Mostly known for playing Sherlock Holmes on the fantastic BBC modern day setting series "Sherlock", Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game" and more recently Stephen Strange in "Doctor Strange", he often plays characters who are remarkable geniuses who are flawed or crippled in some way. Others include historical or fictional authoritative and aristocratic figures who are always trying to do the right thing, but some ultimately fail in their mission.
His work is absolutely outstanding and has inspired many in some way or another. He has certainly inspired me and made me get a better understanding of the world, the arts and life in general.
As a tribute to him, here are my favourite top ten performances from Mr Cumberbatch:
Number Ten: Stephen Hawking in "Hawking"
This is the role that brought him to attention in the acting field in both television and films. This telefilm follows Stephen Hawking, a young and brilliant scientist who struggles more and more against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a crippling illness that eventually deteriorates all the muscles in the body.
His desperate determination to make a breakthrough in his scientific studies before his disease hinders him entirely ultimately leads to him finding the proof of the Big Bang theory. After discovering how the universe was created in only a matter of minutes, resulting from the ancient explosion of stars in space, he finally earns his respected place in the scientific community. He is recognised today as one of the most iconic physicists in the world.
Cumberbatch successfully portrays Hawking as his ALS cripples his speech and body muscles more and more as the film moves on, but soldiers on to complete his important work.
Number Nine: Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness."
Chosen to play the bad guy for the rebooted Star Trek sequel, Cumberbatch inhabits Khan, a super human terrorist intent on exacting revenge on Starfleet enterprises for the grave exploitation and murder of his beloved crew at the hands of Admiral Marcus.
"My name is KHAN."
Number Eight: Richard the third of Gloucester in : "The Hollow Crown: Richard III"
In Henry VI, he starts off as an adolescent who bares witness to the many atrocities in a civil war known as The Wars of the Roses.
Bitter and angry over his deformity, convinced that no woman will love him, he turns into a hellish monster, thirsty for blood and the crown.
He gets more and more evil in Richard III, literally killing his way to the throne, including his brothers and nephews, before becoming completely paranoid and hateful towards everyone, including himself.
It's a truly inexhaustible, frightening and powerful performance. Benedict has the perfect ability to play a character that shocks and disgusts you, while at the same time being completely seduced by him.
"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"
Number Seven: Smaug in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
After Sherlock, this is the role that also caught Cumberbatch to my attention. Performed entirely in motion capture animation, and voice over, the result is a perfect and utterly terrifying Smaug.
His beautiful velvet voice, terrifying as it is powerful, is rendered even more scary as the psychopathic, greedy and paranoid dragon guarding the Dwarf kingdom inside the goldmine of the Lonely Mountain.
He is also reunited with his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman, who plays the protagonist Bilbo Baggins.
Number Six: Doctor Stephen Strange in "Doctor Strange"
In this Marvel action flick, Benedict plays Doctor Stephen Strange, an extremely arrogant surgeon who, after getting his hands ruined in a horrible car accident, searches for alternative means to heal them. Arriving in Kamar-Taj, Nepal, he meets The Ancient One, who introduces him to all sorts of different universes and the practice of Mystic Arts.
The transformation from the selfish, unfeeling surgeon to the humble to the self-sacrificing Sorcerer is absolutely incredible. Benedict is fully able to bring both the hostility and the sweetness in the character, as well as showcasing the physical and psychological struggles he faces.
They truly couldn't have picked a better actor to play the part.
"Dormmamu, I've come to bargain!"
Number Five: James in "Third Star"
This low budget drama is very underrated and little known, but it's one of the best films I've seen.
James has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer which will ultimately claim his life. So he decides to spend the little time he has left with his three best friends by going on a trip in West Wales in search of Barafundle Bay beach, his favourite place in the world. Carried around in a home-made special cart, James embarks with his friends on a journey of self discovery, silly games, love, heartache and living.
Bearing some resemblance to Alfonso Curaon's Y Tu Mama Tambien, Third Star (who's title is an intentionally misguided reference to Peter Pan) delivers emotional performances and depth, especially in the third act, when things really begin to get less comical. Cumberbatch bravely takes on the role of a passionate child-like charismatic man wanting to die with dignity and not suffer the humiliating and painful deterioration that cancer will eventually bring to him. It touches you on such an deep level, because the bond between these four characters is so real and strong.
"Remember that you were loved by me, and you made my life a happy one. And there is no tragedy in that."
