Benedict Cumberbatch - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Soundtrack Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England. His parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch), are both actors. He is a grandson of submarine commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, and a great-grandson of diplomat Henry Arnold Cumberbatch CMG. Cumberbatch attended Brambletye School ... See full bio » Born: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 40 people created 22 Jul 2014 a list of 24 people created 13 Apr 2015 a list of 29 people created 15 Jan 2016 a list of 24 people created 11 months ago a list of 41 people created 2 weeks ago Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Benedict Cumberbatch's work have you seen? User Polls Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 29 wins & 87 nominations. See more awards » Known For Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Strange (2016) 2011 Curiosity (TV Series documentary) Narrator 2009 Small Island (TV Movie) Bernard - Hot Rocks (1998) ... Party Guest (uncredited) 2004 Dunkirk (TV Movie documentary) Lt Jimmy Langley 2003 Cambridge Spies (TV Mini-Series) Edward Hand 2002 Tipping the Velvet (TV Mini-Series) Freddy 2002 Fields of Gold (TV Movie) Jeremy 2013 Little Favour (Short) (executive producer) / (producer) Hide 2013 August: Osage County (performer: "Can't Keep It Inside") Hide 2016 Doctor Strange (facial motion capture: Dormammu - uncredited) 2010 Stephen Hawking's Universe (TV Mini-Series documentary) (voice over - 1 episode) - Aliens (2010) ...

(voice over - uncredited) Hide 2014-2016 Live! with Kelly (TV Series) Himself / Himself - The Imitation Game 2013-2016 Made in Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 2016 Saturday Night Live (TV Series) Himself - Host / Various 2016 WGN Morning News (TV Series) Himself 2013-2016 Good Morning America (TV Series) Himself - Guest / Himself - Sherlock 2016 Circus Halligalli (TV Series) Himself 2016 The Insider (TV Series) Himself 2014-2016 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2013-2016 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

(TV Series) Himself / Himself - Mean Tweets Reader / Himself - Guest 2016 Celebrity Style Story (TV Series) Himself 2016 The Zoolander Legacy (Video documentary short) Himself 2016 Live Boxing (TV Series) Himself - Spectator 2014-2015 Film 2016 (TV Series) Himself - Interviewee 2015 Wimbledon 2day (TV Series) Himself - Spectator 2015 Red Nose Day (TV Special) Himself 2015 Rencontres de cinéma (TV Series) Himself 2015 Tavis Smiley (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2015 CBS This Morning (TV Series) Himself 2015 BBC News 8pm Summary (TV Series short) Himself - Actor 2014 Hollywood Sessions (TV Series) Himself 2014 Fox and Friends (TV Series) Himself 2014 Special Look (TV Series) Himself 2014 World Premiere (TV Series) Himself 2014 The Daily Show (TV Series) Himself 2014 Breakthrough Prize 2014 (TV Movie) Himself - Presenter

 2014 Hollywood Film Awards (TV Special) Himself 2014 Unlocking Sherlock (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2014 National Television Awards (TV Special) Himself 2014 Timeshift (TV Series documentary) Himself - Actor, Sherlock 2013 Janela Indiscreta (TV Series) Himself 2013 Top Gear (TV Series) Himself - Special Guest 2013 Alaska y Mario (TV Series) Himself 2013 Parade's End: Featurette (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2012 Stephen Hawking's Grand Design (TV Mini-Series documentary) Narrator 2012 The Real Sherlock Holmes (TV Movie documentary) Himself / Sherlock Holmes 2012 Arena (TV Series documentary) Himself - Interviewee / Readings 2012 MSN Exclusives (TV Series) Himself 2010 The One Show (TV Series) Himself 2009 Wild Pacific (TV Mini-Series documentary) Narrator - Endless Blue (2009) ...

Narrator (voice) - Castaways (2009) ... Narrator (voice) 2008 Prince Charles' Other Mistress (TV Movie documentary) Narrator (voice) 2008 Picture This (TV Series documentary) Narrator 2005 The Man Who Predicted 9/11 (TV Movie documentary) Narrator (voice) 2017 SSDT - Anno 2060 (TV Series) Consulant Assenge 2016 Good Morning Britain (TV Series) Himself 2014-2015 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself / Himself - The Imitation Game 2014 Lennon or McCartney (Documentary short) Himself 2012 Vlogbrothers (TV Series documentary) Sherlock Holmes 2011 Almost Famous IV (TV Movie documentary) Heartbeat - Episode #40.11 (2010) ...

Himself - Guest Presenter Related Videos Personal Details Other Works: His credits at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre include: "Demetrius" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the "King of Navarre" in "Love's Labour's Lost" (2001), "Benvolio" in "Romeo and Juliet" and "Orlando" in "As You Like It" (2002), all by William Shakespeare , as well as a revival of the musical, "Oh! What A Lovely War!" ... See more » Publicity Listings: 1 Interview | 9 Articles | 22 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Alternate Names: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on fame] You can't imagine fame. You can only ever see it from an outsider and comment on it with the rueful wisdom of a non participant. When it happens to you, it doesn't matter what age or how, it is a very steep learning curve. The important thing to realize in all of it is that life is short, to protect the ones you love, and not expose yourself to too much abuse or narcissistic reflection ...

