Benedict Cumberbatch's Life Before Doctor Strange | Full Biography (Doctor Strange, Sherlock)

The Chameleon Man He was able to become a dragon, Sherlock Holmes, Van Gogh, and even a sexy otter. He has the most unpronounceable surname in Hollywood. But you just need to hear Cumberbatch one time to immediately name a couple of your favorite characters. Being aristocratic to the core, this actor is not afraid to laugh at himself and pose Why was Ben being mocked at school? How did this actor almost die several times? And what is the reason for the quarrel between Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman? Welcome to the Biographer channel. Sit back. The most interesting details about the life and career of Benedict Cumberbatch are waiting for you. And don't forget to click on the subscribe button and the bell. You will find a lot of interesting things about your favorite actors and much more. Subscribe and let's start. Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born on July 19, 1976, in London. The future star's parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, were actors. His first role was in The Daily Mirror under the title Wanda's Little Wonder when he was four days old. Therefore, it was not surprising that later the boy was keen on theatrical art. Celebrities from TV often came to their house, but they rarely had fun. More often, they worked. One of the memories of the future actor's parents was how his mother was recognized in the Frozen Peas department. That's what I thought fame was, he said. He mentioned he had a great childhood, though he was overgregarious and prone to moments of hyperactivity, then exhaustion and bad temperedness. I was very inquisitive. I was very talkative. Slightly eccentric, I think. An old soul, as one of my teachers described me. I had a great amount of energy. I was an only child, so I loathed conflict. His parents wanted Benedict to get a good classical education. Perhaps one of the reasons was the family's rich ancestry. Benedict is a descendant of King Richard III of the Royal Plantagenet dynasty. Ben started his studies at a private school in West Sussex, but later moved to Harrow School, which was famous and very prestigious. The boarding school was famous for its age-old traditions. Therefore, the pupils were obligated to learn a variety of skills that every gentleman should have. I was lucky enough to be in an environment that focused into craft and acting and music and rugby and other sports. As opposed to going, this is a problem child, we need to do something about him. I think I was desperately insecure for all sorts of reasons and tried to compensate for that. I was petrified by the idea of what other people thought of me. The school, founded in the 16th century, has brought up many outstanding persons and statesmen. Winston Churchill, John Galsworthy, Richard Curtis, and believe it or not, Mycroft Holmes studied there. The Sherlock star shared that he was inspired by acting after watching performances by his mother, The Only Fools and Horses, but was discouraged from the ridiculous choice of occupation by his parents. After finding out about their son's interest in acting, Timothy and Wanda tried to dissuade him. My parents discouraged it, of course they did, he admitted. They predicted his career as a lawyer instead of a theatre studio. Perhaps due to the fact that Ben's parents did not support him in his desire to continue the family business, he did not act at an early age. Later, he admitted that he was glad of that. I wasn't a child actor, I'm happy about that. Nothing against people like my good cast members who have been, but I'm happy I had the experience I had. But the love of art won. From an early age, Benedict became interested in theatre and went to a drama club. He even dropped out of sports at school to plunge into acting and painting in more detail. That led to ridicule from classmates who suggested that since Cumberbatch was fond of art, he was definitely gay. As you all know, the actor's surname often causes tricky modifications and jokes. In a 2007 interview, he said that Cumberbatch is a real family name. Initially, he took the name Carlton but did not achieve any success with it, and when he changed his agent, his new agent advised him to choose another one. I thought Benedict Cumberbatch sounded a bit bumbly and messy, but they said it's a great name, it will get people talking about you. But on Jimmy Kimmel's show, for the sake of a joke, he decided to try on other options. He introduced himself to the invisible interlocutor as Yo-Yo Ma, George Costanza, Sanjay Gupta, and John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. At Harrow School, Benedict tried himself as an actor. In a school play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, a 12-year-old boy played the Queen of the Fairies Titania. After graduation, the young man paused his studies and decided to see the world. An interesting experience was a year of teaching English at a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling in India. Later, the actor would repeat more than once that it was a special spiritual experience for him. I worked for six months to drum up the finance as it was voluntary, there was no income. I could actually stay with monks in their home and watch them at work and at prayer, and get the chance to teach them and interact with them. On weekends, not busy with teaching, the actor was looking for adventures. He rafted down the Kali-Gandaki River, crossing the desert province of Rajasthan during a rainy season, and one day decided to climb the Himalayas. They tried their luck, together with three friends, but all had altitude sickness. Gradually, the group was reduced to two people. Cumberbatch recalls, I started to have really weird f***ed up dreams and felt things were happening in my sleep. I wasn't sure if I was conscious or awake. The actor recalled that on the way there, they ran out of food and were forced to drink rainwater collected from moths as they were afraid to drink from rivers. After spending the night on hay in an abandoned barn, risky descendants on slippery boulders, and fighting with leeches, the guys were very happy about the appearance of traces of animal droppings on the paths. When they reached the local settlement, they, being hungry, were served the best tasting meal they'd ever had, unwashed greens and a bowl of eggs, after which Cumberbatch immediately got dysentery. After that, he returned to his home country and entered the University of Manchester, where he studied theatre arts for four years. And after that, he continued his education