Ben Whishaw had therapy to help him come to terms with his sexuality.
Ben Whishaw
The 'Paddington' actor - who entered a civil partnership with composer Mark Bradshaw in 2012 - admitted he struggled to tell his family that he is gay and his feelings left him "hating" himself but he found seeking outside help very beneficial.
He said: "I've gone through a few difficult things. There was a moment in my early twenties when I did not feel very good about myself. It was to do with my sexuality and not knowing how to be myself and hating myself. I did know [my sexuality], I just couldn't tell anyone."
Of seeking therapy, he added: "It really did help."
The 'Spectre' star spent many years not discussing his personal life because he felt speaking about his sexuality would leave him "pigeonholed", but he's discovered after coming out publicly that there have been no "negative effects" to his career.
He said: "People assume there's some juicy secret. But I don't agree any more with that statement [about being pigeonholed]. I don't think it's the be-all and end-all, and since revealing my sexuality I haven't had any negative effects."
The 38-year-old actor believes "most people" are on a "spectrum" of different sexualities.
He told Sunday Times magazine: "I think it's very unfair when people say they're bisexual and they're accused of being gay really. If we're honest about these things, perhaps most people are on a spectrum."
However, Ben admitted he often gets "mixed up" with the terms people use to label themselves these days.
He said: "Do you think I'm androgynous? I think I'm quite male-looking. Androgyny is different to non-binary, but I hate all these labels. I get mixed up."
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