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Benedict Cumberbatch

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Benedict Cumberbatch
Cumberbatch during filming of Sherlock in 2011
Born
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch

(1976-07-19) 19 July 1976 (age 48)
London, England, UK
Alma materThe Brambletye School
Harrow School
University of Manchester
LAMDA
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present
Parent(s)Timothy Carlton
Wanda Ventham

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. His most acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking (2004); William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace (2006); protagonist Stephen Ezard in the miniseries thriller The Last Enemy (2008); Paul Marshall in Atonement (2007); Bernard in Small Island (2009); Sherlock Holmes in the modern BBC adaptation series Sherlock (2010); and Peter Guillam in the spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).

In February 2011, he began playing both Victor Frankenstein and his creature opposite Jonny Lee Miller in Danny Boyle's stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The play had a three-month run at the National Theatre. In late 2011, he played Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg's War Horse (2011). The film received five BAFTA nominations and six Academy Award nominations, including the Best Picture nomination in 2012. He also played Peter Guillam, one of the pivotal roles in Tomas Alfredson's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011), which was nominated for three Academy Awards and 11 BAFTA Awards. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was also nominated for Best Picture in 2012.

He reprised the role of Sherlock Holmes in the second series of the BBC's Sherlock, which aired in the United Kingdom in January 2012 and was broadcast on PBS in the United States in May 2012. He also stars as Christopher Tietjens in the BBC/HBO co-production television miniseries Parade's End, which is expected to be released in 2012. He will portray Smaug the Dragon through motion capture and voice the Necromancer in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: There and Back Again. He will also portray the antagonist in dJ.J. Abrams’s Untitled Star Trek sequel, which will be released in May 2013.

Early life and education

Cumberbatch was born on 19 July 1976 in London, the son of actors Timothy Carlton (birth name Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch) and Wanda Ventham. He was educated at Brambletye School[1] in West Sussex and won a scholarship to Harrow School,[2] a public school in London.[3] At Harrow he was introduced to the works of Terrence Rattigan and began acting in school productions.[4] After school, he took a gap year to teach English in a Tibetan monastery.[5] He then attended the University of Manchester, where he studied drama.[6] After graduating, Cumberbatch continued his training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Career

Theatre

Since 2001, Cumberbatch has had major roles in a dozen classic plays at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, Almeida Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and the National Theatre. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his performance as Tesman in Hedda Gabler, a role he performed at the Almeida Theatre on 16 March 2005, as well as at the Duke of York's Theatre when it transferred to the West End on 19 May 2005.

Cumberbatch acted in The Children’s Monologues, a star-studded theatrical event at London's Old Vic Theatre on 14 November 2010. The show was produced by Dramatic Need.[7] In February 2011, he began playing, on alternate nights, both Victor Frankenstein and his creature, opposite Jonny Lee Miller, in Danny Boyle's stage production of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at the National Theatre.[8][9] Frankenstein was broadcast to cinemas as a part of National Theatre Live in March 2011.[10] The Children’s Monologues was directed by Danny Boyle as well.

In April 2012 Cumberbatch won the Olivier Award for Best Actor (jointly with Jonny Lee Miller) for the acclaimed Frankenstein at the National Theatre, directed by Danny Boyle, with the two lead actors alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature.

Television

Cumberbatch's television roles include two separate guest roles in Heartbeat (2000, 2004), Freddy in Tipping the Velvet (2002), Edward Hand in Cambridge Spies (2003) and Rory in the ITV comedy drama series Fortysomething (2003). He was also featured in Spooks and Silent Witness.

In 2004, he starred as Stephen Hawking in Hawking. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor and won the Golden Nymph for Television Films – Best Performance by an Actor. (He later provided Hawking's voice in the first episode of the television series Curiosity.) He also appeared in the BBC miniseries Dunkirk as Lieutenant Jimmy Langley.

