benedict cumberbatch biography

Benedict Cumberbatch

Award-winning British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is known for playing the titular detective of the BBC's 'Sherlock' and the sorcerer Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Who Is Benedict Cumberbatch?

Benedict Cumberbatch rose to fame as the star of the BBC's Sherlock . He went on to appear in Hollywood films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy , War Horse , Star Trek: Into Darkness and The Hobbit trilogy. Along with winning several stage and screen awards, Cumberbatch received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his role in the acclaimed 2014 Alan Turing biopic, The Imitation Game . He joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016 as the titular sorcerer of Doctor Strange , later reprising the role for blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War .

Early Life and Parents

Hailing from London, Cumberbatch was born with theater in his blood. His parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, were well-known television actors when they had their son on July 19, 1976. Despite their success, they tried to steer young Benedict away from the stage and sent him to Harrow public school, where he had been awarded an arts scholarship.

At Harrow, he displayed an interest in rugby and painting, but it was theater that captured his imagination. Under the mentorship of Martin Tyrrell, Cumberbatch's first role was as Titania, Queen of the Faeries, in William Shakespeare 's A Midsummer's Night Dream .

Cumberbatch went on to teach English in Darjeeling, before returning to England to study drama at the University of Manchester. After graduation, he spent a year at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Movies, TV and Theater Roles

Cumberbatch began his career with roles in classic plays and small television shows. In 2004 he portrayed a young Stephen Hawking coping with the early stages of motor neuron disease, a performance that earned him a BAFTA nomination. His first film was the 2006 college comedy Starter for 10 . A year later, he appeared in the film Atonement and starred opposite Tom Hardy in the TV movie Stuart: A Life Backwards .

In 2010 the BBC aired a modern adaptation of the story of Sherlock Holmes. The production won widespread praise and granted stardom to Cumberbatch for his take on the famed detective, alongside Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. In 2014 Cumberbatch won his first Emmy after three nominations for his lead role in the popular show.

'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,' Olivier Award for 'Frankenstein'

By 2011 Cumberbatch seemed locked in a Hollywood trajectory with roles in the Cold War thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Steven Spielberg 's World War I drama, War Horse . But he continued to appear on the London stage, this time in Danny Boyle's Frankenstein . The gig required him to alternate between Victor Frankenstein and his monster on opposite nights, ultimately earning him an Olivier Award for Best Actor jointly with his co-star, Jonny Lee Miller.

'The Hobbit,' 'Star Trek: Into Darkness'

Up for a new challenge, Cumberbatch supplied voice work and motion-capture movements for the Necromancer and Smaug characters in The Hobbit trilogy: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). He also took on another villainous role during this time, portraying the sinister Khan in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).

'12 Years a Slave,' 'The Fifth Estate,' 'The Imitation Game'

Also in 2013 Cumberbatch appeared in Steve McQueen 's true-life drama 12 Years a Slave and starred in The Fifth Estate , as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange . The following year he enjoyed a voice role in Penguins of Madagascar and portrayed trailblazing mathematician Alan Turing in the WWII drama The Imitation Game , for which he garnered Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.

'Doctor Strange' and Marvel Sequels

After returning to the stage for a 2015 production of Hamlet , Cumberbatch became the latest acclaimed actor to don a superhero costume for Doctor Strange (2016), alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton and Rachel McAdams . He reprised the role of the surgeon-turned-sorcerer for the Marvel blockbusters Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

'The Current War,' 'Patrick Melrose,' 'The Grinch'

Remaining busy away from his Marvel commitments, Cumberbatch portrayed Thomas Edison in the 2017 film The Current War and starred in the 2018 Showtime miniseries Patrick Melrose , based on the books of Edward St Aubyn. That year the actor also voiced the infamous Christmas-hating creature of the Dr. Seuss -inspired The Grinch and revisited motion-capture work for Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle . In 2020 he starred in the Cold War drama The Courier as Greville Wynne, a British businessman recruited by MI6.

Personal Life

Cumberbatch dated Olivia Poulet on and off for many years before calling it quits for good in 2011. The pair had met at the University of Manchester.

