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Few actors do anguish as well as Ben Whishaw.
But in the case of this Amazon Prime mini-series, the co-stars onscreen relationship is far less PG-rated.
Its not just a history less, though.
The trial was in 1979, which is the year before I was born.
There was a big change in society.
Norman is still alive.
Did you meet him?I met him with Stephen [Frears, the director].
Even though it was just an hour, it was important that I connected with him.
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Can meeting the person youre portraying be a double-edged sword?
You cant start making edits to a character because you dont want to upset somebody.
You have to look at the whole spectrum of their personality.
I took it really almost as a work of fiction.
But their sensibilities come together in an amazing way.
Thats just the way life seems to be.
For me, it was important just to play it truthfully.
The evolution of Normans character is interesting.
The more people make a run at silence him, the stronger he becomes.
But at the series end, I dont feel that its a man whos been crushed or destroyed.
If anything the opposite is true.
Norman landed on his feet and has lived a long and healthy and happy life.
At the beginning of the series, homosexuality was a criminal act.
Partly its just shocking; its a scandal and people are riveted by it.
But partly its just about men who have a love affair that goes wrong.
I find the humanity of that, the non-judgement of that, very beautiful.
For many actors, Hamlet istherole they wait their entire careers to play.
Did that scare the hell out of you?Yes, certainly it was terrifying.
But I think theres something about that play it spoke to me.
I dont wish to sound arrogant, but I was like, I get this.
At 23, I reallygetthis.
I know this guy.
I know what hes feeling in a way that Im not really sure I do now.
At 23, I felt like Iwasthat guy.
It was a bit terrifying, because there was a lot of pressure.
Paddington Bear notwithstanding, you seem to gravitate toward anguished characters.
What attracts you to a role?Im interested in interesting behavior and complicated psychologies.
I love ambiguity in characters or ambivalence.
I like characters who are clever, whove got some kind of energy, some kind of survival instinct.
I like using narrative comedy and darkness.
You also end up in a lot of period pieces.
Maybe its easier to get a grasp on the past than it is the present.
That wasnt the case 40 years ago.
Our lives have changed.
I cant let you go without talkingMary Poppins.
Have you seen it?I have seen it and Im really delighted by it.
Im really excited for other people to see it.
And youre officially returning to James Bond?Thats my understanding.
I believe were starting in December, so I havent read anything or talked to anybody yet.
But thats quite normal.
Its all incredibly secretive until the last moment.
I would like to go on record that I think Q should be the next 007.
Would you be game?Oh, yeah!
Id only do it if I could be Q, though, doing it.
I dont want to jinx anything, but Im definitely up for being more active.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