at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he received a master's degree in classical acting for professional theatre. Recalling his years spent at Manchester University, the actor believes that he roughed it more than Oxbridge to study drama. I wanted something a bit more racy, a bit more different, a bit more egalitarian. I had a thoroughly healthy and unhealthy mix of friends. At the same university, Ben had his first serious affair, with Olivia Poulet. The young man began his professional career in 2001, mainly as a theatre actor. With his training and his love for performing, he got roles in theatre plays at the region's Park Open Air Theatre. Later, he proved himself in the theatre's Royal Court, Almeida, as well as the Royal National Theatre, where he got mainly the main roles. The path to the Royal Theatre took Benedict about 10 years of work and gave him not only experience, but also recognition. The actor was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award in the category Best Supporting Role, for the role of Tessman in the production of Heda Gabler at the Almeida Theatre. The first television experience was in 2000, while participating in the series Heartbeat, when the actor continued his attempts to appear on the screens in cameos of the TV series Silent Witness, Fields of Gold, and Tipping the Velvet. The first full-length film in Cumberbatch's list was Mike Barker's drama To Kill a King in 2003. There, he got a small role, but his appearance on the big screen was a serious start for the future. In the same year, Benedict appeared in Hugh Laurie's project Forty Something, portraying the pedantic and boring son of the main character played by Laurie himself. That was the first significant role of an actor with a solid timing. The series clearly showed that Cumberbatch had not yet developed the famous posture and strong voice, but fans would be pleased with the work, although the family comedy failed in the ratings and therefore the series was closed. 2004 brought the actor his first popularity. The autobiographical film of the same name about the young Stephen Hawking, where the actor got the main role released. That was the first attempt to embody the role of the famous physicist on the screen, and it was a success. There, Ben already appeared before us as a mature actor, but even more soft and elegant. Critics praised the film. The picture was nominated for the British Academy Television Awards in the category of Best Dramatic Film in 2005. Benedict Cumberbatch received the Golden Nymph of the Monte Carlo Festival as Best Actor, and was also nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor. From that moment on, the door to British cinema was open for the actor. He began to actively participate in miniseries and feature films, becoming a local star, but with an emphasis on the roles of aristocrats and scoundrels which Ben received for the next five years. In 2005, the viewer was able to see Cumberbatch in the adventure series produced by the BBC, To the Ends of the Earth. The story told about the world of class differences hiding under the appearance of decency and politeness, which was given through the form of an aging ship. The actor perfectly fit into the role of a young aristocrat Edmund Talbot, a multifaceted and controversial character. In that movie, he showed his strengths, a fully developed character given a variety of emotional and physical tasks that indicate the actor's range, nuances that illustrate the thought and research behind Cumberbatch's acting choices, and a starring role showing he can carry a production. Cumberbatch worked on the set every day for four months. Atwood commented on his choice of the main actor by saying that he is a good actor, someone young enough to be believable as an aristocratic, an almost slightly dislikable character who is an adolescent in terms of his views of the world, his upbringing, someone who could hold the screen for four and a half hours in every scene. By the way, that was the first role of Benedict on the screen in which there was a sex scene. In a BBC press release issued before the miniseries' broadcast, Cumberbatch described the story as a sort of rock and roll 1812 period drama about a young man's gap year. Filth, dirt, discovery, sex, drugs, dancing, love, spiritual awakenings, and massive sweeping changes. In 2006, Ben starred in the youth series Starter for Ten, together with James McAvoy, where the actor got a rare comedic role for him. Then, we met Ben in the historical biographical drama Amazing Grace, directed by Michael Apted. The actor got the role of William Pitt the Younger, who became the youngest prime minister of Great Britain. The film told about the fight of the main character, played by the charismatic Ian Gruffydd, with the slave-owning system of Britain in the early 19th century. Critics praised the work positively. Wally Hammond, writing for Time Out, singled out Benedict Cumberbatch's performance for praise, saying his performance quietly upstaged the fine performance of Gruffydd. The film won the Christopher Award for Best Film, and Benedict was nominated for the ALFS Award. 2007 was a productive year for the actor. Two films with his participation were released, having a high rating as a result. Atonement, directed by Joe Wright, was a military melodrama with a not very happy ending. Benedict gets a small role of the chocolate millionaire Paul Marshall, a man down-to-earth, boring and sometimes horny. The actor coped with the role perfectly, working out every second of the allotted time. In addition, Cumberbatch had the opportunity to work together with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The picture did well at the box office and received attention from the audience. Atonement received two Golden Globe Awards in the categories of Best Film and Best Music. In addition, the film received 14 nominations for the BAFTA Award, in two of which it managed to win including the nomination for Best Film. The second film was a biographical picture, Stuart, A Life Backwards, directed by David Atwood, based on the book by Alexander Masters. The author described the life story of his friend who went through a difficult path from a criminal and a drug addict to a key figure in the creation of a homeless assistance center. Benedict's role was to portray the writer's personality and their friendship with the main character played by Tom Hardy. In addition to full-length works, Cumberbatch appeared in the drama series Inseparable, where he got an interesting role. He played two twin brothers with radically different characters. In 2008, the audience