In November 2014 Cumberbatch became engaged to director Sophie Hunter. The under-the-radar and understated announcement ran in England’s Times newspaper. The couple tied the knot on February 14, 2015, on the Isle of Wight and welcomed their first child, son Christopher Carlton, that June. Two years later they welcomed the birth of their second son, Hal Auden.

In 2015 the actor was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

In June 2018 reports surfaced of an incident from the previous fall in which Cumberbatch leaped from a cab to defend a bicycle deliveryman from four muggers. Ironically, the Sherlock Holmes star found himself fighting crime near the location of the fictional detective's home on London's Baker Street.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1976
• Birth date: July 19, 1976
• Birth City: London, England
• Birth Country: United Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Award-winning British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is known for playing the titular detective of the BBC's 'Sherlock' and the sorcerer Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Theater and Dance
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• University of Manchester
• London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

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• Article Title: Benedict Cumberbatch Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
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• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 14, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Personal details

• Benedikuto Kanbâbatchi
• 6′ (1.83 m)
• July 19 , 1976
• Hammersmith, London, England, UK
• Sophie Hunter February 14, 2015 - present (3 children)
• Children Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch
• Parents Wanda Ventham
• Relatives Henry Carlton Cumberbatch (Grandparent)
• Other works His credits at London's Almeida Theatre include: "Lyngstrand" in Henrik Ibsen 's "The Lady from the Sea" (2004), "Tesman" in Henrik Ibsen 's "Hedda Gabler" (2005, also West End) and "George Haverstick" in "Period of Adjustment", by Tennessee Williams (2006).
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Did you know

• Trivia His parents Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham also played his character's parents on Sherlock (2010) .
• Quotes [on Stephen Hawking ] He's such a presence and you have to really know what you want to say to him or ask him because it takes such a huge, phenomenal effort for him to communicate with you. You think, "I really don't want to waste this man's time." I was myself rather than thinking, "I'm a stupid actor; how on earth can I impress someone like this? I don't know what to say to make me feel worthy of playing this man.".
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December 27, 2024

Life Story of Famous People

Short Bio » Film Actor » Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor and film producer. Cumberbatch has worked in theatre, television, film and radio. His breakthrough on the big screen came in 2004 when he portrayed Stephen Hawking in the television movie Hawking (2004) . In 2010, he became a household name as Sherlock Holmes on the British television series Sherlock (2010) . In 2011, he appeared in two Oscar-nominated films – War Horse (2011) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) .

Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England. He grew up in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. His parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch), are both actors. He has a half-sister, Tracy Peacock , from his mother’s first marriage. He is a grandson of submarine commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch , and a great-grandson of diplomat Henry Arnold Cumberbatch CMG . His great-grandfather, Henry Arnold Cumberbatch, was Queen Victoria’s consul general in Turkey and Lebanon.

Cumberbatch attended Brambletye School and Harrow School. Whilst at Harrow, he had an arts scholarship and painted large oil canvases. It’s also where he began acting. After he finished school, he took a year off to volunteer as an English teacher in a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling, India. On his return, he studied drama at Manchester University. He continued his training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduating with an M.A. in Classical Acting. By the time he had completed his studies, he already had an agent.

Cumberbatch was dating actress Olivia Poulet in 2001 and in February 2015, he married director and actress Sophie Hunter . He and Sophie welcomed a son in June 2015.

• Full Name: Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch
• Born: July 19, 1976
• Birth Place: Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London, UK
• Spouse: Sophie Hunter (m. 2015)
• Parent(s): Timothy Carlton; Wanda Ventham
• Children: Hal Auden Cumberbatch, Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch
• Education: Harrow School, LAMDA, Brambletye School, The University of Manchester

Filmography

• Doctor Strange
• The Penguins of Madagascar
• The Imitation Game
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
• Little Favour
• The Fifth Estate
• August: Osage County
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• 12 Years a Slave
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• The Whistle Blower
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• Inseparable (short)
• Amazing Grace
• Starter for Ten
• Burlesque Fairytales (short)
• The Dark Side of the Earth (showreel)
• The Hollow Crown – The War of the Roses
• Parade’s End
• The Rattigan Enigma
• Van Gogh:Painted with Words
• Small Island
• South Pacific
• The Turning Point
• Marple: Murder is Easy
• The Last Enemy
• Stuart: A Life Backwards
• To the Ends of the Earth
• Fortysomething

External Links

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Benedict Cumberbatch: A Theatrical Titan and Hollywood Star

Theatrical career, television and film breakthrough, honors and legacy, personal life.

