Ben Whishaw: Meet the Black Doves star's rarely-seen twin brother
Ben Whishaw has emerged as the standout star of Black Doves. Riding high after his TV triumph, the actor has enjoyed great success in the last decade, scoring roles in the James Bond and Paddington franchises.
A BAFTA, Golden Globe and Emmy winner, Ben may be a decorated and critically acclaimed performer, but the 44-year-old is refreshingly down-to-earth and uninterested in fame. Speaking to The Guardian in 2022, he admitted: I find it hard meeting people for the first time. "I find it anxiety-inducing. I get a shaky, unsettled feeling in my belly."
Notoriously private, Ben has been supported by his close friends and immediate family over the years, including his twin brother James. Telling The Guardian that they're complete opposites in life, with Ben an introvert and James an extrovert, it's clear that they share a unique bond.
"I've always defined myself by him but in opposition to him," Ben explained to The Sunday Times magazine. "I like everything different to him. There's not a single thing we have in common, except we both liked the scary rides if we were taken to a park.
"Perhaps you can see we are related, but we don't look alike. He's blonde. He came out first and was very pink and chubby. And I was this squashed, dark thing that popped out a few moments after. We were so different, but we were always dressed the same and taken everywhere together."
The duo grew up in "a little village in Bedfordshire" and were primarily raised by their mother. "There's not anything very dramatic I can report," he recalled to The Standard. He and James are on good terms with both of their parents, who split when they were seven.
Read more
Black Doves star Ben Whishaw's love life: from 10-year marriage to rumoured romance with co-star
Black Doves future revealed - will Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw's spy drama get a season 2?
Keira Knightley: meet the Black Doves star's famous parents
Over the years, Ben and James have been photographed together at multiple events, with the latter supporting him at several high-profile events, including the Spectre and No Time To Die premieres, the latter of which he nearly missed.
In a previous interview, Ben revealed that his twin had persuaded him to attend the No Time to Die premiere in 2021 after he almost gave it a miss. "James said, 'Don't be stupid, the whole family's been looking forward to this, you have to,'" Ben explained.
More recently, James joined Ben at the Women's Singles Semifinal between Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur at the 2023 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship. During the match, the pair were spotted laughing, chatting and cheering together.
While little is known about James, Ben has mentioned that he's a father. Reflecting on the notion of reaching a sense of serenity in life, the star said: "I wonder if having children does something towards that? I think it does. I see it in my brother James.
"I see that if you have to think about something other than yourself, that's extremely powerful and it changes a person. I don't have that experience. I'm still very self-absorbed. And that's OK, I suppose," he joked. There's no doubt about it, Ben is definitely a fun uncle!
