Time to add to the growing list of cameos in Terry Gilliam’s next feature The Zero Theorem. Ben Whishaw, that rapidly rising British star, will appear in Gilliam’s latest foray into sci-fi weirdness.
The Playlist reports that Whishaw is taking an unnamed cameo part in Gilliam’s already star-laden film, which tells the story of a reclusive computer genius experiencing some serious existential crisis, at work on a project searching for the purpose of existence. He’s helped and hindered by a power called Management, who sends a teenager and a love interest to interrupt his work. Whishaw joins leads Chrisoph Waltz and Melanie Thierry, along with Matt Damon and Tilda Swinton in bit parts. Quite a stellar cast for a film about a recluse.
Whishaw has been a hot commodity lately, with a part in The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer’s Cloud Atlas, not to mention his role as Q in the newest James Bond film Skyfall. Steven Spielberg also reportedly wants the actor for a part in his latest Robopocalypse.
No surprise, really, for an actor who has constantly turned in excellent performance. He was John Keats in Jane Campion’s Bright Star, and the less attractive persona of serial killer Grenouille in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
Ben Whishaw is an interesting actor, and so far has not been pigeon-holed as a particular type. It’s nice to see him getting to work with such a mix of directors and co-stars, even in cameo roles.
I’m quite excited to see what Gilliam turns in with The Zero Theorem and adding yet another interesting actor to cameo seems like icing on the cake.
We’ll keep an eye on further casting as it happens. For now, we’ll just have to be comfortable with the fact that Ben Whishaw will be there.
Filming on The Zero Theorem gets going on October 22.
