Benedict Cumberbatch and the mysterious case of golden brown hair. Benedict Cumberbatch - interesting facts Benedict Cumberbatch's eye color

Benedict Cumberbatch is without a doubt one of the most talented British actors. We all remember him from the TV series Sherlock. He played a great agent in the classic detective story Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He has many bright roles to his credit. However, there are also facts in his life that fans might not even know about.

1. He might never have become an actor. At the insistence of his parents, Benedict was preparing with all his might to become a professional lawyer. Before he began studying drama at the University of Manchester, he spent a year studying in an English Tibetan monastery.
2. He has the right to perform same-sex marriages. The Emmy winner has received a license that allows him to perform same-sex marriages in countries where it is legal. Now Cumberbatch can safely marry his friends. Moreover, there was such a precedent: last year in Ibiza he married Seth Cummings and Rob Rinder.
3. His ancestors were former slave owners. We all remember Benedict very well from the film “12 Years a Slave.” After that, he said that his name was very popular during the times of slave owners. The actor's ancestors were famous slave owners. Therefore, Cumberbatch's mother asked not to use this surname in acting career son, fearing that this might cause a negative public reaction to him.
   
4. They tried to kidnap him. The famous Sherlock, in one of his interviews, told the amazing facts of the kidnapping attempt. A group of people kidnapped him and his co-star Denise Black. However, the actors managed to get out of such a difficult situation thanks to Benedict.
5. His favorite director is Stanley Kubrick. However, he would need 30,000 words to explain why Kubrick. By the way, this is exactly what he wrote in his dissertation.
6. He wants to become "king". When Benedict was asked who he would most like to play, he answered Elvis.
7. Cumberbatch is also a very talented artist. He attended Harrow Art School during his internship at the university. He painted a lot in oils in his free time. After he found fame as an actor, he painted several self-portraits of himself, which he sold and donated the proceeds to charity.
8. He has heterochromia of the iris. Just like his pal Kiefer Sutherland, Benedict has eyes different color. This phenomenon is medically known as iris heterochromia. The peculiarity of the phenomenon is that the eyes can change their color over time depending on the lighting.
   
9. The natural shade of his hair is golden brown. For his role in the TV series Sherlock, he had to dye his hair black. With his rather lean physique, he had to consume 4,000 calories a day to gain weight for his role in Star Trek. The hardest thing for the actor was to reset excess weight after finishing work on the painting.
10. Fans sometimes scare him. Benedict was shocked to the core when he learned that his neighbors were describing the actor’s every step and posting it all in social network. Cumberbatch, 38, admits that such popularity worries him very much from time to time.
11. He almost died twice. He was diagnosed with cardiac arrest 2 times in his life.

Life of the Stars

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19.07.15 10:08

We learned about him just a few years ago, and now we are eagerly awaiting the fourth season of Sherlock to watch the brilliant performance of this British actor. Its popularity is growing in geometric progression, now he has already competed for an Oscar for his role as a scientist in the film “The Imitation Game. We remember these and other facts about Benedict Cumberbatch on the occasion of his 39th birthday.

Interesting facts about Benedict Cumberbatch

Hereditary artist

Benedict is a hereditary artist. His father and mother also played in the theater and act in films and on TV. The father is the namesake of his son (in fact, our today's birthday boy is named Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch), who dropped the unpronounceable surname when he became an artist. Timothy Carlton's wife is 4 years older than him, her first and last name is Wanda Ventham. Both played the elder Holmes in the third season of Sherlock (they appear briefly in the first episode, and in the third, Mycroft, Sherlock and Watson and his wife come to their home for Christmas).

Agree, the actor’s surname and name are indeed not simple. As a child, Benedict was teased, and he himself used his surname to train his diction. Despite his parents' requests to change the indigestible combination to something simpler for the sake of the screen, Benedict left everything as it was. He is proud of the name and considers it a little old-fashioned, but “cozy.” Indeed, there is something Shakespearean in this.

Fairy Queen

The artist owes it to his mom and dad that they got him into the prestigious London school for boys, Harrow. When Benedict was 12 years old, he first appeared on stage in a student production: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was staged at school. Interesting fact: Benedict Cumberbatch started... with a female role, but with one of the main ones, he was entrusted with portraying the fairy queen, the beautiful Titania (girls in educational institution did not have). Then the young actor’s voice began to break, and he switched to male characters.

Timothy and Wanda did not want their son to become an artist - it is too dependent a profession, you never know whether they will give you a short episode or a coveted leading role. They thought they were raising a politician or a lawyer. But Benedict had a completely different opinion.

Idealist!