In 2005, Cumberbatch starred as the protagonist Edmund Talbot in the miniseries To the Ends of the Earth, based on William Golding's trilogy. Director David Attwood said:

We found Benedict Cumberbatch fairly early. We needed a very good actor, someone young enough to be believable as an aristocratic, an almost slightly dislikeable character who is an adolescent in terms of his views of the world, his upbringing. But we also needed someone who could hold the screen for four and half hours, in every scene. We needed someone with experience who was not only a very good actor, but also with terrific comic timing. Benedict was the ideal answer to that.[11]

Producer Lynn Horsford added:

Benedict was remarkable. He carried the Golding novels with him on set and constantly referred to them. We needed him every single day and he just didn't stop, nor complain. He simply became Edmund Talbot. And that commitment spread to every cast member. The process of making this film echoed the journey the characters went on in the story—we really got to know each other during our four months on location and we became very close.[11]

He also made brief appearances in the comedy sketch show Broken News in 2005.

Cumberbatch next starred alongside Tom Hardy in the television adaptation of the book Stuart: A Life Backwards, which aired on the BBC in September 2007. In 2008, he starred in the BBC miniseries drama The Last Enemy, for which he was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film.

In 2009, Cumberbatch starred in Marple: Murder Is Easy as Luke Fitzwilliam. He played Bernard in the TV adaptation of Small Island; the performance earned him a nomination for BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.[12] He also starred in Michael Dobbs' play The Turning Point which aired as one of a series of TV plays broadcast live on Sky Arts channel. The two-hander depicted a little-known October 1938 meeting between Soviet spy Guy Burgess, then a young man working for the BBC, and Winston Churchill. Cumberbatch portrayed Burgess; Churchill was played by Matthew Marsh, who had played a supporting role in Hawking.[13]

Cumberbatch narrated the 6-part series South Pacific (U.S. title: Wild Pacific), which aired May to June 2009 on BBC 2.

Cumberbatch, a fan of long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who, suggested in a July 2010 interview that he would be interested in appearing as a main or recurring character on the show, run by Sherlock producer and personal friend Steven Moffat.[14] In 2008 he had discussed with David Tennant taking over the part of the Doctor but had decided not to try for the role.[15]

In 2010, Cumberbatch portrayed Vincent van Gogh in Van Gogh: Painted with Words. The Telegraph called his performance "[a] treat ... vividly bringing Van Gogh to impassioned, blue-eyed life."[16] Also in 2010, Cumberbatch began playing Sherlock Holmes in the first series of the BBC television programme Sherlock, to critical acclaim.[17][18] A second three-part series began on New Years Day 2012 in England[19] and was broadcast on PBS in the United States in May 2012.[20] For this role, Cumberbatch was nominated for an Emmy in the Lead Actor in A Miniseries or Movie category on July 19, 2012.

He will co-star with Rebecca Hall as Christopher and Sylvia Tietjens in Parade's End, a forthcoming BBC/HBO television miniseries, expected for release in 2012. It is an adaptation of the tetralogy of novels of the same name by Ford Madox Ford. Its five episodes are directed by Susanna White and written by Tom Stoppard.[21][22]

Film

In 2006, Cumberbatch played William Pitt the Younger in Amazing Grace. The film is the story of William Wilberforce's intense and lengthy political fight in the late 18th century to eliminate the slave trade in the British Empire. Pitt was Wilberforce's closest friend and staunchest political ally, and became Prime Minister at an early age. The role garnered Cumberbatch a nomination for the London Film Critics Circle British Breakthrough Acting Award.

Cumberbatch subsequently appeared in supporting roles in Atonement (2007) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). In 2009, he appeared in the Darwin biopic Creation as Darwin's friend Joseph Hooker. In 2010, he appeared in The Whistleblower.

He played Peter Guillam, George Smiley's right-hand man, in the 2011 adaptation of the John le Carré novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The film was directed by Tomas Alfredson and starred Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.[23] Cumberbatch also portrayed Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg's War Horse (2011).