was able to see Benedict in the acclaimed historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl by Justin Chadwick. The actor's role was small and not very attractive, the honorable nobleman William Carey, who was a disappointed drunk because of the betrayal of the bride Mary Boleyn. Unfortunately, Cumberbatch remained overshadowed by the bright acting of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, and yet he was lucky to get a role in a work of that magnitude. In December of the same year, the actor appeared in the pilot episode of the fantasy film The Dark Side of the Moon, which was never released. The next year could be called quite successful in Benedict's career. A BBC TV drama The Last Enemy was released, which was highly appreciated by both critics and ordinary viewers. Ian B. McDonald's dystopia consisted of five parts, and Cumberbatch got the main role in it. He got the image of the mathematical genius Stephen Ezzard, a hermit with signs of obsessive compulsive disorder. Does it remind you of anyone? Ben was nominated for the Satellite Award as the best actor in a miniseries or a TV movie for his work. The second film of 2009, with the participation of Benedict, Creation by John Emil, was met with more restraint than the previous one. Cumberbatch got only a small supporting role of Charles Darwin's friend. In addition, Benedict managed to play in the film Marple, Murder is Easy, as well as to play the role of Bernard in the two-part TV adaptation of Small Island. For that role, he was nominated for the BAFTA TV Awards as Best Supporting Actor. In parallel, Cumberbatch did not forget about the theatre. At Sky Arts Theatre Live, he acted in a play about Winston Churchill called The Turning Point, playing the role of Guy Burgess. In 2010, the viewer saw Cumberbatch in several projects. He got the episodic role of Nick Kaufman in the film The Whistleblower, appeared in the British film Four Lions, playing a negotiator and also voiced the Discovery documentary series Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking. Also, during that period, Ben got the main role in Hattie Dalton's film Third Star. He got a complex, dramatic image of James dying of cancer who went on a trip with his best friends. And it was in that picture that Ben had the opportunity to show his dramatic talent. The role was filled with a lot of depth and emotions, pain and hope. The touching story received a nomination in the category Best Film at the Festival in Sao Paulo. And the observers Philip French called the film competent, though rather familiar and predictable, though not dislikable. And how can we forget about Benedict's attempt to portray an outstanding artist? Another of his works was the documentary Van Gogh, painted with words, where the actor got the main role of Vincent Van Gogh. The picture was based on the artist's personal letters with his brother and other people, trying to portray Vincent's inner world as naturally as possible. Cumberbatch's image in that role came out highly educated but emotionally exhausted. As a result, the film was awarded the Rocky Awards for the Best Documentary Film about Art at the Banff World Media Festival. Perhaps thanks to the actor's previous experience, the roles of aristocrats, hermits, brilliant and non-standard personalities, Benedict would be able to brilliantly play the next role. The role that brought him worldwide fame and the chance to be on the Hollywood red carpet. Benedict's perseverance and talent ensured his popularity at home. But outside of the European cinema, not many people still knew about the actor. Everything changed when the BBC launched a new, large-scale project based on the famous works of Arthur Conan Doyle. Before casting for the main role, Mark Gatiss, who was the screenwriter and chief producer of the series, made a condition. No Hollywood celebrities. That's why Benedict fit perfectly. The showrunners were very interested in his video CV and after a personal meeting, the actor was immediately given the role. Interestingly, Cumberbatch became the first and last contender for the role. After him, no one was considered. The selection of Holmes' faithful friend was more difficult. Many up-and-coming actors want to get that role, including Matt Smith from the series Doctor Who. The decision was influenced by chance. Martin Freeman and Cumberbatch talked so enthusiastically during the casting that the directors decided to hire him. It was very important for the actors to find a common language and compliment each other. It was especially successful on the screen. To prepare for the role, Ben had to work hard. He had to lose weight and become more bony as well as learn to play the violin. The actor coped with the first task with the help of yoga and swimming, and the Australian actress and violinist Eo Chater helped him with the second. His role as the socially awkward and compulsive but brilliant tech-savvy detective is captivating from the moment he's introduced on screen. An interesting idea was the illustration of the investigation process. The viewers can see the thoughts of the detective on the screen and to In an interview, Benedict emphasized that the new version of Sherlock was an attempt to modernize the source material while remaining true to the roots of the history. It didn't feel like you were just resurrecting that character for the hell of it. It felt like a very reverent re-examination of him through the 21st century. But with such adoration of the original material, loads of Easter eggs for fans of the Conan Doyle novels, it was a winning formula. And when Martin came in to audition and just raised my game massively, I thought, that's a great piece of chemistry. On July 25, 2010, the world saw the first series of a modern interpretation of the story of a brilliant detective. The audience and film critics appreciated the experiment favorably and the series got the top positions. Ben quickly gained huge popularity and had fans around the world, which he was not ready for. Sherlock's followers started calling themselves Cumberbitches. Despite the fact that the actor himself liked other variants more, Cumberbabes or Cumberpeople. Soon, Ben got the status of a sex symbol. The immediate response on Twitter, this thing of my name trending worldwide, I didn't understand. I thought people were going to abseil out of helicopters with cameras stuck to their heads and run after me brandishing notepads and pens. Sherlock lasted four seasons until 2017, each of which were eagerly awaited by the audience. By the way, Sherlock and Mycroft's parents in the series were played by Benedict's parents. In 