See more » Trivia: Fond of extreme sports like skydiving, hot-air ballooning, scuba diving and snowboarding. See more » Trademark: Often portrays posh upper-class figures See more » Nickname: 'Sherlock' Cast Benedict Cumberbatch Don't Want To Be Stereotyped? Producers Take Note: British Hunk Wants Comedic Role Even For Just A Cameo! : Trending News : KDramaStars 'Sherlock' Cast Benedict Cumberbatch Don't Want To Be Stereotyped? Producers Take Note: British Hunk Wants Comedic Role Even For Just A Cameo! BY Craig Harrison | Dec 07, 2014 11:00 PM EST Tags benedict cumberbatch , world news , Sherlock British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has played mostly intelligent guys, such as the iconic Sherlock Holmes, Stephen Hawking, mathematician Alan Turing and even the evil genius villian, Khan, in "Star Trek." But he really wants to be in a comedy for a change, even in a supporting role. In an interview with NJ , Benedict Cumberbatch said that he wants to venture more into comedy for his future roles.

"Comedy is the real test, I think. I've done other things that are hard to do, but if you can play truth in comedy, you can definitely do anything. I'd like to do more of it, even just a cameo," he said. Advertisement "I haven't only played characters of extraordinary intelligence - they're the ones that tend to stick out, I think - but I'd love to do a comic role for a change, get caught with my pants down, fall down the stairs - just go all out," "Sherlock" cast Benedict Cumberbatch added. The 38-year-old British hunk claimed that he doesn't take himself too seriously, along with the accompanying hype surrounding him. Long regarded as one of Britain's most elegible bachelor, he took himself out of the market when he announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Sophie Hunter. Speaking about his fame, Benedict Cumberbatch was even surprised at his popularity. "It's been fun, mostly. There's some difficulty on a press tour because people know where you are, and where you're going to be, so there's adjustments that have to be made as an actor, going from being the observer to being the observed," he said.

Meanwhile, "Sherlock" Benedict Cumberbatch was only too willing to let his fiancee Sophie Hunter steal the spotlight during the red carpet event of the Moet British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate Market on Sunday, as MailOnline noted that "Sophie looked lovely in a demure leather dress, which flowed to mid-calf and featured a high collar and short sleeves." Who played a better Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch or Downey Jr.? - Quora Quora Update Cancel Question merged You were redirected because this question was merged with Is Cumberbatch better than Robert Downey Jr. in portraying Sherlock Holmes? Answer Wiki Updated Jan 12, 2016 Neither. Jeremy Brett is the best television Sherlock Holmes and Basil Rathbone is the best film Sherlock Holmes. Now, if you are asking who is the better Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch, the answer is most certainly Benedict Cumberbatch. Downey's rendition suffers partly because it feels like more Downey playing Downey and partly because he is doing his rendition in two truly awful films. It also isn't helped that Downey sounds about as English as Kanye West.

Pick up a copy of the first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet. Read the introductory descriptions of the character. I think you'll see Benedict, not Robert. "His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hands were invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical instruments." Written May 18, 2013 Although they both do play the same character, making a comparison between Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch isn't straight-forward, mainly because of the different portrayals of Sherlock by them. The movies portrayed Sherlock as a complete bad-ass, what with his incredible physical capabilities in addition to his mental ones.

He would go about kicking his opponents' ass, if not in a game of wits then in a fist-fight. The Sherlock series on the other hand, portrayed the sleuth as a more cerebral one, relying more on intelligent one-liners. Plus, the adaptation to a modern era adds a different dimension too. What is clear is though, that both the actors were suited to play Sherlock to a tee. The creators needed someone who would be completely at home playing a genius guy who is completely nonchalant about displaying his prowess. RDJ had already done that in Iron Man, so casting him was a no-brainer. Cumberbatch though, was relatively unknown before Sherlock, and hence it was a complete surprise to me when he proceeded to really nail the character. If one is adamant to compare though, since Sherlock fans don't really have this image of him indulging in fist-fights et al, I would guess that Benedict Cumberbatch would take the cake by a slight margin here, owing to a more traditional portrayal by him. That should, however, take nothing away from RDJ, as he fit the role assigned to him like a glove, and was thoroughly entertaining in his own way.

Benedict Cumberbatch - projected as Sherlock Holmes in total no. of episodes - 10. Robert Downey Jr. - projected as Sherlock Holmes in just 2 films. An avg Episode being an hour, people are used to Benedict for more duration of time (11 hrs app) and more no. of years (5 years) than towards RDJ's (3 hrs) time and just (2 years). So our natural tendency would be towards Benedict. But you can't deny the excellence showed by RDJ in the character. ​ ​ Having imagined only RDJ as Sherlock it was impossible for me to expect any other guy in that shoes. Then came this guy proving my imagination false! ​ But accept - Benedict had only been Sher​lock and RDJ had been Iron Man ​ ​ To conclude - The actors are best in giving their best! Rdj is method actor!..and no doubt Benedict is super talented, who is yet to prove himself in many roles. So.. better Enjoy them instead of Comparing them! ​ Written May 21, 2013 Parag Goel 's answer essentially covers all points to which I would like to add just one more.

I believe opinion on RDJ or Benedict being the better SH is divided on the lines of how people perceived Arthur Conan Doyle's original character as he appeared on the pages of Stand Magazine. In print Holmes's cerebral capacities are stressed on, extolled and form an essential part of his persona. Yet, the fact that he is capable of effective and violent physical action is always present as an undercurrent in the narratives. In particular, The Case of the Illustrious Client, The Case of the Three Garrdiebs, His Last Bow and The Final Problem clearly demonstrate the facts that Holmes can use his fists when the need arises. In this respect Benedict Cumberbatch is more similar to the original Holmes in the sense that, the plot lines revolving around him usually requiter him to make more use of his brain and less of his fists. The SH movies on the other hand are such that RDJ is afforded greater opportunities for the display of his considerable expertise of hand to hand combat. RDJ and Benedict therefore essentially play the same character but are portrayed under different circumstances. Thus while the BBC series is closer to the original SH stories and therefore to the purists' hearts, the movies allow us the luxury of indulging in a bit of "What if" .