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born on July 19, 1976, in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham. His lineage boasts distinguished figures such as naval officer and socialite Henry Carlton Cumberbatch (grandfather) and British consul to Turkey and Lebanon during Queen Victoria's reign (great-grandfather).

Cumberbatch attended Brambletye School and Harrow School, where he developed a passion for theater. He joined The Rattigan Society and made his stage debut at the age of 12, playing the fairy queen Titania in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

After graduating from Harrow, Cumberbatch ventured to India and taught English at a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling. Upon returning home, he pursued a degree in Drama at the University of Manchester (now the University of Manchester) and later earned a Master's degree in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Cumberbatch made his professional theater debut in 1998 with "Rat in the Skull" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since then, he has become renowned for his stage performances in a wide range of productions, including "The Visit of the Old Lady" (2001), "Love's Labour's Lost" (2001), "Romeo and Juliet" (2002), "Hedda Gabler" (2005), "Rhinoceros" (2007), "After the Dance" (2010), "The Children's Monologues" (2010), "Frankenstein" (2011), and "Hamlet" (2015).

His notable stage work has earned critical acclaim and prestigious awards, including two Laurence Olivier Awards (2012) and a British Theater Critics' Circle Award (2012).

Cumberbatch's television debut came in 1992's "Heartbeat." In 2004, he gained international recognition for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the biographical drama "Hawking."

However, it was his portrayal of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series "Sherlock" (2010-present) that catapulted him to stardom. Cumberbatch's unique interpretation of the character earned him an Emmy Award in 2014.

Cumberbatch has also featured in notable films such as "Atonement" (2007), "The Last Enemy" (2008), "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011), "War Horse" (2011), "The Hobbit" trilogy (2012-2014), "12 Years a Slave" (2013), "The Imitation Game" (2014), "Black Mass" (2015), "Doctor Strange" (2016), "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), and "Patrick Melrose" (2018).

In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) upon Cumberbatch for his services to drama. He was appointed a Visiting Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in February 2016, and became the president of his alma mater, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, in January 2018.

Cumberbatch is also a distant relative of King Richard III of England (1452-1485), and he portrayed the royal in two episodes of the television series "The Hollow Crown" (2016).

Cumberbatch dated actress Olivia Poole for over 12 years before their relationship ended in 2011. He then had a brief romance with designer Anna Jones. In 2014, he became engaged to British actress and director Sophie Hunter, and they married in February 2015.

The couple has three sons: Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch (2015), Hal Auden Cumberbatch (2017), and Finn Cumberbatch (2019).

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• Full Name Benedict Cumberbatch
• Nationality English
• Birthplace London, England
• Birth Date Jul 19, 1976
• Age 48 Years, 5 Months
• Nickname Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch | Biography 2021

Famous For His Role as Sherlock Holmes In The Popular British TV Series 'Sherlock', Benedict Cumberbatch Is An Oscar-nominated British Actor And Producer.

• Update : July 27, 2021

Famous for his role as Sherlock Holmes in the popular British TV Series  Sherlock  (2010-2017), Benedict Cumberbatch is an Oscar-nominated British actor and producer.  

Who is Benedict Cumberbatch?

Cumberbatch is a prominent actor who started his career through theatre and eventually established himself in the TV and movie industry. His charismatic portrayals in movies such as  Hawking  (2004),  Atonement  (2007),  The Other Boleyn Girl  (2008), 12  Years a Slave  (2013),  Imitation Game  (2014),  Dr. Strange  (2016), and the series  Sherlock  (2010-2017), The Simpsons (2013-2021) and  Patrick Melrose  (2018) have garnered him widespread popularity.