Number Four: Vincent Van Gogh in "Van Gogh: Painted With Words"
This is a docudrama, which combines a narrated documentary of the life and times of Vincent Van Gogh, and a telefilm drama. Van Gogh's letters and own words are acted out brilliantly by Cumberbatch, who embodies the passion for his paintings, struggles with mental health and difficulties with his family life.
Many of Van Gogh's famous quotes, feelings about life, art and sadness are expressed vividly though Cumberbatch's superb acting. It really is amazing when your favourite actor embodies another real life figure who you also equally admire.
Number Three: Christopher Tietjens: in "Parade's End"
Aristocratic, sensitive, sophisticated Christopher Tietjens endures many hardships in this mini series involving the social difficulties of 1910s England during WWI. He marries a spiteful, vengeful, unfaithful, self-loathing woman, Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) after she becomes pregnant with a baby who might not even be his, and subsequently falls in love with a young suffragette, Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens).
Instead of divorcing cruel Sylvia to be with a woman he truly loves, he at first sacrifices his happiness in order not to shame her. Leaving both Valentine and Sylvia to fight for his country, he endures both physical and emotional suffering during the war, but ultimately succeeds in making the right choices for everyone in his life.
Cumberbatch said that he truly admired this character and wants to weave many of Christopher's traits into his own life.
"I can't go back. The sentimentalist must be stoned to death. It makes everyone uncomfortable."
Number Two: Alan Turing in The Imitation Game
This film is outstanding, tremendously amazing and powerful, and is by all means the biggest role in Cumberbatch's career.
This is an incredibly important film, as it is about Alan Turing, a British genius mathematician, cryptographer and engineer who cracked the enigma code during World War II, ending the war by two years. He also created the first design for the digital computer, and invented the "Turing Test", which gave birth to the idea of artificial intelligence.
He was also openly gay at a time where being so was illegal in Britain. In 1952 he was arrested for "gross indecency" after he admitted to a police officer that he was gay and having an affair with another man. He was given a choice between prison time or female hormone injections (chemical castration), and he chose the latter in order to continue his work.
Very tragically, he committed suicide in 1954. This is one of the huge, shameful injustices the British government committed in the 20th century.
Benedict Cumberbatch completely embodies Turing with his research and imagination of how this character would move, speak and act around others. This truly was one of my most anticipated movies, and it was well worth the wait.
"Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of, that do the things no one can imagine."
Honourable mentions:
August: Osage County: Little Charles
Playing the mousy, awkward young nephew of Meryl Streep's deceased husband, Cumberbatch demonstrates his singing abilities during a touching scene beside a piano and his loved one (Julianne Nicholson).
The Fifth Estate: Julian Assange
Although this film received a lot of backlash and failed at the box office, I personally don't agree with the critics on this one.
The Julian Assange in this film is portrayed as someone who wants to change the world and expose corruption and save many lives. At the same time, however, he is arrogant, strange and unfeeling towards those around him and ruthless in terms of his work. Cumberbatch tries to differ from the "monster" the media has made him out to be, and succeeds in capturing the vulnerability of a jaded activist deeply affected by the horrible things that happen in the world.
Joe/Charlie - Inseparable
After sobbing intensely in his car, he contacts his twin brother Charlie (also played by Cumberbatch), who is a low level gambler down on his luck and who gets beaten up by loan sharks after he loses a bet.
Joe meets up with Charlie, and he agrees to switch lives with him, so that Joe's wife and child can continue to live as a family as he did before.
It's a truly touching and beautiful film that plays out almost like a silent film, relying on very little dialogue, and the emotion on Benedict's photogenic face in certain scenes.
In the 2015 three-month run at the Barbican theatre, Benedict plays the grief-stricken and complicated young Prince of Danes, once again to absolute perfection. He demonstrates his famous ability to cry on cue during his many soliloquies, as well as his comedic skills by dressing up as a toy soldier, strutting around the room to fake madness. The whole play was an absolute joy to watch.
Number One: Sherlock Holmes - "Sherlock"
Undoubtably the role he will always remembered for. It is after all the reason why I and so many others fell in love with him in the first place.
The show follows the many adventures the famous consulting detective and doctor John Watson, and the underlying threat of enemies such as Moriarty and others.
From his brilliant deduction skills, to his many methods of disguise, to his eccentric interactions with others, Benedict's Sherlock is pure, solid entertainment.
"The name is Sherlock Holmes, and the address is 221B Baker Street."
To put so much effort, hard work, research and emotional commitment to a role, and be so kind hearted and compassionate in real life, Benedict definitely deserves all the happiness in the world. :)