The boy read McEwan’s book “Saturday” and became inspired to become... a neurosurgeon. He wanted to do something very important, requiring full dedication: Benedict grew up an idealist.

The same idealistic views made the young man ashamed of the education he received at Harrow. And unexpectedly for everyone, after school, Cumberbatch went to Tibet. There he lived among the monks and taught them English. It was a rewarding experience. As the actor himself admits: “Being with these people 24 hours a day, I came to the conclusion - to search from morning to night spiritual meaning In life, you need a great sense of humor!”

Brunette? Blond? Blond!

For the role of Sherlock, the actor dyed his hair brunette, although his natural hair color is light brown (with pronounced red).

But in order to be more like his other hero, Assange (the film “The Fifth Estate”), Cumberbatch became blond, though not for long: this color clearly does not suit him!

Sex symbol and most popular on TV

When the series “Sherlock” received a flood of praise, and even true fans of Con Doyle’s work appreciated the elegance and wit of the plot, Cumberbatch was instantly “dubbed” as a new British sex symbol. Oh, and the actor makes fun of this title!

Another “title” that the Briton earned: he began to be called the most popular television actor in the world. He pushed Hugh Laurie off the pedestal, who had long held the leading position thanks to Gregory House. Well, another sociopathic genius turned out to be dearer to the audience’s hearts!

Power of persuasion

Another fact: Benedict Cumberbatch was filming in South Africa and, together with a colleague, was attacked by armed hijackers. The bandits tied up “Sherlock” and were going to stuff the not-so-small actor (his height, remember, is 183 cm) into the trunk. He used all his eloquence to convince the attackers, convincing them that he could die due to lack of air. “A dead Englishman in a car is a big problem!” Benedict ended his tirade, and the criminals retreated.

Having played a homosexual in the film “The Imitation Game,” Cumberbatch became imbued with the problems of sexual minorities and, together with Stephen Fry (he is openly gay), signed an appeal to the government of his country. They asked for pardon for those who were convicted of homosexuality in the 20th century (previously this was punishable by law).

Commander and young father

Benedict himself is straight. He dated one girl for a long time, but married a completely different one. His wife on February 14, 2015 was a not very famous actress with an Oxford diploma - Sophie Hunter.

On June 13, two very significant events took place in the life of Benedict Cumberbatch. Fact one: his wife bore him a son. Fact two: Queen Elizabeth made the artist Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Congratulations to him!

On January 12, the 3rd and final episode of the series “Sherlock” will be shown in Russia. The episode will be called "His Last Vow." The British series about the most famous detective is incredibly popular all over the world, as is the leading actor - Benedict Cumberbatch, for whom the role of Sherlock Holmes became the most stellar in his career. We present you 9 facts about Benedict Cumberbatch.

Fact one.

Benedict admits that at one time he used his last name to practice diction. By the way, Cumberbatch is by no means a typical British surname.

“Someone asked me if this was a pseudonym,” says Benedict. - No, Cumberbatch is mine. real name and, yes, I realize that some people associate such sounds with flatulence in the bath.”

And although he suffered a lot of ridicule from his peers in childhood (who even gave him the nickname “cucumber”), he did not want to change his name to a more harmonious one, although there was such an opportunity.

“I only want to be Benedict Cumberbatch,” he once said, since he considered his name, although old-fashioned, but very “cozy.”

Fact two.

Benedict's natural hair color is light brown with a red tint. Interestingly, before each role, the directors insisted that the actor dye himself in a darker tone.

Fact three.

His parents are also representatives of the acting profession. Mom is actress Wanda Ventham, dad is comedian Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch. By the way, they can be seen in the first episode of the third season of Sherlock, they played Holmes’s parents.

Benedict with his parents and half-sister Tracy.

Fact four.

At one time, his parents made every effort to ensure that Benedict got into one of the most prestigious private schools in the country - Harrow, in north-west London. The school was old-regime, only for boys. Therefore, when Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” began to be staged at the school theater, Benedict was offered the female role, which became his acting debut.

“I played Titania, the queen of fairies and elves. And then puberty came and I stopped playing women because of my voice.”

Fact five.

After graduating from a prestigious school, Benedict decided to leave for Tibet. And all because he became ashamed of his education and with his trip he tried to make amends to the world for a prosperous life. He taught in Tibet for a whole year English language to the monks in the monastery for shelter and food.

“Being around these people, I realized that to engage in spiritual quests from morning to night, you need an incredible sense of humor.”

Fact six.