He has received prestigious accolades for his acting in the theatre. He received a ‘Laurence Olivier Award’ nomination for the category of ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for  Hedda Gabler  and won the ‘Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor’ for  Frankenstein .

Cumberbatch has got the ‘Oscars’ nomination under the ‘Best Actor’ category and ‘BAFTA’ for his role in  The Imitation Game  for his performance in the movies. He has also received one ‘Emmy Awards’ for his role on  Sherlock Holmes.

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born on 19 July 1976. Both his parents—Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch—were television actors in London, England. His parents did not want him to follow in their footsteps in the acting industry. They wanted him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Hence they saved up and sent him to expensive private schools.

Benedict studied at Brambletye School located in West Sussex and studied arts at Harrow School. When he joined Harrow, he was interested in Rugby and painting but eventually found acting and theatre more compelling. He participated in several school plays, including the role of Titania, the queen of fairies, in William Shakespeare’s  A Midsummer Night’s Dream .

After school, he took a year off and went to Darjeeling, India, to teach English to Tibetan Buddhist monks. On his return, he joined and graduated from the University of Manchester with drama as his major. After graduation, he completed a one-year diploma course in classical acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.  

The actor accredited his parents for his education and his niche for hard work. He said, “I can only hope to be half as good a parent, as they were to me, to my children. I have their example to follow, so I’ll be doing something right if I am.”

Early Career

Cumberbatch’s career started from classical theatre plays. He started acting at the Regent Park, Royal National Theatre, and his major theatrical roles were in plays such as  Hedda Gabler  (2005),  Rhinoceros  (2007),  After the Dance  (2010),  The Children’s Monologues  (2010), and  Frankenstein  (2011).

Cumberbatch also acted in televisions in minor roles, including those in  Tipping the Velvet  (2002),  Silent Witness  (2002),  Fortysomething  (2003), and  To the Ends of the Earth  (2005).

Later, he had his movie breakthrough from  Hawking  (2004), where he portrayed the great scientist Stephen Hawking, which even garnered him a BAFTA TV nomination. After that, he had minor roles in  Amazing Grace  (2006),  Atonement  (2007),  The Other Boleyn Girl  (2008),  Creation  (2010), and  Star Trek Into the Darkness  (2013).

Abduction in Africa

After the release of  To the Ends of the Earth , Cumberbatch went through an unfortunate abduction experience while filming in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  

The incident occurred after he was returning from a scuba-diving course with his co-stars, Theo Landey and Denis Black, and they had to stop in the middle of the road after having a flat tire. While they were changing the tire, a group of three men appeared out of the eucalyptus plantation. The men then held them at gunpoint, shoved them in a car, and drove away. They were robbers who tied the actors with shoelaces and wires before pulling them into the car. Cumberbatch scraped their way out by telling the robbers that he had brain and heart problems, and if something happened to him, they would have a dead Englishman in their car, which was probably not good for them.

Later, the actors were left psychologically tortured but physically unharmed in an open field, after which a lady offered them her phone for them to reach out. He connoted, “So I kind of thank God I had the presence of mind to give them the idea that it would be better to keep me alive. And the other two hadn’t been harmed…It enriches your values in life. It’s incredibly important…think it just made me run at life a bit more recklessly.”

'Sherlock Holmes’

Cumberbatch’s international breakthrough was from  Sherlock Holmes  (2010-2017, four seasons), where he played the lead role of Sherlock Holmes with Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. The BBC series won him his first ‘Emmy Award’ under the ‘Outstanding Actor’ category in a Miniseries or a Movie.

According  to  showrunner Steven Moffat's interview with Independent in 2014, Cumberbatch was initially thought "not sexy enough" for Sherlock. According to Moffat, the BBC said regarding the casting, "You promised us a sexy Sherlock, not him."