Your question is very slipshod. For RDJr is not a Sherlock. He, like many others before him, is a Holmes. Johnny Lee Miller who portrays Sherlock Holmes in Elementry is a Sherlock. But, yes, who is better. It is hard to compare the two, for they are set in different time periods and one is series and the other film. BC's portrayal is younger and RDJ's older. I think between the two of them they make the complete Sherlock Holmes. BC the genius, side, RDJ the rough and tumble side, while both of them have the same loopiness, if the usage of this word may be excused. Unlike Hercule Poirot etc, Holmes in the original canon was really pretty capable and his adventures greatly physical and involve a lot of fights. RDJ's portrayal captured this exceedingly well, but as scuffles around the corner really can't happen in London now, BC's naturally does not do so well on this respect. Holmes was described as a young man like a university student, armed with a rather strange set of knowledge, with a tendency to put the tips of his fingers together when thinking. BC did better here.

RDJ's portrayal is 'nearer' to the canon due to the time period. (I am putting Abominable Bride aside due to that it is not on where I am and I haven't see it.) But BC's portrayal definitely touched more hearts and without him possibly Sherlock Holmes would not been nearly as popular. I hope that answers the question. But the best Sherlock Holmes is, like many other people will also tell you, Jeremy Brett. Benedict Cumberbatch | Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice The Grinch | Contactmusic.com Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice The Grinch Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice The Grinch Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch will voice grumpy anti-Christmas villain The Grinch in an upcoming animated movie. Chris Meledandri, the chief executive of the Illumination Entertainment production company, revealed the Sherlock actor would voice the famous Dr. Seuss character for a new animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which is scheduled for release in November, 2017.

Chris explained why the British actor was cast in the role during the Universal Studios CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Wednesday (13Apr16), saying, "Choosing the actor to voice The Grinch, we were determined to make a choice that would not only define this version of The Grinch as absolutely singular, but most importantly, we were looking for a voice to express comedic wickedness while embodying vulnerability... "It is that vulnerability that allows us to create a character that is not only highly entertaining, but also has an irresistible appeal." Benedict has portrayed a number of famous characters onscreen, including Sherlock Holmes, real-life whistleblower Julian Assange, Star Trek villain Khan and real-life codebreaker Alan Turing. This week (beg11Apr16). the teaser trailer showing him playing well-known Marvel comic book hero Doctor Strange made its debut. The Grinch was most famously played by Jim Carrey in the 2000 live-action comedy, which was directed by Ron Howard. The comedian spent eight-and-a-half hours each day in make-up to play the green villain, and he scored a Golden Globe nomination for the part.

The Grinch was first adapted from the 1957 novel for an animated TV special in 1966, and has since appeared in several other TV films and series. During the Illumination Entertainment section of the presentation, Chris also announced South Park co-creator Trey Parker would voice villain, Balthazar Bratt, in Despicable Me 3. Steve Carell will return as lead character Gru, but take on another role as Gru's twin brother Dru in the next instalment, set for release in June, 2017. Gru's minions will also appeared in a new animated short Mower Minions, which will be screened in cinemas before The Secret Life of Pets, which will be released in the U.K. on 24 June (16) and U.S. on 08 July (16).

Contactmusic Benedict Cumberbatch - Biography - IMDb Benedict Cumberbatch Biography Showing all 117 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (2) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (5) | Trivia (58) | Personal Quotes (47) Overview (4) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (2) Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England. His parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch), are both actors. He is a grandson of submarine commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, and a great-grandson of diplomat Henry Arnold Cumberbatch CMG. 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 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). He followed this with acclaimed roles in the science fiction fiction film Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), the Oscar-winning drama 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Fifth Estate (2013) and August: Osage County (2013). In 2014, he portrayed Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2014) which earned him a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts and an Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Cumberbatch was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2015 Birthday Honours for his services to the performing arts and to charity. Cumberbatch's engagement to theatre and opera director Sophie Hunter, whom he has known for 17 years, was announced in the "Forthcoming Marriages" section of The Times newspaper on November 5, 2014. On February 14, 2015, the couple married at the 12th century Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on the Isle of Wight followed by a reception at Mottistone Manor. They have a son, Christopher Carlton (b. 2015). - IMDb Mini Biography By: Kad Benedict Cumberbatch is an English actor and film producer who has performed in film, television, theatre and radio. The son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, he 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 such as Love's Labour's Lost (2001), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2001, and Romeo and Juliet (2002). He also portrayed George Tesman in Richard Eyre's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005 and since then has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance (2010) and Frankenstein (2011). In 2015, he played William Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre. Cumberbatch's television work includes appearances in Heartbeat (2000), Silent Witness (2002) and Fortysomething (2003) before starring as Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004. He has played Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010. He has also starred in Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Parade's End (2012), as well as providing the voices of the British Prime Minister and Severus Snape on an episode of the animated series The Simpsons (1989).

Cumberbatch's first film appearance was in the To Kill a King (2003) and he went on to appear in the films Atonement (2007), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), and War Horse (2011). He has starred in the films Amazing Grace (2006) as William Pitt the Younger, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) as Khan, 12 Years a Slave (2013) as William Prince Ford, The Fifth Estate (2013) as Julian Assange and The Imitation Game (2014) 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 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 three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sherlock. His portrayal of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

In 2015 he joined the cast of the film Black Mass (2015) opposite Johnny Depp which was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures worldwide. Cumberbatch also starred as Dr. Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange (2016). - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (1) ( 14 February 2015 - present) (1 child) Trade Mark (5) Often portrays posh upper-class figures Usually plays highly-intelligent and gifted characters Trivia (58) Received his Master's degree in Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), United Kingdom's oldest drama school. Met Professor Stephen Hawking twice before filming Hawking (2004) to prepare for the role. He then subsequently provided the voice of the physicist in "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking" in 2010 and "Stephen Hawking's Grand Design" in 2012 which both aired in Discovery Channel. Son of actor Timothy Carlton and actress Wanda Ventham . Attended Harrow, one of the oldest, most-respected and expensive all-male boarding schools in the United Kingdom.