Benedict deprived his compatriot Hugh Laurie of the title of the most popular television actor on the planet, but this did not affect the friendly relationship between Cumberbatch and Hugh Laurie, which arose in 2003 on the set of the series “A little over forty”: in it Benedict played one of the three sexually horny sons of the character Laurie.

“I hate being called a sex symbol,” he once admitted to Radio Times. – God curses my beauty and success. No, I really think it’s very funny, just a laugh.”

Fact eight.

Once, while filming a film in South Africa, Benedict Cumberbatch and his colleague became victims of armed robbers who wanted to steal a car. The criminals tied up the actor and wanted to push him into the trunk.

“I was just trying to explain to them,” the actor recalls. – I have problems with my heart and brain, so if you leave me here, then due to lack of air or cramped conditions I will die, and this will be a big problem for you. You’ll have a dead Englishman in your car, and that’s definitely not a good thing.”

Fact nine.

As a teenager, Benedict dreamed of being a doctor.

“I wanted to be a neurosurgeon. This desire appeared after reading the book “Saturday” by Ian McEwan. It would be great to do something useful and responsible, requiring a lot of effort, when you understand that something really important is on the scales,” Benedict Cumberbatch said in an interview.

Source: TIFF 2013: Benedict Cumberbatch and the Curious Case of the Auburn Hair

Benedict Cumberbatch talks about "It Boy"'s status at the Toronto Film Festival, playing Assange and his natural hair color.

Benedict Cumberbatch is almost an hour late for the interview, but that's not unexpected, is it?
After all, he's been extremely busy as an It Boy, with three premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival: The Fifth Estate (which opened the International Film Festival) and two likely Oscar contenders, 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage County."

Cumberbatch, at 37, shares Toronto festival "It Boy" status with another fellow British actor, Daniel Radcliffe, who also starred in three festival films. The Star dubbed them “Brit Boys” in its headline.

“I’m quite flattered,” says Cumberbatch, “if only because I’m ten years older than Daniel. If necessary, I’m ready to be the British Boy at any time.”

It seems that the title of It Boy or Brit Boy comes with important responsibilities, big and small. As soon as Cumberbatch sat down at the table at which he gave a series of Toronto interviews (and which strangely resembles a lightweight home version of the captain's bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise), suddenly, out of nowhere, a man appeared with a white plate in his hands. He wanted an autograph from the actor with a black marker on the plate, which he willingly did.

But let's get back to why Cumberbatch's lateness to the interview shouldn't surprise us: let's remember what he told the Independent newspaper in 2008.

He was then asked to continue the phrase: "Words that I say too often...", and he replied: "Sorry for being late! I don't know how to calculate time."

And he said so, having already played the critically acclaimed role of physicist Stephen Hawking** in the BBC television film Hawking. And very little time remained before the superstar performance of the role of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series "Sherlock" (2010), and before the supervillain who recently caused a stir in Star Trek, and before the fire-breathing dragon in the anticipated film "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" ".

And these are just a few of his current projects, plus rumors of a Star Wars prequel/sequel.

So being late is not surprising, is it? But Cumberbatch sincerely apologizes. It seems he was running from the meeting room to the street to catch his breath and have a quick smoke.

Sorry, this is my first Toronto International Film Festival. So busy that I don’t even have time to watch any of my films,” he says.

I notice that he looks rested, despite his busy work schedule.

I just didn't sit in the hotel - fresh air does wonders. Well yes, I look fine. I'm fine.

With Holmesian observation, I notice that he is wearing brown trousers, a blue denim shirt, a white striped windbreaker and striped canvas sneakers - barefoot.

And then I notice in a panic that his hair is dark, reddish-brown - and this does not at all fit the definition of “natural blond” that I gave him in a previous article in the Star. I fell into the journalistic sin of deciding that this was his natural coloring - because I had seen him like this on screen many times, including in “The Fifth Estate,” which comes out on October 18. In it, he plays notorious WikiLeaks whistleblower Julian Assange.

Describing Cumberbatch as a "natural blond" exposed me to sniper fire from his countless Twitter fans. Some of them scolded me indignantly, arguing that the lanky actor's real hair color was red, or "ginger" as the British call it.

“Come on, you can hit them back,” Cumberbatch stands up for me, grinning. - I'm not red.

Cumberbatch begins to thoughtfully develop the topic, and the four assistants/agents sitting behind look up from their iPhones and iPads, looking at him with keen interest.

“I am golden chestnut (auburn***) - this is a different color,” he says firmly.

I have red-haired relatives and Good friends, and believe me, this is completely different.
They never saw the proof! They might say, "we saw you when you were Frankenstein's Creature!" (the performance where Cumberbatch went on stage naked), but it wasn’t there, it wasn’t visible! The Creature in Frankenstein has hair darker than mine.