Despite this, his performance garnered enormous public attention and success as well. While promoting  Sherlock Holmes , he said, “I think it is crucial to normalize your like, because of the very quick transition from being observant to being observed, due to that kind of life you have because of your work…to being a person as the main focus of attention. It’s tough for me to sit in a room without people managing to look at me, I mean, I still manage to do it…but as Sherlock says as being disguised in full sides is the best way in some ways.”

‘Doctor Strange’

In 2016 Cumberbatch joined the prestigious  Marvel  cast when he portrayed the role of Dr. Stephen Strange in the movie  Doctor Strange  (2016). He later reprised the character in  Thor: Ragnarok  (2017),  Avengers: Infinity War (2018) , and  Avengers: Endgame  (2019).

He recalled the experience in the sets as a space for camaraderie and companionship, “It’s just a fun place to be. It’s hard work, the long hours, but you spend a lot of time in isolation getting ready and prepping, putting the costume on, and the makeup can take a long time. And then you’re there, and you’re on the field, and you’re doing what you’re doing with an amazing bunch of actors, frankly. So, it’s kind of inspiring to look around. And then, once you’ve got over being star-struck, it’s just a really fun day at the office, as you can imagine. Long, but fun.”

‘The Imitation Game’

In 2014, Cumberbatch played the lead role in the movie  The Imitation Game  (2014), which got him his first Oscar nomination under the ‘Best Actor category. 

Based  on  the biography 'Alan Turing: The Enigma' (1983), the character Turing portrayed by Cumberbatch in  The Imitation Game  (2014) was considered the father of computer science. Using arithmetic, engineering, and not yet invented computer technology, Turing decrypted codes generated by the German military's allegedly indestructible Enigma system during World War II. However, most of the documents detailing Turing's work for the British government were lost alongside the information about his personal life.

Subsequently, Cumberbatch then played significant roles in the movie  A Child in Time  (2017), in the miniseries Patrick Melrose (2018), and then in films  Brexit: An uncivil war  (2019, tv movie) and  1917  (2019). Cumberbatch played Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior political strategist, Dominic Cummings, in  Brexit: An uncivil war .

‘The Courier’

In the 2020 thriller Film, Cumberbatch portrays a businessman, Greville Wynne, who ferried secrets between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the thriller film  The Courier , which is based on a true story.

Deciding to depict the historical figure’s declining health when he had 18-month prison, Cumberbatch had to look emaciated. As a result, the already lean actor committed to losing weight over the course of three months.

He slimmed down by about 21 lbs. It was achieved by traditional dieting techniques as well as some strenuous exercise. In an interview with CinemaBlend, he said. “I was very fit and it was all done in a healthy way. It wasn’t about atrophy or lethargy. [Rather] it was very much about trying to shed everything to shrink and wrap my body mass around the muscle.” His routine included “lots of cold water, swimming and exercise, and healthy foods.”

Although his dramatic weight loss made him feel “vulnerable,” it also helped him emotionally prepare for the demanding role. “ You  get very disoriented, you feel dehydrated, you feel hungry all the time. You feel emotionally and physically very vulnerable. All of which plays very helpful into a character that must have endured this for months, if not years,” he expressed in one of his interviews and as well revealed that he got mentally disturbed in the process of losing weight.

However, persevered and driven by a sense of purpose and a sense of duty to his character, Cumberbatch further stated, “You do feel a responsibility to bring to light a story that a lot of people have either forgotten or never heard of.”

“This is an extraordinary character, a humble man from a very humble beginning. [He is] an ordinary man, an everyman hero who has to do something quite extraordinary and not only for his country and his family”, he added.

‘Dungeons and Dragons’

In 2021, game publisher Wizards of the Coast kicked   off a summer of celebrations with an animated  Dungeons & Dragons  short about the life of fan-favorite character Drizzt Do’Urden, voiced by Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch. 

The character has appeared in over thirty D&D books and video games, including  Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance . 

Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game in which players build their own heroes and stories.

‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’

In 2019, the biographical movie about the life of artist Louis Wain was announced with actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch (portrays Wain), Toby Jones, Claire Foy, and Claire Foy added to the cast. 