2014, Cumberbatch's acting in the third season helped him to receive the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Miniseries or Movie. It was Sherlock that launched his career as a major artist. For a long time after the release of the last season, there was talk about the return of the brilliant detective to the screens. But, according to the creators of the series, Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss, a lot depended on the availability of time of the main actors of the franchise. The last episodes were already difficult to shoot as it was hard to match the schedules of Cumberbatch, Freeman, and the crew. In addition, in 2021, Una Stubbs, who plays Mrs. Hudson, died at the age of 84. The producer of the project admitted that the cast and In 2018, there was a quarrel between two on-screen friends. Cumberbatch reacted to one of Martin's interviews in which Freeman stated that he was no longer wanting to take part in the show due to the strong reaction of viewers who criticized the last season. He described being in the show as being a mini-Beatles thing, explaining, Ben overreacted to the statements of the ex-partner, calling his complaints pathetic in an interview. It's pretty pathetic if that's all it takes to let you not want to take grip of your reality. What, because of expectations? I don't necessarily agree with that. There's a level of obsession where the franchise becomes the fans even though they're the ones making it. But I just don't feel affected by that in the same way, I have to say. After that, it was rumored that the relationship between the actors was cool and in real life it was difficult to call them friends. Benedict and Martin aren't mates and they don't spend time together away from the show. They're professional and very polite to each other, but there's not the warmth you'd expect after filming together for six years. There isn't a huge desire to come back for another season, a source reported to The Sun newspaper back in January of 2017. But at the same time, Freeman was invited to Ben's wedding to be the best man, not an ordinary guest, which could say a lot. And in 2019, after parting with his wife, Martin spent a huge amount to purchase a house next to his colleague, so not everything was so clear. After the success of Sherlock, Benedict did not get bored. The offers from leading directors in Europe and the USA began pouring in for him. In 2011, he appeared in Thomas Alfredson's film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, where he co-starred with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy. Cumberbatch got the role of Peter Guillaume, the faithful assistant of the main character who was played by Oldman. While preparing for the role, the actor went to Morocco for kite surfing training. In an interview, Ben admitted that he always wanted to act as the spy. Any actor worth their salt would jump at the chance, he says, because it's all about mask shifting. I was in Assyria, and because my character was a spy originally stationed in North Africa, I walked the streets alone at night, imagining what it was like for him. The oppressive doorways. The dark alleys. After the premiere of the picture at the Venice Festival, critics rated it unanimously positively. One of the most influential critics, Roger Ebert, gave the film three out of four stars. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy received three nominations for the Academy Award, among other numerous nominations. Ben was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the British Independent Film Awards. In addition, Ben played well with Johnny Lee Miller and Danny in which they shared the same body. On the stage of the Royal National Theatre, the actors changed roles every evening, playing in turn Victor Frankenstein and his creation, which allowed to deepen the relationship between the main characters and better understand the characters. An interesting situation occurred during the performance. While playing on stage, Cumberbatch realized that the same people who came from China were sitting in the front row every night. He asked them how they found so much time and money for it. Oh, it doesn't matter, they said, we love you. Later, the play was shown in cinemas in Britain and around the world and brought both actors the Evening Standard Newspaper Award in the category of Best Actor. The experts said that it would be insulting not to mention both actors. They also got the Laurence Olivier Award in 2012 in the category of Best Actor in a Play. Two more works that year were Steven Spielberg's war drama War Horse and D.R. Hood's drama Wreckers, in which Ben got minor roles. By that point, the relationship with actress Olivia Poulet had come to an end. The couple had been together for 12 years. Therefore, Ben admitted that he had not been alone since university. When I was last single, I wasn't the same person. I was desperately backwards and coming forwards. But now, I quite enjoy it. Naturally, I miss the proximity of a partnership with someone I know and love. And I still love Olivia to bits. But being single is fun. It was difficult to say either it was the growing popularity of the actor or their different views on the relationship that played a role. Olivia never became a celebrity, while Ben gradually became a global star. There were rumors that the reason for the breakup was the actor's desire to become a father. Already in 2010, he said that he was ready for that. I have been broody for five years, the actor admitted. I would love to have the ability to juggle a career and have a young child. Cumberbatch was already healing his broken heart with another girl, Anna Jones. They dated for a short time from 2011 to 2012. He came to the festival in Venice to promote the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with her. But after a few months, the British designer and the actor broke up. Cumberbatch plunged into work. In 2012, the viewer met the actor in the miniseries The Hollow Crown, which was based on Shakespeare's historical plays. Ben got the role of King Richard III. Judi Dench was the actor's partner on the set. She played Cecily, the mother of the king. In an interview, Benedict admitted that it was terribly interesting for him to work on the role of a wicked and domineering king, and therefore the character turned out to be realistic and cruel. Richard III is a tragedy, but you only really appreciate that tragedy if you have seen Richard through all the plays and have met the adolescent who becomes the despot who becomes the regretful, nightmare-haunted wreck before he dies in battle. In addition