Ben Whishaw will provide the voice of Paddington Bear in ‘Paddington’.
The 33-year-old actor has been revealed as the new voice of the titular bear in the upcoming animation film after Colin Firth parted ways with the project earlier this year, admitting he couldn’t find the right tone of voice for the character.
Whishaw – who is best known for playing Q in James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ – claimed he wasn’t keen on the job at first but now can’t wait to take his 18-month-old niece to see the movie.
He told the Daily Mail newspaper: "I resisted a little bit, because I had a bad experience doing this kind of work in the past and I thought I was no good at it. But I was persuaded to go, slightly grudgingly."
The ‘Cloud Atlas’ star added: "I’m delighted that she’ll be able to see it and it’ll be my voice. She’ll know it’s uncle ben."
The film – which will also feature the voices of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Bonneville – tells the story of a young Peruvian bear who becomes stranded at Paddington train station after travelling to London in search of a new home, until he’s adopted by a kind family.
Director Paul King admitted he knew he’d finally found the perfect voice for Paddington after hearing Ben’s audition.
He explained: "I slowly found myself hearing his voice when I was thinking about Paddington.
"He [Ben] breathes and he speaks and he sounds like Paddington…"
‘Paddington’ is scheduled for release in the UK on November 28 2014 and in the US on December 25 2014.
Ben Whishaw to voice Paddington Bear
