Ben Whishaw, the British actor who began his role as gadget guru Q in the latest James Bond movie Skyfall, has confirmed he is gay and married to boyfriend Mark Bradshaw. Whishaw, 32, tied the knot with Bradshaw 30, in Sydney last August though has only just gone public with the details.

A spokesperson for the actor said: "Ben has never hidden his sexuality, but like many actors he prefers not to discuss his family or life outside of his work.

"Due to speculation, I can confirm that Ben and Mark entered into a civil partnership in August 2012. They were proud to do so and are very happy."

Whishaw and Bradshaw met on the set of Jane Campion's 2009 movie Bright Star, which Ben starred in and Mark composed the score for.

The James Bond actor had attracted speculation about his sexuality in a previous interview when asked whether it was important for young gay people to have positive role models. He replied, "I feel in my heart that it's important, but I don't quite know yet the way to go about that. Maybe that's the transitional thing I feel I'm in the middle of at the moment".

However, the actor is notoriously private about his personal life and never confirmed his sexuality. 

Widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted British actors, Whishaw was cast as the youngest-ever Hamlet at the Old Vic in 2004 and went on to score impressive reviews. He wowed as plucky journalist Freddie Lyons in the BBC2 newsroom drama The Hour and went public with his disappointment when the show was surprisingly axed.

Watch Ben Whishaw in the Skyfall trailer:

However, the biggest role of his career came in 2012, playing the role of Q in Sam Mendes' Skyfall - the highest grossing British movie in history. Critics praised Whishaw for bringing a new dimension to the character, which had previously been played by older actors. Peter Burton and Desmond Llewelyn both received the role when in their 40s, while John Cleese played the role into his 60s.

The actor will next star in Terry Gilliam's movie The Zero Theorem and drama Lilting. He is rumored to play Herman Melville in Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea.

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Ben Whishaw At The Premiere of 'Bright Star' At The Toronto Film Festival