Claim: Benedict Cumberbatch is a thespian.

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch CBE -LRB- born 19 July 1976 -RRB- is an English actor who has performed in film , television , theatre and radio . He is the son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham . Cumberbatch graduated from the University of Manchester and continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , obtaining a Master of Arts in Classical Acting . He first performed at the Open Air Theatre , Regent 's Park in Shakespearean productions and made his West End debut portraying George Tesman in Richard Eyre 's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005 . Since then he has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance -LRB- 2010 -RRB- and Frankenstein -LRB- 2011 -RRB- . In 2015 , he played William Shakespeare 's Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre .   Cumberbatch 's television work includes appearances in Silent Witness -LRB- 2002 -RRB- and Fortysomething -LRB- 2003 -RRB- before playing Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004 . He has starred as Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010 . He has also headlined Tom Stoppard 's adaptation of Parade 's End -LRB- 2012 -RRB- and The Hollow Crown : The Wars of the Roses -LRB- 2016 -RRB- . In film , he has starred in Amazing Grace -LRB- 2006 -RRB- as William Pitt the Younger , Star Trek Into Darkness -LRB- 2013 -RRB- as Khan , 12 Years a Slave -LRB- 2013 -RRB- as William Prince Ford , The Fifth Estate -LRB- 2013 -RRB- as Julian Assange and The Imitation Game -LRB- 2014 -RRB- as Alan Turing . From 2012 to 2014 , through voice and motion capture , he played the characters of Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit film series . Cumberbatch portrays the Marvel Comics character Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in the film Doctor Strange -LRB- 2016 -RRB- .   Cumberbatch has received numerous awards and nominations for acting including three Laurence Olivier Award nominations , winning Best Actor in a Play for Frankenstein . He has also received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations , winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sherlock . His performance in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In addition , he has received six BAFTA nominations , five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations among others . In 2014 , Time magazine included him in its annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2015 for his services to the performing arts and to charity .