to Richard, that year Ben had to play another not very pleasant character, namely to voice the main antagonist Sauron in the first part of the famous Hobbit series. In the following parts of the trilogy, the dragon Smaug was added to the role of Sauron. If you noticed, the face of a huge lizard was very similar to Cumberbatch. That was due to the fact that motion capture technology was used when drawing Smaug, thanks to which the dragon had the actor's facial expressions. I kill wherever I please, and none can stop me! For that role, small motion tracking points were put on the actor's face, and a camera was attached to his head, which shot every micro-movement of the face. To get used to the image, the actor even visited the London Zoo where he watched animals, especially lizards. If you look at the video from the filming, you can see how Ben does not just give voice and facial expressions, he gets used to the role completely. Once you get over that bit of self-consciousness, it's so freeing. I just played like a kid in a bedroom, just imagining this thing, which is great. The role of the villains did not end. In 2013, Benedict turned into an antagonist named Khan Singh in the fantastic blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness. Both his standard manner and British accent helped Cumberbatch to create the image of the classic villain. In addition to the cult franchise, the actor appeared in three more films. On October 18, Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave was released in the United States. It told about slavery in the United States before the Civil War through the prism of the life of one man, Solomon Northup. Ben appeared in the image of a kind slave owner and plantation owner who was impressed by the abilities of the main character. The film was nominated for many awards. It was a key contender for the 2014 Academy Award, was awarded three statuettes including for Best Film of the Year, and also the picture was nominated in a record seven Golden Globe categories. Bill Condon's The Fifth Estate was less successful, failing at the box office. But despite that, the film remains an example of Cumberbatch's excellent game, and another example of his ability to transform into real people. In this film, you are recognizing him as Julian Assange, a well-known journalist and TV presenter who published classified materials about corruption and war crimes. Cumberbatch tried to get used to the role as much as possible, adopting facial expressions, mannerisms of movements, and Assange's accent. In John Wells' August, Osage County, Ben played a shy and clumsy cousin of the family named Little Charles. Although the role was small, participation in the film brought him a lot of experience working together on the set with such stars as Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, and others. In 2014, Benedict got the already familiar image of a brilliant Englishman in Morten Taldem's The Imitation Game. The actor played a very capable mathematician and logician Alan Turing, who was trying to crack the codes of the Nazi coalition during World War II. The actor admitted that he was inspired by the personality of Turing, whom he considered an incredibly gifted, kind, and intelligent person. Often as an actor, you draw on your own experience or memories, but I really didn't have them here. Turing got under my skin. It was just so pitiful. Imagining the physical weakness, the vulnerability, the exhaustion, how the hormones affected his emotional state, it was all ungovernable. Since most of the brilliant mathematician's life became either classified because of his work or was deleted from history textbooks due to the fact that he was condemned of homosexuality, the director and Ben had to fill in the missing fragments themselves. They completely recreated both the voice and the manner of Turing's movements. In addition, the actor dyed his hair and wore fake teeth to resemble his hero. In an interview, Cumberbatch admitted that in order to express the social clumsiness and unsuitability of a mathematician, he turned to his own vague experience of being an outsider. I've made social faux pas a plenty. I've put one foot in front of the other and fallen over. I mean, you know, if you've ever experienced the idea of feeling slightly outside or that kind of, you know, creeping paranoia of a teenager where you just feel that you don't quite fit into anything or you're just finding out who you are and everyone else seems to have got it sorted. Keira Knightley, with whom the actor was on the set, shared her impressions about the collaboration. Cumberbatch is a doer. He never chooses easy paths. After the release of The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and other awards for the role of Turing, and the film received positive reviews from critics. There were changes in the actor's personal life. After filming in the final part of The Hobbit, he was seen with a Russian model, Ekaterina Ilazarova in Ibiza. Their romance didn't last long. After all, in the same year, Cumberbatch met the actress Sophie Hunter. They knew each other since 2009 but began dating only in 2014, while keeping their affair a secret for a long time. In November of 2014, a headline appeared in the wedding section of The Times newspaper. The engagement of Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch, residents of London, and Sophie, daughter of Catherine Hunter from Edinburgh and Charles Hunter from London, has been announced. Despite the anachronism of such a tradition, the actor admitted that he liked her very much and therefore he would make an announcement regardless of whether he was popular or not. The wedding of Ben and Sophie was in 2015. It was very modest. They were only close relatives and friends of the couple. The fact that the actress was expecting didn't go unnoticed. At the time of the wedding she was 5 months pregnant. And soon the couple had their first child, son Christopher. And it turned out so. As a result, the couple now has three children. But you can't enjoy the photos of a happy family. The actor doesn't have any social media accounts. He explains it like this. That's understandable, taking into account the different sides of popularity. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor said that some people consider his marriage and child a PR stunt. It's to do with the idea that the internet's boyfriend can't actually belong to anyone else but the internet, he said. And it scared him. 2015 was also marked by Ben's collaboration with Johnny Depp in the movie Black Mass. The role of William Billy Bulger, the brother of the main character and the famous American bandit, became another complex character in Cumberbatch's list. And then he had to try. He had to learn a complex South Boston's accent in which he was helped by a native of the region and a linguistic expert. But despite the efforts, that time the audience did not really appreciate the actor's speech changes. At the same time, the directors working with the actor appreciated his acting. Edward Berger said in an interview, It's a much smaller role, but the deep voice, the way he performs, he will never give you a boring performance, and that's part of the secret. How can I stand out? How can I make the audience remember the scene? In addition to the cinematography, in 2015, fans were able to admire Benedict on the stage of the London Barbican Theatre, where the actor played Hamlet in the play of the same name. A new interpretation of the famous play under the direction of Lucy Kirkwood turned out to be eclectic and fragmentary. But according to theatre critics, Cumberbatch was the unifying element that saved the whole play. In 2016, Benedict got an unusual role in the Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller films Zoolander 2. He played a transgender model. That caused indignation among viewers and fans, which quickly turned into outrage. It got to the point that film fans created a special online petition in which they boycotted the film and called for voting against Cumberbatch in a female guise. In their opinion, the actor's image insulted transgender people and even made fun of them. Years later, Ben admitted that he regretted his role. The indignation of the audience was strengthened by the nomination of the film for the Golden Raspberry in the categories of Worst Film, Worst Director, Worst Male Role, and others. But that year marked the beginning of the role that made Cumberbatch famous in Hollywood. And I think you guessed it right away. It's about Doctor Strange. The first film about the popular magician and comic book hero was released in cinema on October 25, 2016, and immediately won the hearts of fans. The movie was directed by Scott Derrickson. The actor's partners on the set were Mads Milkison, Shuatel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Tilda Swinton. The idea to move Doctor Strange from the pages of comics to the big screen appeared back in the 1980s, but the project was repeatedly postponed until Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to the character on behalf of Marvel Studios. Benedict had to compete with other famous actors for the role of the great magician. Among them was Viggo Mortensen, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, Ryan Gosling, Ewan McGregor, Matthew McConaughey, and Colin Farrell. After the studio chose Benedict for the role, the actor did not immediately agree to accept the offer. I kind of had my doubts about it. From just going into the comics, I thought, this is a very dated, sexist character. And it's very tied up in that crossover, that kind of East meets West occultism movement of the 60s and 70s. Cumberbatch met with screenwriter and director Scott Derrickson, previously known for his horror films, and agreed, though. The actor was convinced that the image of Strange would be characteristic of modernity and aimed at a wide audience of viewers. Benedict's unusual appearance and his beautiful intellectual manner of speaking were perfectly suited for the image of a wise magician capable of traveling through time and space. The actor admitted that he had to read a lot of comics to prepare for the role. At one of Cumberbatch's press conferences, he was once asked if he had used any mystical techniques in real life. There, the actor recalled his experience of living in India with Tibetan Buddhists. I meditate a lot. That's a huge tool in trying to calm myself, get away from the crazy circus of it all, have a focused mind as well as to be a considerate person in the world. However, once he still showed a trick with water. In a water commercial for the Vanity Fair special project, he talked about the importance of preserving a natural water source and its interesting ability to change the aggregate state. And then he showed the trick, which he learned from the illusionist Kevin James. Evaporates as a cloud in the sky and then falls as rain through gravity, really. It's kind of special stuff. You can float in it. You can float things in it like a straw. And I think over 65% of our body is in fact water. But let's get back to our superheroes. The story of Doctor Strange has expanded the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adding other dimensions and new opportunities to create countless variations of storylines. The riot of colors, honed humor, and whole neighborhoods that are formed like a house of cards naturally impressed the audience. The movie was a box office success. It gathered $678 million. Strange became an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the following parts, Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame, Cumberbatch easily assimilated with the rest of the cast, showing excellent ability to work in a large and diverse team. Brilliant, brilliant choreographing. The particular, you know, his journey is that. Hello. Someone who got my name right. Yeah, that's my name. That's my name. That's historical. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's Robert Downey Jr., ladies and gentlemen. The popularity of the character led to the fact that in addition to general films, Strange became an important part of other nominal movies of MCU, starring in Thor Ragnarok and Spider-Man No Way Home. Soon we will have the opportunity to see the sequel to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will be the first horror film in the history of Marvel. It was filmed in a studio in Surrey in complete isolation. The actors were checked every other day by medical workers. They also constantly measured the actor's temperature. Benedict admitted the working process was quite gloomy compared to the usual. Everyone is zoned and masked. It was a hard graft. In an interview with Esquire, Cumberbatch shared that he worried that the new film will not have the same success as the first one. I've got the second album fear with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness because the first one was such a riotous success and Doctor Strange has become a much-loved character. But Marvel movies aren't the only projects in his recent years. New interesting movies are waiting for him, which are also worth your attention. By the way, which films with his participation do you like the most? Be