'Quintessentially British combination': Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley 'just clicked' on set of new spy thriller
The new spy thriller Black Doves stars two of Britain's biggest actors, who had surprisingly never even met before working on the project together.
Ben Whishaw stars opposite Keira Knightley in the six-episode Netflix series and he tells 9honey Celebrity that despite being strangers when they booked the job, they just happened to "click" straight away.
"We didn't know each other at all," Whishaw says on the red carpet at the TV show's London premiere.
Watch the video above.
READ MORE: Truth about cult classic film that still shocks standout star
Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley in a scene from Black Doves. Netflix
"We'd never met and we had never worked together, obviously, so it was all new," he says.
"We didn't even really do much rehearsing or much talking, but something just, we just clicked. We just got on immediately well and liked and trusted each other."
The actor, who is also known to fans as the voice of Paddington Bear, said "it was such a pleasure" working opposite the Atonement star.
Whishaw and Knightley play spies Sam Young and Helen Webb who work together to solve a murder mystery.
Knightley was attached to the project first, taking on not only the lead role but signing on as an executive producer as well.
Director Alex Gabassi tells 9honey Celebrity they both wanted Whishaw on the show, saying there was "no one else" they wanted to play Sam.
READ MORE: 'Painful' experience that saw Isla Fisher make a bold declaration
Ben Whishaw, who is also known to fans as the voice of Paddington Bear, said 'it was such a pleasure' working opposite the Atonement star. Belinda Jiao/Getty Images
"That's the only, I mean, there was no one else, really," he explains.
"It's the quintessentially British combination – I knew that Keira and Ben, because of the way Joe [Barton] writes, there is a musicality to that kind of dialogue that you needed a delivery that was very clear, with some irony there.
"And Keira can do that, Ben can do that. So we put them together, I mean, it's just, it's a dream. So for me, it really worked really well [but] I always knew it would work."
READ MORE: How a bag of frozen peas could save your dog's life
Knightley was attached to the project first, taking on not only the lead role but signing on as an executive producer as well. Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
Writer and creator of the series Joe Barton admits it was a pinch-me moment when the cast first came together ahead of filming.
"It's was crazy ... I remember the read through and seeing them all together for the first time and looking around this table and just having Sarah Lancashire and Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw and Andy Buchan and Kathryn Hunter, all these amazing people," Barton tells 9honey Celebrity.
"Honestly, I've been really lucky to work with some incredible actors in my career but just the pure quantity of talent was like, yeah, mad."
That combination is also what attracted Sarah Lancashire to the role of Reed - boss to Whishaw and Knightley's characters.
"It was tremendous – all my work is opposite either Keira or Ben or both of them together," Lancashire tells 9honey Celebrity.
"So I was very lucky, kind of spoilt."
READ MORE: Secret ingredient that makes this the best Bloody Mary ever
Sarah Lancashire (centre) plays Reed – boss to Whishaw and Knightley's characters. Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
The Happy Valley star added that the show's "great premise" and Barton's "taught and witty and really clever and quite audacious" script was what she "just really engaged with"
"[Barton] turned the character of Reed into someone that I just really wanted to play," she says.
The TV series is set in London and was filmed at more than 150 locations across the city, with the moment coming full circle for Gabassi at the show's BFI Southbank premiere.
READ MORE: Ingredient hidden in this delicious dish might shock you
The TV series is set in London and was filmed at more than 150 locations across the city, with the moment coming full circle for Gabassi at the show's BFI Southbank premiere. Netflix
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
"It feels full circle, because this is, 100 metres away from here, there was a bench where everything starts, that's where the story is triggered," Gabassi says of the series.
"So for me, it's really special to be here."
"I wanted to escape the usual glassy, cool, cold London, I wanted to go colour, texture, visceral and that's what we did, I hope."
Black Doves drops on Netflix on December 5.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.
Most viewed in Celebrity
Stephanie Rice reveals next career move after being ‘rejected’ from 130 jobs
Patrick Stewart’s estranged son honours Star Trek, X-Men star without a single word
Heidi Klum reveals terrifying severed hand Halloween costume for annual party
Party Rock Anthem singer Lauren Bennett’s cause of death revealed
