Ben Whishaw is certainly busy at the moment, with one big new project, Paddington in Peru, having just been released, and another, Black Doves, on the way to Netflix.
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The former was of course the third film in the beloved Paddington franchise, which has become entwined with British national identity in a way best symbolised by a 2022 sketch.
The skit, produced to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, saw the late monarch meeting Paddington, as voiced by Whishaw - and now the actor has reflected on the production of the sequence.
Speaking in this week's issue of Radio Times magazine, Whishaw revealed that he didn’t go to Buckingham Palace for the filming of the sketch, but had met her when she visited RADA as patron of the drama school.
He said that "she came and shook our… no, no", before correcting himself to say: "We didn’t shake, we genuflected to Her Majesty. I did think she was lovely in that sketch."
Paddington Bear and Ben Whishaw at the premiere of Paddington in Peru. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
When the interviewer noted that it was only three months later that she died at the age of 96, so she must have been quite frail, Whishaw said: "Yes, it was touching, actually, as well as kind of amazing."
Ron Halpern, head of global productions at StudioCanal, explained in an interview with Variety that it came "with the consent and agreement of the royal household".
"[The royal family] were actually very happy for it to happen," added Paddington in Peru producer Rosie Alison. "But we don’t like to make a big deal of it, because Paddington’s obviously a very modest fellow."
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