He experienced a terrifying carjacking in South Africa while filming To the Ends of the Earth (2005). He wrote about the experience in an article for The Prince's Trust for which he is ambassador. Good friends with Keira Knightley , James McAvoy , Tom Hardy , Matthew Goode and Zachary Quinto . His character Sherlock Holmes' warm relationship with Mrs. Hudson is influenced by Cumberbatch's own real-life relationship with Una Stubbs , as she is good friends with his mother and she has seen him grow up. Is a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr. with whom he shares the iconic role of Sherlock Holmes. Lost a notable amount of weight for his role as Sherlock Holmes, his goal being to portray Holmes as a character with such high intelligence that it manifests itself in a physical, "mind-over-matter" sort of way. Good friends with Jonny Lee Miller , with whom he shared the central roles of Victor Frankenstein and his Creature in Danny Boyle 's stage production Frankenstein (2011).

Coincidentally, Miller was cast as Sherlock Holmes in Elementary (2012) and Cumberbatch has been playing the legendary detective in Sherlock (2010) since July 2010. One of his first ever acting roles was playing Titania, Queen of the Fairies in Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when he was age 13. During his gap year, before studying Drama in Manchester University, he spent some time volunteering as an English teacher at a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Darjeeling, India. The pupils were mostly Tibetans. Painted oil canvases and was a member of the rugby team while he was studying at Harrow. In 2012, he won a Laurence Olivier Award, London Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Award for his performance in Danny Boyle 's stage production Frankenstein (2011) at the Royal National Theatre wherein he played Victor Frankenstein and his Creature in alternating nights. In 2005, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Jørgen Tesman in Henrik Ibesen's play entitled "Hedda Gabler". Famous for his Alan Rickman impressions.

He received one of his earliest reviews when he played Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The review says "Cumberbatch's 'Bottom' will be long remembered". He unexpectedly got dual voice roles on The Simpsons (1989) when he visited Fox's studio for a completely unrelated appointment. He voiced the United Kingdom's Prime Minister (patterned from Hugh Grant 's character in Love Actually (2003)) and did an Alan Rickman impression to voice Snape for the Special Valentine Episode that aired February 2013. Became good friends with Gary Oldman on the set of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). His grandfather, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, was a decorated submarine officer of both World Wars and a prominent figure of London high society. His great-grandfather was Queen Victoria's Consul General in Turkey and Lebanon, Henry Arnold Cumberbatch who was a member of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for his services to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. Has numerous connections outside the franchise to fellow Star Trek cast members. He played Stephen Hawking , who had previously played himself on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).

He shares the role of Sherlock Holmes with both Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Plummer . Cast member Karl Urban appeared in the last two Lord of the Rings films, while Cumberbatch appears in the prequel trilogy based on The Hobbit. Three of his roles have connections to Leonard Nimoy . Obviously, Nimoy originated the role of Mr. Spock. He also played Sherlock Holmes on stage, and in the 1970s, released a song called "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". According to ancestry.ca, he is related to famed astronaut Chris Hadfield. He always wanted to pursue acting, however he entertained the idea of a law degree because of how hard his parents worked to give him an education. When he discovered that law was just as competitive, he decided to go with his passion. Has a condition called heterochromia iridis, the "groovy" mutation that his friend James McAvoy describes in X-Men: First Class (2011). There's a difference in coloration in his irises, each has a different combination of blue, green and gold.

In 2013, he was included in Entertainment Weekly's New Hollywood feature which listed the "Top 50 Coolest, Most Creative Entertainers Blowing Up TV, Movies, Music and Books". His female fans were originally known as "Cumberbitches", but are now known as the "CumberCollective" or "Cumberpeople". Cumberbatch is uncomfortable with the term "Cumberbitches" because he says its non-inclusive and pejorative. Fond of extreme sports like skydiving, hot-air ballooning, scuba diving and snowboarding. His voice has been creatively described by journalist Caitlin Moran as a "jaguar hiding in a cello". According to a film critic, his voice is "so sepulchrally resonant, that it could have been synthesized from the combined timbres of Ian McKellen , Patrick Stewart and Alan Rickman holding an elocution contest down a well". The "jaguar hiding in a cello" comparison apparently also clicked with the creative people at Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC. Cumberbatch voiced several commercials for Jaguar cars.

In 2013, he was ranked fifth place in the "Most Fascinating People in Britain" list of Tatler magazine, ranking higher than the Duchess of Cambridge and just below Queen Elizabeth II. He was the cover star of The Hollywood Reporter's "New A-List" issue in September 2013. Ranked #1 in Empire magazine's "100 Sexiest Movie Stars" in 2013. Known for donating his own drawings and sketches for charities and fundraisers. Graced the cover of Time magazine in October 2013. Four out of five films in which he appeared in 2013 received Oscar nominations: 12 Years a Slave (2013), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), August: Osage County (2013) and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013). As of 2015, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Atonement (2007), War Horse (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013) and The Imitation Game (2014).

