A veteran of the stage and former member of the esteemed Bancroft Players Youth Theatre, British actor Ben Whishaw made his belated entry into Hollywood in 2007 as the star of the feature film, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer." Considered one of the U.K.'s most promising new rising stars, Whishaw was also handpicked by director Todd Haynes as one of nine actors to play the legendary Bob Dylan in a biopic told from several points of view. But it was Whishaw's stage work and his chilling performance in the highly anticipated "Perfume" that put the actor in great demand on both sides of the pond.
Born on Oct. 20, 1980 in Hitchen, Hertfordshire, England, Ben Whishaw trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - alma mater of such stage luminaries as Patrick Stewart and Peter O'Toole. Prior to attending RADA, however, Whishaw landed important supporting roles in two 1999 U.K. films. The first was "The Trench" - a modestly produced, but powerful character piece set on the horrific battlefields of World War I. Incidentally, the film also starred a young actor named Daniel Craig, who would go on to international fame as the sixth James Bond in 2006. Whishaw's second 1999 film, the French drama "Mauvaise passé," was another well-received character study about a gigolo/escort visiting London. Directed by Michel Blanc, "Mauvaise Passe" paired Whishaw with French actor Daniel Auteuil and became a solid hit with the art house crowds.
It was in the theater, however, where Whishaw truly made his name. In 2003, Whishaw made his West End debut at London's Royal National Theatre in their two-part, six-hour stage adaptation of "His Dark Materials," based on the works of famed British fantasy novelist, Phillip Pullman. A year later, the 23-year-old Whishaw won the most effusive praise of his young career by playing the title role of "Hamlet" at the legendary Old Vic Theatre. Under the aegis of legendary stage director Trevor Nunn, Whishaw electrified audiences in this "all-youth" production of the Shakespearean classic.
Soon after graduating from RADA, Whishaw landed a handful of semi-substantial roles, with his best known being Jamie Foreman's nephew, Sidney, in director Matthew Vaughn's British comedic crime caper "Layer Cake" (2004). Though Whishaw's role was relatively small, it was the sort of eye-catching showcase performance many young actors killed for. Indeed (not to mention, ironically,) it was Sidney's willingness to do precisely that, which puts him in conflict with the film's lead character, XXXX, played by Whishaw's "Trench" co-star, Daniel Craig.
The success of "Layer Cake" won Whishaw a plum supporting role in the sublime British comedy series, "Nathan Barley." An ITV-produced sitcom about a cynical, loathsome media maven named Nathan Barley (Nicholas Burns), the show skewered the rapid rise of the internet and digital media. Though the program lasted only one season, critics adored it and were especially amused by Whishaw's turn as the odd Pingu, one of Nathan Barley's close circle of friends.
On the movie front, the winter of 2007 saw Whishaw's career take off as never before. That year, Wishaw was cast in his first lead role in the thriller, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer." Based on the award-winning mystery by German author Patrick Süskind, "Perfume" was the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an orphaned misfit turned serial killer. Set in 18th Century France, the monstrous Grenouille was a respected maker of perfumes by day; a killer of women by night. Born with an uncanny and rare sense of smell, Grenouille's obsession to capture the aromas, scents, and olfactory "essences" of his victims, formed the backbone of this most unusual murder mystery. With physicality an important component to his role, Whishaw's performance benefited greatly from his stage training. It also gave the young actor confidence to hold his own with his esteemed co-stars, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman. Released in Europe in September 2006, the film was a tremendous success and was well on its way to earning $100 million even before its scheduled U.S. release in early January 2007. |