He will play Smaug the Dragon through motion capture and voice the Necromancer in The Hobbit: There and Back Again.[24] Cumberbatch will also play a lead role in the upcoming J. J. Abrams-directed Star Trek sequel.[25][26]

Radio

In May 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of John Mortimer's novel Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders. Cumberbatch played the "young Rumpole", and Timothy West took the part of the "old Rumpole". Cumberbatch plays Capt Martin Crieff in the BBC's Cabin Pressure.

Miscellaneous

British GQ magazine named him "Actor of the Year 2011".[27]

Personal life

Cumberbatch was in a relationship with actress Olivia Poulet, whom he met at university, for over 12 years.[28][29] They broke up in March 2011.[30]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes, awards and nominations
2002 Hills Like White Elephants The Man Short film
2003 To Kill a King Royalist
2006 Starter for 10 Patrick Watts
2006 Amazing Grace William Pitt the Younger Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Breakthrough
2007 Inseparable Joe/Charlie Short film
2007 Atonement Paul Marshall
2008 The Other Boleyn Girl William Carey
2008 Burlesque Fairytales Henry Clark
2009 Creation Joseph Hooker
2010 Four Lions Ed
2010 Third Star James
2010 The Whistleblower Nick Kaufman
2010 Wreckers David
2011 War Horse Major Stewart
2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Peter Guillam Nominated — British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Cast
2013 The Hobbit[31] Smaug (portray through motion capture)
Necromancer (voice) 		Filming
2013 Untitled Star Trek sequel Filming
2013 Twelve Years a Slave William Ford Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes Awards and nominations
2002 Fields of Gold Jeremy TV film
2002 Tipping the Velvet Freddy Drama serial
2002 Silent Witness Warren Reid Drama series; 2 episodes
2003 Cambridge Spies Edward Hand Drama serial; 1 episode
2003 Spooks Jim North Drama series; 1 episode
2003 Fortysomething Rory Slippery Comedy drama
2004 Dunkirk Lt. Jimmy Langley Docu-drama
2004 Hawking Stephen Hawking TV film Golden Nymph for Television Films – Best Performance by an Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Television Awards – Best Actor
2005 To the Ends of the Earth Edmund Talbot Drama serial Golden Nymph for Mini-Series – Best Performance by an Actor
2005 Broken News Will Parker Comedy series; 3 episodes
2005 Nathan Barley Robin Comedy series; 2 episodes
2007 Stuart: A Life Backwards Alexander Masters TV film
2008 The Last Enemy Stephen Ezard Drama serial Nominated — Satellite Awards – Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film
2009 Marple: Murder Is Easy Luke Fitzwilliam TV film
2009 The Turning Point Guy Burgess TV play
2009 Small Island Bernard Bligh Drama serial Nominated — BAFTA Television Awards – Best Supporting Actor [12]
2010 Van Gogh: Painted with Words Vincent van Gogh Docudrama
2010 Have I Got News For You Guest host Panel show
2010 Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking Narrator (with Stephen Hawking, reading Hawking's words) Documentary
2010 The Rattigan Enigma by Benedict Cumberbatch Presenter Documentary
2010–present Sherlock Sherlock Holmes Drama series Crime Thriller Awards – Best Actor (2010)
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Movie/Miniseries Actor (2012)
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – Best Actor (2011)
Nominated — National Television Awards – Outstanding Drama Performance (2011)
Nominated — BAFTA Television Awards – Best Leading Actor (2011)
Nominated — TV Choice Awards – Best Actor (2011)
Nominated — BAFTA Television Awards – Best Leading Actor (2012)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
2012 Parade's End Christopher Tietjens Drama series
Theatre
Year Title Role Venue Awards and nominations