Of those, 12 Years a Slave (2013) is a winner in the category. In March 2014, Cumberbatch was included in The Sunday Times' "100 Makers of the 21st Century" list citing him as the "next Sir Laurence Olivier ". In an interview, Julie Andrews named Cumberbatch as one of the actors she is fond of. Named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. [April 2014] Has played two villains named "Khan": Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and the voice of tiger Shere Khan in Jungle Book (2018). Has mostly English ancestry, with small or distant amounts (to varying degrees) of Welsh, Scottish, Cornish, French, Swiss-French, Swedish, German and Dutch. His paternal grandfather was born in Izmir, Turkey and his paternal grandmother was born in Bengal, India (both of their families were English). Posted a video of himself accepting the "Ice Bucket Challenge" to raise research funds for ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease".

Gehrig is not the only famous person to suffer from this disease: it also affects Stephen Hawking , who Cumberbatch has played. Has an older half-sister, Tracy Tabernacle, now Tracy Peacock, from his mother's first marriage to James Tabernacle. Traditionally announced his engagement to theatre director partner Sophie Hunter , who he has known for 17 years, in the "Forthcoming Marriages" section of The Times newspaper. He presented her with a 3.5 carat, Edwardian-inspired cushion-cut, yellow diamond ring adorned with a hundred smaller diamonds all around the head, bezel and shank. Its estimated value is $450,000. [November 2014] Graced the cover of Time magazine for the second time in November 2014. Benedict's favorite television series include The Wire (2002), The Office (2005), The West Wing (1999), Mad Men (2007), The Sopranos (1999), Breaking Bad (2008) and The Killing (2011).

Cumberbatch married theatre director partner Sophie Hunter at the 12th century Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on the Isle of Wight followed by a reception at Mottistone Manor. [February 2015] Benedict Cumberbatch is good friends with Eddie Redmayne . Both actors have portrayed Professor Stephen Hawking in different productions: Cumberbatch in Hawking (2004), and Redmayne in The Theory of Everything (2014). Both actors also received their first Academy Award nominations together, playing real life characters: Redmayne for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), and Cumberbatch for his role as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2014). Cumberbatch and Alan Turing , who he portrays in The Imitation Game (2014) are actually related in real-life. According to the family history site Ancestry, the two are 17th cousins with family relations dating back to the 14th century. Both are said to be related to John Beaufort, the first Earl of Somerset, through Cumberbatch and Turing's respective paternal lines.

His fragrance of choice is Eau de Monsieur by Annick Goutal. Became a father for the first time at age 38 when his wife Sophie Hunter gave birth to their son Christopher Carlton in 2015. On the day before filming the pilot of Sherlock (2010), his hair turned green due to the dye used to turn his hair black. Thankfully, his hair was fixed and the filming went on as planned. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the performing arts and to charity. He is an actor in London, England. In the episode Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia (2012), Sherlock Holmes encounters Irene Adler. Coincidentally, Irene is Sophie Hunter , his wife's middle name. Personal Quotes (47) [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.". Cumberbatch - it sounds like a fart in a bath, doesn't it? What a fluffy old name. I can never say it on a Monday morning. When I became an actor, Mum wasn't keen on me keeping it. I am very flattered. I have also become a verb as in "I have cumberbatched the UK audience" apparently. Who knows, by the end of the year I might become a swear word too! It's crazy and fun and very flattering. It's the standard actors' joke - "What are you doing after this?" "Oh, if Spielberg doesn't call then I'm going to go on holiday." But a week after I'd said that, I got the call to say I had the job. It's one of those moments you never forget - I just fell off my chair. Which is not a good start to the horseriding.

[on being invited by Madonna to her London home to discuss playing Duke of Windsor (aka "Edward VIII") in W.E. (2011)] I'd whizzed round on my bike and thought we were going to have a read-through and a chat, but she wanted a full-on dress rehearsal... So I ended up in a suit and tie with Madonna operating the camera herself. [on initially using his father's stage name "Carlton"] When I started, I just assumed I couldn't be called Benedict Cumberbatch... but then, one day, I told someone in the business what I was really called and they said, "That's great, that's something you can use to stand out.". [on his Sherlock (2010) series] It's a rare challenge, both for the audience and an actor, to take part in something with this level of intelligence and wit. You have to really enjoy it. It's a form of mental and physical gymnastics. I've been very lucky at what's happened in my career to date, but playing something as far from me as possible is an ambition of mine - anything from a mutated baddy in a comic book action thriller, to a detective.

If anything, I'd like Gary Oldman's career: he's the perfect example of it. I've love to have a really broad sweep of characters - to be able to do something edgy, surprising and unfashionable. (May 2005) [on Martin Freeman playing Bilbo Baggins] It was great. I got to hang out with him, and I kept a straight face for a bit and then I started giggling because I know Martin, I don't know Bilbo. For Martin to be sitting there playing Bilbo is amazing. He's going to be amazing, he's going to be fantastic in this film. [on Sherlock (2010) fan-fiction] I suppose my bodily proportions are quite flattering. I'm ripped, doing something I wouldn't normally do with my body, or having done to it, involving Watson. So that's as far as I'll hit about that one, but it's all there on the Web if you want to find it. I was amazed at the level of artistry; people have spent hours doing it. And there's some really weird cross breeding stuff that goes on.

The news got out that I was playing Smaug in "Hobbit" and suddenly there were lots of dragons with purple scarves flying around so it's crazy, it's crazy. [on declining to reprise his much-acclaimed role in "After the Dance" on Broadway] I've never really made a head-over-heart decision like that before but there's a bit of momentum and I'd like to keep myself available for films. (September 2011) I've seen and swam and climbed and lived and driven and filmed. Should it all end tomorrow, I can definitely say there would be no regrets. I am very lucky, and I know it. I really have lived 5,000 times over. (May 2013) [on his role in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)] I don't really believe in good and evil. I don't really believe in heroes and villains. His reasons for what he does are quite profoundly persuasive. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, and the fact that he's a shadow self of Kirk - same coin, different sides - is what makes him interesting to play.