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

In October 2020, sources told Deadline that Cumberbatch was in talks to appear as Dr. Strange in  Spiderman: No Way Home , which is set to be released in November 2021. However,  because  narrative specifics are shrouded in secrecy, it's uncertain how big of a role Cumberbatch will play - whether it'll be major or just a guest appearance.

Upcoming 'Dr. Strange' Projects

In 2022, Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch is scheduled to return in Benedict Cumberbatch starred  Dr. Strange Season  2 (25 March 2022.) and also in  Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness . Cumberbatch was also signed to appear on the final episode of WandaVision, but he was later dropped to protect Wanda’s limelight in the story.

‘WandaVision’

Featuring  the  story of Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch (portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen),  WandaVison  (2021), is due to return in  Doctor Strange  and  The Multiverse of Madness  in 2022, although the two projects were virtually inextricably intertwined. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige noted in Rolling Stone‘s extensive oral history of  WandaVision  that the show's final episode will feature Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange. They did, however, phased him out later in the process.

“Some people might say, ‘Oh, it would’ve been so cool to see Dr. Strange,’” Feige shared with Rolling Stone in May 2021. “But it would have taken away from Wanda, which is what we didn’t want to do. We didn’t want the end of the show to be commoditized to go to the next movie — here’s the white guy, ‘Let me show you how power works’”, the president added.

‘The Mauritanian’

In 2021, he appeared in  The Mauritanian  (2021), which was based on the memoir Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He played the role of a lawyer alongside actress Jodie Foster.

Foster’s first scene and day on set were in Cape Town, South Africa, which essentially served as a stand-in for the bizarre Caribbean paradise surrounding Gitmo. But it was Cumberbatch who failed in front of the camera. In between takes, he became ill. He later said, “I was really ill, I think it was just a really severe flu. But it was really nasty. I hadn’t been that ill for quite a long time. Like maybe once in my life. Horrible,” he says.

According  to Celebrity Net Worth, Benedict Cumberbatch has a net worth of 40 million dollars.  His  $40 million net worth is mostly due to his roles as Sherlock Holmes on  Sherlock  and Dr. Stephen Strange in  Doctor Strange . For  Sherlock Holmes , he apparently made around $559,000 every season. Additionally, In 2013, he got $230,000 for his role in  12 Years a Slave , and in 2014, he earned an estimated $1.2 million for his role in  The Imitation Game . In the same year, he made $946, 000 for his other work,  Black Mass  (2015). Similarly, according to Screen Rant, he was paid $4.7 million for  Doctor Strange  and is expected to be paid $9.6 million for  Doctor Strange 2  (2022).

He also had a brief appearance in  1917  in 2019. On 19 January 2019, filmmaker Rian Johnson joked on Twitter that the film's director, Sam Mendes, had to pay Cumberbatch $23 million for postponing his sequence.

“Last night at the PGA awards Mendes told me 1917 was ACTUALLY shot in one continuous take, if an actor flubbed a line they’d go all the way back and start again from the beginning. They paid Cumberbatch to show up every day and wait in that room at the end. He was there 6 months”

“They paid him 23 million dollars”, Johnson added.

Cumberbatch says that he was “blessed” to be able to spend lockdown in New Zealand with his family, which included his elderly parents. In the year 2020, the actor was put on warning level 4 lockdown in New Zealand after being trapped in border closures while filming a film there. When New Zealand went into lockdown in March 2020, Cumberbatch was in the country filming  The Power of the Dog  (release date in 2021) with Kiwi filmmaker Jane Campion.

The actor later revealed that he was in the country on lockdown with his wife, three sons, and his parents, who were in their eighties.” It was too late by then to risk going back home. I had both my parents with me who are in their 80s, and my dad is severely asthmatic ... and my three boys and my wife, a very merry band of us. We couldn’t have landed in a more fortunate situation, we were so lucky and I just held them close to me,” the Doctor Strange actor added.