sure to share your opinion in the comments. In addition to magical movements and overcoming time and space, Cumberbatch did not miss the opportunity to try on new images, and even managed to try himself as a singer. In September of 2016, Cumberbatch appeared on stage during David Gilmour's performance in London and sang with him on one of the most popular Pink Floyd songs, Comfortably Numb. In 2017, The Current War was released. It is a historical and biographical film directed by Alfonso Gómez Rejón. The picture is based on real events and tells about the life and work of Thomas Edison, played by Benedict. The image of the smartest guy in the room fits perfectly on the actor, and he skillfully and diligently plays it out. The premiere of the movie took place in September at the Toronto Film Festival, but it was released only two years later. All because of the scandals surrounding Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of sexual harassment. Since Harvey was a co-owner of one of the companies that produced the film, The Current War also came under attack by American critics. But the film, with the participation of Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, and Nicholas Holt, still wasn't left on the shelf, and after a number of changes, it was released on the screens. Another role of Ben, a children's writer and grief-stricken father, who is looking for a lost little daughter day after day, has become very emotional and difficult. The Child in Time was a film adaptation under the wing of the BBC, of the book by the famous English writer Ian McEwan. The actor admitted that he was glad to get the opportunity to make his own interpretation of the character in the script and to be himself on the screen, what is really rare in his work. I had a desire to portray someone closer to me, someone who didn't require hours in makeup. It's me. There's not a huge difference to the vocal quality, the way I move or look. It's just kind of me. I wanted to bring it close enough to feel really relaxed with costumes, so I brought in a lot of my own clothes, some of which we used." The role especially hooked the actor since, by the time of filming, two weeks before that, Ben and Sophie's second son was born. It was an unpleasant place to go, he admitted. It was very hard not to bring his role home, but Benedict always tries to separate what he calls the inner life from the lives of the characters he plays. The Child in Time received a high rating on film critics' websites, an average rating of 8 out of 10. They also said, The Child in Time skillfully resists melodrama, trusting the finer details of its story, and the actors bringing them to life, to land with a slow-building, devastating impact. In 2018, another dramatic work with Cumberbatch was released. That time, it was the miniseries Patrick Melrose by Edward Berger. The role of a drug addict, an alcoholic, and a very traumatized protagonist, who is on the path of self-destruction was perfectly played by Benedict. The image of a mentally unstable character became the next step in the actor's career. In the movie, as events unfold, we see how the appearance, facial expressions, and accent of the main character change. This fact means changes within Patrick himself and the life cycles that he goes through on his way. It was a daunting task for Cumberbatch. He specifically delved into the study of the effects of drugs and alcohol on the body, talked a lot with the creator of the book on the basis of which the scripts were filmed. Cumberbatch demanded that the on-set drug experts take a scalpel to his performance to make sure he got everything right. "'You try to push it too much or too little,' Cumberbatch said. I kept going back and asking for feedback and honesty." By the way, Patrick Melrose wasn't only another acting experience for Benedict, but it also gave him the opportunity to try himself as an executive producer. He admitted that producing was fun for him. On the set, Cumberbatch was always trying to try something new. This gave the director a wide choice of scenes during the editing process. "'He loves to experiment and he loves to try out different takes. And none of them are the wrong path. They all feel right. The immense energy and the immense variety of ideas and immense explosion of ideas. It was just wonderful,' Berger told Indie For his role, Benedict was nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and critics very much appreciated the efforts of the actor. Ben got another interesting experience this year. Cumberbatch gave his facial expressions and gestures to the characters in two children's movies. He became the Grinch in the cartoon of the same name and Shere Khan in the movie Mowgli. In addition, in 2018, the animal rights organization PETA named Benedict the It is not known when exactly the actor refused to eat animal food, but as he later admitted, it was not for long. All the clothes that Ben wears now are selected taking into account the impact on the environment. Next year, the viewer could appreciate Cumberbatch in a new image of Dominic Cummings, the chief political strategist of the Vote Leave campaigning organization. It was he who was behind the UK's withdrawal from the EU. In order to play this role, the actor visited the home and relatives of the main character. He drank red wine, ate vegan pie and closely followed the manners of his object. And he also sacrificed the typical appearance of a slender and well-dressed Englishman. In the movie, he is shown to us as a bald, life-worn guy in a vest. Nevertheless, he played the role with his usual wit, intelligence and energy. The image turned out very realistic. Dominic Cummings' wife, Mary Wakefield, wrote in the Spectator magazine that the image of her husband played by Ben even fooled their own son. Ben admitted that he rarely gets to play in a drama that has such a direct relationship to his own life and his country. In addition, he was attracted to work with the famous British screenwriter James Graham, who specializes in political dramas. Critics generally praised the work of the filming team. The Independent's Hugh Montgomery gave the film four out of five stars and praised Cumberbatch's acting. As you may have noticed, Ben quite often gets roles in biographical films. It must be because of his extraordinary talent to copy the behavior and voice of other people. He is often asked to parody famous people. In addition to the political vicissitudes, Cumberbatch was waiting for another transformation. In the war drama 1917 by Sam Mendes, he got the supporting role of Colonel Mackenzie. The plot of the film was based on the