
Australian composer Mark Bradshaw was Ben Whishaw’s partner from 2012 to 2022. The two met while working on the 2009 film Bright Star. The Black Doves actor starred in the lead role of poet John Keats in the film, while Mark composed its soundtrack.
Mark has shared his musical talent in several other films as well, including Resistance (2011), The Daughter (2015), and You Won't Be Alone (2022). He has composed for television shows like Disney+'s The Clearing, and BBC's Top of the Lake and A Passionate Woman.
Ben had never opened up about his s*xuality until he entered a civil partnership with Mark in Sydney in 2012. The two largely kept their relationship out of the public eye but made appearances on red carpets together.
While in the relationship, Ben, spoke about being gay for the first time in 2014. At the time, he told The Sunday Times:
“It's hard to have a conversation with people you've known your whole life about a very intimate thing. It's an intimate private and difficult conversation for most people. It takes courage and people have to do it in their own time.”
After 10 years of being together, Ben and Mark parted ways in 2022. The reports of their break-up came out in April of that year, with sources quoted by Daily Mail revealing they had split amicably. Their different work schedules and frequent travel reportedly led to their break-up.
Two years later, Ben once again spoke to The Sunday Times in 2024 and expressed how relieved he felt after coming out:
“I’m definitely happier. I remember days when I wasn’t out and that was a more stressful and unhappy position. So I’m grateful that’s over and also grateful that we live in a world where it’s not a shameful thing.”
On the professional front, Ben is currently riding high on the success of Black Doves. He is also recognized for playing Q, a British Secret Service researcher in the James Bond film series. The rest of his credits include films like Paddington, Passages, and The Lobster.
Ben Whishaw is now rumored to be dating Kadiff Kirwan
Following his split from Mark, Ben is rumored to be dating actor Kadiff Kirwan. The Sun first reported about the rumored relationship between the Black Doves star and Kadiff Kirwan in January 2024, citing that they had already been dating for a few months.
Ben met Kadiff in 2021 on the sets of the BBC One medical comedy-drama This Is Going to Hurt. He played the lead role of Adam Kay in the show, while Kadiff starred as his rival doctor, Julian.
As per The Sun, the two went on a trip to Greece in 2023. In the same year, they attended the Margate Pride together. However, neither of the two stars has confirmed their relationship as of now.
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Kadiff is famous for playing Aaron in the sitcom Chewing Gum and Anthony in the comedy-drama Fleabag. He has also appeared in shows like Everyone Else Burns, Slow Horses, and Timewasters.
All episodes of Black Doves are streaming on Netflix.
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