[his advice from co-star Meryl Streep ] I asked her how she approached the multiple layers of her part. And she said, "I don't know. I don't have a process. It changes with every job, doesn't it?" And I thought, "Oh, thank God, to hear her say it. This whole thing about technique or method? It's bullshit." People say, "Oh, you're so precise." But within that I work very hard to give every part a heartbeat. I learned a lot from just watching Meryl in repose. It was a bit like a Sherlock deduction actually. [his would-be response to Julian Assange about movie portrayal of him] Well, somebody is going to do it, wouldn't you rather it's someone who has your ear, who could steer the film to a place that's more accurate or balanced? The tabloid image of him, what he fears is going to be promoted - that weird, white-haired guy wanted for rape - is so far from what we did. [on his Hobbit character] It was publicized that I 'voice' Smaug, and I thought, "Fucking hell.

My voice, my motions - I worked my arse off to create that dragon!". I can tell you I'm a huge fan of Downton Abbey (2010) and what I said was quite, quite clearly - to most intelligent New York Times readers - a joke. [on the comments he made about Downton Abbey (2010) on the New York Times] Sometimes as an actor you're looking for the infinite. If you can hold that, if you can remember that in the chaos, [it will] anchor you and give you grace and ease. Worst thing about my profession? The press, obviously. Don't write that, eh? [on Downton Abbey (2010), interviewed on Reader's Digest, 16 August 2012] We're remembering that there was a world before the First World War. We're living in a culture now that's revering, or having a nostalgia trip with, the beginning of the 1900s. Although Downton traded a lot on the sentiment in the last series... but we won't talk about that series because it was, in my opinion, f***ing atrocious.

[on being abducted in South Africa in 2005] It taught me that you come into this world as you leave it, on your own. It's made me want to live a life slightly less ordinary. I don't live beyond my means. I enjoy luxury and I enjoy the privilege of it, when I can afford it, and I'm in the situation where it's been given to me, but I'm very conscious of what is wasteful. I've always had an eye on longevity; I've got loads more goals to achieve. It's not like I've completely conquered the whole thing. That's a lifetime's objective, not an overnight thing. [on delivering a successful performance] It's rather like a sportsman, where you hit a sweet spot and think, "Oh, that felt good." You don't necessarily know why it is. It's pretty fleeting, and I guess that's how it should be, because the minute you try to hold on to it, it's too precious, and you start to try to reinvigorate the ghost of what you've done rather than keep evolving it. Every time I'm seen at a bar with a girl, I get photographed.

Anyone who has a computer knows my entire dating history. I get it. Paparazzi is an inescapable, immovable obstacle. The rule of law is being overrun so fast, eroding our civil liberties in a way that fundamentalists could possibly cherish. Yet there is a very real threat, for the other liberty that we could have taken away is our life, at any point, through the act of terrorism. I think intelligence services have really struggled post-Iraq with credibility, and I feel for them to a certain degree. They are trying to protect our right to exist. I've never been an activist, but I've always been politically aware. I protested against budget cuts and cuts to education. I marched against the Iraq war. All that protesting was just swept aside to pave the way for an illegal war, and the results of that war were made very, very plain by those leaked war logs. [on The Hobbit] Growing up, my dad read it to me, and it was a real treat, a feast for a child's imagination. He did an amazing Smaug, and hobbits, and Gandalf as well - it's the audiobook that will never exist.

The only thing that may unite all forms of acting in a sense is no matter what preparation you do, no matter what transformative process you go through, you are always yourself. You are always inside your own skin - you are who you are no matter what the actions of the movement or the effect. You have to have an essential element of you, and that is also what is in the present. Once you're in the present and you're not worried about the wig, or the special-effects suit, or the dialogue, or the accent, or the moral responsibility, when you are lost in the moment and you're in the present is when the stuff that's really good comes on screen. Until that point, you've put in a lot of hard work to then let go, and all of us experience moments - and they're rare in every job I find - where you feel free of any kind of self-consciousness. [on Alan Turing 's royal pardon] The only person that should be pardoning anybody is him. Hopefully, the film will bring to the fore what an extraordinary human being he was and how appalling (his treatment by the government was). It's a really shameful, disgraceful part of our history.

Hollywood-style stardom was never my goal, yet it seems to be happening due to particular projects. I don't seek. I don't avoid. I just follow my path, doing my best. [on his look] It's the blessing of having a weird face - somewhere between an otter and something people find vaguely attractive. [on fame] You can't imagine fame. You can only ever see it from an outsider and comment on it with the rueful wisdom of a non participant. When it happens to you, it doesn't matter what age or how, it is a very steep learning curve. The important thing to realize in all of it is that life is short, to protect the ones you love, and not expose yourself to too much abuse or narcissistic reflection gazing and move on. If fame affords me the type of ability to do the kind of work I'm being offered, who am I to complain about the downsides. It's all relative. And this are obviously very high class problems. The way privacy becomes an every shrinking island is inevitable but also manageable and it doesn't necessary have to get that way.

[on The Imitation Game (2014)] Often, as an actor, you draw on your own experience or memories, but I really didn't have to 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. What matters to me is the quality and the variety of the work. I'm in it for the long game. I'm interested in working in 40 years' time, and turning round and talking to an actor on set and telling them stories about working with Judi Dench and Michael Gambon . So any talk of "man of the moment" hype, heat, whatever, I just smile wryly. It's the same shit with "sexiest whatever" - I was around 10 years before that as an actor and no one took the same face seriously. It's all projection. People say, "This is your moment." Well, I hate to say it, but I don't believe in moments. I don't believe in one-offs.