In 2015, Benedict  became  a 'Patron' of the Motor Neuron Disease (MND) Association. The title is a three-year senior honorary role given to largely recognized artists as volunteers. He received the title of 'Patron' as an honor for his conjoined work with Eddie Redmayne, an actor who received an 'Academy Award' for 'Best Actor' in  The Theory of Everything  (2014), in raising global awareness of MND and the Association. Given his intensive research into MND for his role as Professor Stephen Hawking in the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama  Hawking  (2004), Cumberbatch has been an Ambassador for the Association since 2008.

Likewise,  in  2015, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, and Emma Watson were among the celebrities who attended the Duke of Cambridge at Windsor Castle for a charity event. The occasion was hosted to honor the Royal Marsden Cancer Centre's work as well as to honor the donation from fashion designer Ralph Lauren for the center.

Before this, Cumberbatch  was  a part of another cancer-related project where he along with Anna Friel, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy starred in a short  Stand Up to Cancer  campaign video in 2014. This was more of a public awareness piece for the  Stand Up To Cancer  campaign, a collaboration between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. The performers were seen hurriedly sprinting towards the camera, interlaced with footage of cancer sufferers, to emphasize that greater action is needed, and it is needed now.

“I’m standing up to cancer because some of the real-life heroes amongst us, scientists and researchers, need funding so they can continue their life-saving work”, Cumberbatch had shared with Mail.

“Cures are within our grasp and we can’t slow down in our fight against this terrible disease. We can be the generation that really makes a difference, who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”, he further added.

Cumberbatch  was  one of 3,000 bikers that signed up for The Prince's Trust Palace to Palace bike race, which was sponsored by Saudi Aramco, on 14 October 2012. This 45-mile cycle from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle raised critical funding for The Prince's Trust's operations. As an Ambassador of the Prince's Trust, Benedict had raised more than £20,000 for The Trust in that year's event.

“I don’t get the opportunity to cycle much so it was fantastic to take part on such a beautiful route through London. It wasn’t easy cycling 45 miles but it’s worth it for such an important cause and everyone has had a great time."

Personal Life

On Valentine’s Day 2005, Cumberbatch married Sophie Hunter, a playwright and opera director, Hunter at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on the Isle of Wight in England. She is descended from a prestigious family. General Sir James Michael Gow, a royal equerry, was her maternal grandfather. 

Benedict and Hunter met in 2009 when they both starred in the fairytale suspense  Burlesque Fairytales .

Their Marriage

Sophie was already expecting their first child at the time of their marriage. Christopher Carlton. They have three sons: Hal, Auden, and Finn.

Wanda Ventham, Cumberbatch’s mother,  is  fondly remembered for her role as Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science fiction television series  UFO , as well as Pamela Parry in  Only Fools   and   Horses  (1981–2003). In a similar vein, his father, actor Timothy Carlton, played the role of the judge in  Downton Abbey  (2010-2015) and has appeared in several TV dramas, including T he Scarlet Pimpernel  in 1982. Both of Benedict's parents had made a brief appearance in  Sherlock Holmes  as well.

Benedict  discussed  his parents and their influence on his career choices in a 2010 interview with the Sunday Times. Not to mention their efforts to demonstrate to him how volatile an actor's income may be.

“At 15, they kept saying, ‘Look at us, how out of control our lifestyle is, how money’s a huge ebb and flow.’”

Social media

Cumberbatch  isn't  that active on Facebook or Twitter.

"I can't get involved in social media because as they know, it'd be a disaster. I can't tweet to save my life," he told People in 2016.

He further added, "I'd go over my character limits and never make any sense. It would just consume me and I find that whole thing ultimately very toxic. I'd much rather spend my energy doing what brought me to their attention in the first place, which is my work."

Did You Know?

Benedict Cumberbatch’s real-life parents played Sherlock’s mother and father. In a scene in Baker Street, the two actors, who are both experienced actors, played Holmes’ mother and father. The actor acknowledged that acting alongside his parents in the new series was “nerve-wracking” but that he was “so proud of them.”

He further explained, “They’re Equity card carrying members but you know it was nerve-wracking because they are actors as well and yet they were brilliant and they were fantastic.”

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