stories of the director's own grandfather, who went through the First World War and served as a runner, a messenger of the British on the Western Front. From the authenticity of the depiction of events, they hired a veteran of the British Army. He instructed the actors how to properly hold weapons and the correct breeding technique. In addition, they were required to perform 30 daily tasks, which consisted on the basis of each soldier's day, using candles against lice, maintenance of trenches, and playing checkers using buttons. Co-writer of the script Christy Wilson Cairns admitted that Benedict was the best candidate for the role of Colonel. You need someone who's an absolute powerhouse in that to really anchor that scene in reality, and he does. The film was a critical success and received 10 Oscar nominations, including for Best Film and Best Director. In 2020, the world introduced Dominic Cooke's true-life spy thriller The Courier, in which Benedict got the main role, British businessman Grayville Wyne, who became a part-time MI6 spy by the will of fate. As you remember, Cumberbatch is happy to embody the image of spies, especially since the film was based on real events. Spies are interesting meat and drink for actors, because there's always mask play and role play and the shifts are very sudden and quick. The actor changed especially clearly when his character was in a Soviet prison. There, he was waiting for not only physical changes — shaved bald, Ben, is really impressive — but also psychological. The character was tortured. The following year was quite productive for Benedict. He appeared in Kevin McDonald's drama The Martian as Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Couch. He got a difficult task. Ben's hero turned out to be the prosecutor in the case after the September 11 terrorist attack, but he was between personal hatred of the defendant and the desire for the truth. His interactions on set with Jodie Foster expressed the intense energy of both actors. The filming of the film got to the end of 2019, when the first information about the spread of COVID-19 began to appear. And just at that moment, the actor fell ill, torn between three projects. I was incredibly ill, to the point that when all this COVID stuff suddenly broke in the new year, I was thinking, oh my God, I was actually patient zero. I was so ill. It was borderline pneumonia. He had to plow on regardless, throwing up between takes, as shooting commenced. Ben became a producer of the film, in addition to the actor, taking an active part in its development and selection of actors. I'm really proud of what we achieved, he admitted, and for good reason. The film got generally positive reviews, receiving Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. In parallel, Benedict worked on The Electrical Life of Louis Wayne by Will Sharp, which was released in 2021. It was not surprising that Benedict received the role of an eccentric and brilliant artist who was fond of depicting anthropomorphic cats. Who else could play a talented eccentric who really existed? Claire Foy, who played Benedict's on-screen wife, called him an extraordinary person in every way. According to the actress, walking into the room, Cumberbatch attracted attention by how unusual he looked. Moreover, he exuded the sort of controlled yet refined energy only a seasoned entertainer would have. He's got such a strong imagination, like a child, said Claire. You notice him wherever he is, so fame was sort of on the cards. The film received controversial reviews from critics and got an average rating of seven out of ten on key sites, as well as the Tribute Actor Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The third project of the year was The Power of the Dog, directed by Jane Campion, based on the novel of the same name by American writer Thomas Savage. He coped with the image of a negative but gifted character perfectly. A boar, a brute, with a clear desire to express his masculinity. But gradually his hero showed himself from the other side and we saw that Cumberbatch again managed to portray a living, real and contradictory personality. The actor had to master the art of making skins, planing, weaving and playing the banjo to prepare for the role. Before filming, he even went to a hardware maker to forge a horseshoe, which he later presented to the director of the film. And he had to go to the filming location with his 80-year-old parents, whom he did not want to leave because of the epidemic. Another difficult part of the image was the rejection of a regular shower. In addition, during the filming he had to smoke a lot of hand-rolled cigarettes, which according to the plot should have been made with one hand. There was so much nicotine that Ben was poisoned three times. That was really hard, he said. The film received excellent reviews. Leading magazines such as Empire, Esquire, Men's Health, The New York Times, Rolling Stone included The Power of the Dog in the list of the best films. Cumberbatch was nominated for the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar awards for his performance. In the following years, Benedict returned to cooperation with Marvel, starring in the sequel to the film about Doctor Strange, which we are all sincerely waiting for. Work is very important for the actor. He considers himself a man in love with his profession, saying that only it can be a sufficient reason to leave his wife and three sons for a while. Pushing that boulder up the hill, I mean, I like a challenge, he says. My primary motivation is that I really enjoy my work, and I want to work hard. It has to be worth leaving my family and home for, and I like the idea that I might be getting better at it. We believe that such a versatile and talented Ben will continue to delight us with his transformations. He is especially good at playing the roles of geniuses. Thanks to Sherlock, the whole world knew about him, and the role of Doctor Strange strengthened Cumberbatch's position in Hollywood. By the way, an interesting fact. Did you know that many famous Hollywood movies and TV series were inspired by anime? Some directors take anime plots and images of heroes, and some are not ashamed to even steal scenes from them and reshoot them shot by shot. If you click on the icon that appeared on your screen, you are finding out which cult films were influenced by anime, why it is so attractive to Hollywood directors, and whether such borrowings can be considered plagiarism. Follow the link, and you will find out everything. As always, there was a biographer with you. Like this video and stay with us. Furthermore, bye-bye.