I believe in something continuing and continuing, and I want to be doing this job for the next 50 years if I live that long. It's an amazing thing to find somebody you love, let alone somebody who loves you back in the same way and degree. Not everyone can do that in a lifetime. It's a minor miracle, considering how busy Sophie (Hunter) and I are, that we met in this way. So Sophie is someone I am incredibly grateful for and very excited about. [on selfies] What a tragic waste of engagement. Enjoy the moment. Do something more worthwhile with your time, anything. Stare out the window and think about life. I'm a homebody. I love to stay in at night, light a fire, have a whiskey and watch a movie or read a good book. People forget about books. They're always just turning on the television, but reading a good book is the most nourishing thing you can do. [on what he learned in 2014] I learnt where my home is. I learnt where my heart is, where my center is, where my now and forevermore is, and she's called Sophie Hunter , my fiancée.

[on the character Christopher Tietjens in Parade's End (2012)] What makes him heroic is the idea that he stands for what he believes in with utter transparency, and to hell with the consequences of living by what he believes. [on The Fifth Estate (2013)] So many people I speak to say, "Oh, I really wanted to see that." So maybe people weren't aware of it?... I don't know. I'm not in publicity or marketing. That's them, I just do what I do. I was very pleased with that film and I think over time it will be seen. But I don't offer any understanding for why that happened... I don't regret it. You can't wish you hadn't done something after doing it. [on his offensive faux pas of using the term "colored actors" instead of "actors of color" in an interview] I'm devastated to have caused offence by using this outmoded terminology. I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done. I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive.

The most shaming aspect of this for me is that I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the UK and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term. I feel the complete fool I am and while I am sorry to have offended people and to learn from my mistakes in such a public manner please be assured I have. I apologize again to anyone who I offended for this thoughtless use of inappropriate language about an issue which affects friends of mine and which I care about deeply. [on the need for a female and then a homosexual president in the United States] You need to have a female president next, and then after that, a gay president. That's the full journey from Obama's legacy onwards.

There's a great Morrissey lyric from "America Is Not the World" from You Are the Quarry that goes, "In America, the land of the free, they said / And of opportunity, in a just and truthful way / But where the president is never black, female or gay, and until that day / You've got nothing to say to me, to help me believe." It's quite an old song from before Obama took office, but you've done black, then you need to do female, then the next, gay. Looking for happiness is a sure way to sadness, I think. You have to take each moment as it comes. Like all of these things, like a lot of art, you do the work and you let go. You understand how the thing works and then you let go of it. It should be something you breathe or you feel, not something that you force or try to control. See also Benedict Cumberbatch Biography (Actor) Best known as: The title star of the TV series Sherlock Name at birth: Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch is the lanky British actor who dashed to fame when he played a modern-day Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock.

Cumberbatch was not a newcomer to acting: he did theater while attending the University of Manchester and then did a year at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, after which he began working almost immediately. After a few low-key parts, he was cast as genius physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2004 TV movie Hawking. For the next five years he played a series of extras and odd ducks -- “neurotic, fey people who would have died with a cold compress to their head,” as he once described it to the BBC -- helped along by his quirky long face, with its snub nose and seagull-wing upper lip. Everything changed in July of 2010, when he premiered as eccentric sleuth Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s modern-day Sherlock. His “cold, techie, slightly Aspergerish” Holmes (as described by The Guardian) resonated with fans and made the show a surprise hit. The series was short -- just three 90-minute episodes per year -- but it launched Cumberbatch to international fame.

Suddenly he was everywhere: as a kindly slaveowner in 12 Years a Slave (2013, with Chiwetel Ojiofor ), as the evil dragon Smaug in The Hobbit trilogy of films (2012-14), as the ancient villain Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013, with Chris Pine as Kirk), as ill-fated code-breaker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2014), as info-rebel Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate (2013), even counting apples and oranges with Muppets on Sesame Street. In 2014, both Cumberbatch and Freeman won Emmys for their roles in Sherlock. Extra credit: Benedict Cumberbatch and actress Sophie Hunter announced their engagement in November of 2014… His grandfather, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, was a decorated submarine commander in the Royal Navy. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.

There’s a ‘Grinch’ remake coming and Benedict Cumberbatch is providing the voice | 98.9 WCLZ There’s a ‘Grinch’ remake coming and Benedict Cumberbatch is providing the voice 9 months ago in Entertainment 'THE GRINCH:' Benedict Cumberbatch is taking on the Dr. Seuss classic. Photo: Associated Press Benedict Cumberbatch will voice grumpy anti-Christmas villain “The Grinch” in an upcoming animated movie. Chris Meledandri, the chief executive of the Illumination Entertainment production company, revealed the Sherlock actor would voice the famous Dr. Seuss character for a new animated version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” which is scheduled for release in November, 2017.

Chris explained why the British actor was cast in the role during the Universal Studios CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Wednesday, saying, “Choosing the actor to voice ‘The Grinch,’ we were determined to make a choice that would not only define this version of ‘The Grinch’ as absolutely singular, but most importantly, we were looking for a voice to express comedic wickedness while embodying vulnerability… “It is that vulnerability that allows us to create a character that is not only highly entertaining, but also has an irresistible appeal.” Benedict has portrayed a number of famous characters onscreen, including Sherlock Holmes, real-life whistleblower Julian Assange, “Star Trek” villain Khan and real-life codebreaker Alan Turing. The teaser trailer showing him playing well-known Marvel comic book hero Doctor Strange made its debut. “The Grinch” was most famously played by Jim Carrey in the 2000 live-action comedy, which was directed by Ron Howard. The comedian spent eight-and-a-half hours each day in make-up to play the green villain, and he scored a Golden Globe nomination for the part.