2001 Love's Labour's Lost Ferdinand Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
2001 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
2002 As You Like It Orlando Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
2002 Romeo and Juliet Benvolio Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
2002 Oh, What a Lovely War! Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
2004 The Lady from the Sea Lyngstrand Almeida Theatre
2005 Hedda Gabler Tesman Almeida Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre 		Nominated — Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role
2006 Period of Adjustment George Almeida Theatre
2007 Rhinoceros Bérenger Royal Court Theatre
2007 The Arsonists Eisenring Royal Court Theatre
2008 The City Chris Royal Court Theatre
2010 After the Dance David Scott-Fowler National Theatre
2011 Frankenstein The Creature/Victor Frankenstein National Theatre Evening Standard Theatre Awards – Best Actor (jointly with Jonny Lee Miller)[32]
Critics' Circle Theatre Awards – Best Actor [33]
Olivier Award for Best Actor (jointly with Jonny Lee Miller)[34]
Voice acting
Year Title Role Format
2004 The Raj Quartet Nigel Rowan BBC Radio 4 series
2004 Kepler Johannes Kepler BBC Radio 4
2004 The Recruiting Officer Worthy BBC Radio 4
2004 The Tempest Ferdinand Audiobook
2004 The Odyssey Telemachus BBC Radio 4
2004 The Biggest Secret Captain Rob Collins BBC Radio 4
2004 The Far Side of the World Narrator BBC Radio 4
2004 The Surgeons Mate Narrator BBC Radio 4
2004 Mr Norris Changes Trains Narrator BBC Radio 4
2005 Le Pere Goriot Narrator BBC Radio 4
2005 Seven Women Tovey BBC Radio 4
2005 Medical Humanities – Baptism by Rotation Narrator BBC Radio 4
2005 Fieldstudy – The Field Narrator BBC Radio 4
2005 The Cocktail Party Peter Quilpe BBC Radio 4
2006 The Possessed Nikolai Stavrogin BBC Radio 3
2007 The Making of Music Narrator Audiobook
2008 Death in a White Tie Narrator Audiobook
2008 Artists in Crime Narrator Audiobook
2008 The Pillow Book Tadanobu BBC Radio 4
2008 Blake 7 The Early Years Townsend Audio plays
2008 The Last Days of Grace GF BBC Radio 4
2008 At War With Wellington Duke of Wellington BBC Radio 4
2008 Chatterton – The Allington Solution Thomas Chatterton BBC Radio 4
2008 Cabin Pressure Capt. Martin Crieff BBC Radio 4 comedy series
2008 Spellbound Dr Murchison BBC Radio 4
2008 Rainy Season Narrator BBC Radio 4
2008 The Tiger's Tale Narrator BBC Radio 4
2008 Words and Music – Italian Fantasy Narrator BBC Radio 4
2008 Doctor Who: Forty-Five Howard Carter, Thing 2 Audio plays
2009 Good Evening Dudley Moore BBC Radio 4
2009 Little Red Hen Narrator Ladybird
2009 South Pacific Narrator TV documentary
2009 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders Young Rumpole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2009 Metamorphosis Narrator BBC Radio 7
2010 Rumpole and the Family Pride Young Rumpole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2010 Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle Young Rumpole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2010 Stephen Hawking's Universe Narrator Discovery Channel/Channel 4 series
2010 Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway and Other Stories Narrator Audiobook
2010 Words for You – The Next Chapter Narrator
2011 Curiosity With Stephen Hawking – Did God Create the Universe? Narrator Discovery Channel
2011 Tom and Viv TS Eliot BBC Radio 7
2011 Jaguar Narrator Commercials
2011 Pimms Narrator Commercials
2011 Sony Narrator Commercials
2011 The Nightjar[35] Narrator Video game
2012 Rumpole and the Man of God[36] Young Rumpole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2012 Rumpole and the Explosive Evidence[37] Young Rumpole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
2012 Google+: "Tom"[38] The seven ages of man (monologue) Narrator Commercials

References

  1. ^ Brambletye Senior Verse Speaking Competition "Mr Fowler-Watt reminded us that many professional actors first ‘cut their teeth’ on the Brambletye stage, including Benedict Cumberbatch"
  2. ^ "The Park - History of the House". harrowschool.org.uk.
  3. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch: Success? It's elementary". The Independent. 29 January 2011.
  4. ^ "The Rattigan Enigma By Benedict Cumberbatch". BBC.
  5. ^ William Golding's 'To The Ends Of The Earth' – Benedict Cumberbatch plays Edmund Talbot "When I heard about the gap year of teaching English at a Tibetan monastery, I knew I had to do something about it really quickly otherwise it was going to get allocated..."I was very decisive. I worked for six months to drum up the finance as it was voluntary — there was no income. I worked in Penhaligon's the perfumery for almost five months and I did waiting jobs..."The monastery was a fantastic experience; you lived your life by very limited means, although you were given board and lodgings. While I was there some of us went to Nepal for two weeks and did white water rafting and we camped out under the stars."
  6. ^ Mitchison, Amanda (17 July 2010). "Benedict Cumberbatch on playing Sherlock Holmes". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ "The Children's Monologues". Dramaticneed.org. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Frankenstein". NationalTheatre. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  9. ^ A Monster Double Act for Danny Boyle's Frankenstein, Mail Online. 29 October 2010.
  10. ^ http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/63286/productions/frankenstein.html
  11. ^ a b To the Ends of the Earth – Production Notes at Masterpiece Theatre
  12. ^ a b "Television Awards Winners in 2010". BAFTA. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  13. ^ "The Day Churchill Met Traitor Guy Burgess". Daily Express. London. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  14. ^ "Cumberbatch hints at 'Doctor Who' role". Digital Spy. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  15. ^ "Sherlock star reveals he was offered Doctor Who role... but turned it down". Daily Mail. London. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  16. ^ "Easter TV Highlights". The Telegraph. 1 April 2010.
  17. ^ "BBC Drama announces Sherlock, a new crime drama for BBC One". BBC. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  18. ^ Wollaston, Sam (26 July 2010). "TV Review: Sherlock and Orchestra United". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  19. ^ "Last Night's TV: Sherlock, BBC 1". The Independent. UK. 2 January 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  20. ^ "Sherlock, Season 2 on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!". PBS.ORG.
  21. ^ "Parade's End". BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  22. ^ "HBO Back in War Business With 'Parade's End'". THR. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  23. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch Joins Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". 16 August 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  24. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice Smaug in 'The Hobbit'". Deadline.com. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  25. ^ Finke, Nikki (4 January 2012). "'Star Trek' Sequel Hires Hot British Actor". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  26. ^ Radish, Christina (8 January 2012). "J.J. Abrams Talks STAR TREK 2; Says Filming Begins Thursday and 3D Tests on First STAR TREK Convinced Him to Post-Convert Sequel". Collider.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  27. ^ "Man of the Year 2011 Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch". GQ.com. September 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  28. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch – stepping into the lead". Evening Standard. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  29. ^ Eden, Richard (8 May 2010). "'Broody' actor Benedict Cumberbatch wants to be in the thick of it with Olivia Poulet". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 January 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)
  30. ^ Kay, Richard (17 March 2011). "Sherlock Holmes' star Benedict Cumberbatch splits from university sweetheart after ten years together". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  31. ^ Fleming, Mike (16 June 2011). "Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice Smaug in 'The Hobbit'". Deadline New York. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  32. ^ Masters, Tim (21 November 2011). "Frankenstein stars win Evening Standard Theatre Awards". BBC News. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  33. ^ "Cumberbatch wins top theatre prize". The Press Association. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  34. ^ Benedict Cumberbatch Wins '2012 Olivier Award for Best Actor' jointly with Jonny Lee Miller for Frankenstein (15 April 2012). Announcement of the winner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZfwX_jipa0 (Video)
  35. ^ "The Nightjar". The 5 Experience website. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  36. ^ BBC – Afternoon Play – Rumpole and the Man of God
  37. ^ BBC – Afternoon Play – Rumpole and the Explosive Evidence
  38. ^ Google+ launches first TV ad Benedict Cumberbatch reads monologue "The seven ages of man" from William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" (30 March 2012)
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