“The Grinch” was first adapted from the 1957 novel for an animated TV special in 1966, and has since appeared in several other TV films and series. Tags: benedict cumberbatch, dr. seuss, the grinch Story © 2016 WENN - Images © 2016 Associated Press Latest Headlines Arts Pop: Get to know actor Benedict Cumberbatch | FOX2now.com Arts Pop: Get to know actor Benedict Cumberbatch Posted 10:14 am, December 21, 2014, by Angela Hutti Email This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. (KTVI)- From Sherlock Holmes on TV to genius Alan Turing in the new dramatic thriller “The Imitation Game”, actor Benedict Cumberbatch is everywhere.

The busy Cumberbatch is often cast in the role of the "eccentric genius." He has played Wikileaks hacker Julian Assange in “The Fifth Estate,” the extraterrestrial Khan in “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and Vincent Van Gogh in a TV movie called “Van Gogh: Painted With Words.” “The Imitation Game” opens in St. Louis on Christmas Day. Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is sublime as WWII codebreaker Alan Turing in his moving biopic | Daily Mail Online Verdict: Sleek Turing biopic Rating: He has already played Sherlock Holmes, Stephen Hawking, Vincent van Gogh and Julian Assange, and tickets to see him as Hamlet next summer sold out more quickly than any in the entire history of London theatre. So it is easy enough to see why Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as Alan Turing, the tortured genius who helped to win World War II by cracking the Germans’ supposedly unbreakable Enigma code. Riddle-solvers and tormented souls are his stock-in-trade. In The Imitation Game he gets to combine the two.

He is quite wonderful as Turing, playing the great mathematician, the so-called father of modern computing, as the awkward, stammering embodiment of what we would now call Asperger’s syndrome. Scroll down for video Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as WWII codebreaker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game alongside Keira Knightley It is Turing who drives the Bletchley Park team towards their remarkable yet covert triumph, but socially he struggles to interact with them. The film opens in 1951, however, with Turing working at Manchester University. His flat has been burgled, and a detective, played by Rory Kinnear, thinks that he has something to hide, that he might even be a Soviet spy. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share But Turing’s big secret turns out to be more prosaic than that. He is a homosexual, and by the close of the film, found guilty of gross indecency, he is trapped in the downward spiral that would end with his apparent suicide.

Riddle-solvers and tormented souls are Cumberbatch's stock-in-trade and he is able to combine the two in this moving biopic A concluding caption tells us that last year Turing was given a posthumous royal pardon, and we are doubtless meant to file out of the cinema railing inwardly at the state-sanctioned homophobia that destroyed this brilliant man, who had served his country so spectacularly but ended up undergoing a process of chemical castration before dying by his own hand (though whether deliberately or accidentally, nobody actually knows). It is odd, therefore, that for the bulk of Morten Tyldum’s film, the issue of Turing’s sexuality is treated with a primness far more characteristic of the Forties than today. Nonetheless, we know why, when at Bletchley he builds his enormous, unwieldy computer, festooned almost literally with bells and whistles, he calls it Christopher. Helpfully, the film keeps winding back to 1928, when as a public schoolboy Turing is bullied for his strangeness, but befriended by one other boy, Christopher Morcom (Jack Bannon), on whom he develops a huge crush.

He plays the so-called father of modern computing, as the awkward, stammering embodiment of what we would now call Asperger’s syndrome He and Christopher communicate in code, setting the stage for the cracking of Enigma. And it is Christopher who tells him: ‘Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine.’ It is a good line, so good that it pops up twice more, first when Turing recruits a crossword prodigy, Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), to join the Bletchley codebreakers. And of course it is Bletchley that provides the main backdrop to the action, with Turing finding it increasingly hard to convince his sceptical boss, Commander Denniston (nicely played by Charles Dance), that his unwieldy machine holds the answer to Engima. A shadowy MI6 man, played by Mark Strong, is more sympathetic. But at first Turing alienates everyone, including his colleagues, such are his anti-social quirks. Only gradually does he win them over, until — eureka! — a chance conversation in a pub sparks the flash of inspiration that changes the course of the war.

The Imitation Game bowls along, and evokes the era splendidly. But for a film about such a complicated man, it is sometimes disappointingly simplistic, with far too much expository dialogue, as when a colleague advises Turing to keep his sexuality to himself: ‘You can’t tell anyone, Alan; it’s illegal.’ Like too many other lines in Graham Moore’s screenplay, that’s one for the audience. Turing, I fancy, would hardly have needed reminding. Mathematician Andrew Hodges, who wrote the biography of Turing on which the film is based, was also reportedly alarmed to find that the script plays fast and loose with some of the facts. He particularly questioned the casting of Knightley: Joan Clarke, he said, ‘was no glamourpuss’. Nor, evidently, was she remotely as pivotal in the Turing story as she is here. Unsubtly, she and Turing are driven together by their outsider status — he, both weird and gay; she, a woman. And all the while Knightley strains almost comically hard for those cut-glass Forties vowels, trying to locate her inner Celia Johnson as energetically as they all try to crack Enigma.

For numerous reasons, then, this is not quite the film it could, should, have been. But Cumberbatch’s sensitive, moving performance is its beating heart, and the best reason to see it.

Question: What actor has portrayed Sherlock Holmes, Alan Turing, and Khan?
Answer: Benedict Cumberbatch