It was one of the strangest moments in my life: applying makeup to that very spot on my body. But my own hair is golden brown. There are definitely hints of red in them, but there are also hints of bronze, lighter and darker brown tones. As a child, I was as blond as young Julian in our film.

This is exactly the kind of scrupulousness you expect from a man who plays Sherlock Holmes, who can reconstruct a person’s entire life using the deductive method from cigar ashes.
It also fits well with the pedantry of Assange, the Australian computer whiz and muckraker who shook the world (and horrified many world leaders) in 2010 when WikiLeaks, in alliance with several influential newspapers, leaked thousands of US military secrets and government documents. .

Cumberbatch contacted Assange before playing him in The Fifth Estate (which he did very well), but Mr. WikiLeaks wouldn't hear of it. Assange was not inclined to enter into discussions on this topic: perhaps because he is still hiding from the threat of prosecution in the United States and Sweden - in a political refuge on the territory of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

“I wanted to meet him, he didn’t want to meet me,” sighs Cumberbatch, adding that he received a written refusal, not a verbal one.

“I did not speak to him. He could not accept that the film, as he learned, was based on two hostile sources - and this could seriously harm himself, his organization and the people who are on trial and awaiting extradition.

This position is worthy of respect, and at the same time I answered him as politely as he answered me: “I completely disagree. This is a good thing. We are going to work on your fame. Without slander. Without demonization. Without glorification, but with with the intention of exploring your complex story - this is a feature film, not a documentary."

Cumberbatch's perfect diction suddenly fails. He sheepishly takes the maple sugar candy out of his mouth.

"Sorry, but this candy is so delicious! Sorry if I slurred because of it."

Despite Assange's refusal, Cumberbatch still felt he had to do him justice and had no intention of portraying him as a dark internet rebel.

“I sincerely tried to talk about a person who cannot afford to show emotions openly, to show his humor, his personality in its entirety. I think his behavior is determined not by selfishness or self-defense - but by the fact that he does not want to overshadow his idea. "

I tell Cumberbatch that he is now hardly different from Assange in terms of the number of rumors and rumors. Both of them are at the center of a media tornado, and their every step, every word comes under the media's radar.

Cumberbatch's work schedule could have dried out three actors. He's probably making up for lost time - for those years when he made his way into obscurity: when, for example, at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival they showed his film "Hit the Top Ten" and he was considered too insignificant a figure to recoup the cost of an air ticket.

How does he stay in shape?

"Helps out healthy diet and sleep as soon as possible,” Cumberbatch chuckles.

“Actually, I have friends who help me keep my head clear, and for me - I suppose, as for Julian (albeit in a less serious sense), the main help is work. So if the work is appreciated, all the accompanying hype very nice, but unimportant.

I'm in a very advantageous position. I understand this, and it's not just that large quantities of my films at this festival, and even with such high-quality roles, but the fact that I generally have a job. In our business, this is a gift from above, because supply exceeds demand, and many talents remain unclaimed.

I ask who other real people, living or dead, would he like to play.

“Many, yes - but I already had a marathon of biographical films. Those whom I was offered to play are rich natures: deep, complex, multifaceted and so dissimilar from each other - after all, this is what attracts us to life stories; how can you refuse? They are outstanding representatives of the human race, and watching them and trying to portray them is very interesting."

What he really wants now - and what is natural after a series of gloomy characters - is to sing and dance.

"I'd love to play someone who can sing and dance. That's what I'd like to do. I haven't done a musical yet. And I'd love to do a romantic comedy... There's so much more I want to do."

Hmm, maybe he can combine the two and make a biopic about Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire?****

When it comes to Benedict Cumberbatch, as well as Sherlock Holmes, no deduction can be too bold.

___________
Notes

* An "It Boy" is a guy who has "It" in him: something (difficult to define) that makes him look at him greedily and desire him passionately. Beauty, wealth, fame are not yet It: there are many beautiful-rich-famous people, but those in whom that very thing shines something- elusive It - units.
“It” is a bright personality, it conquers, enchants and attracts, irresistibly attracts hearts and eyes.
"It Boy" is brilliant and popular, he is always in the spotlight, he has the most fashionable outfit and the coolest friends, he is a source of inspiration for couturiers, a gossip maker, he is a style icon, a sex symbol and a role model, he is the embodiment of dream.
Want to know about "It Girl"? that way .

** "Short story time" - bestseller by St. Hawking.

*** The laconic, clear “auburn” sounds somewhat intricately barber-shop-like in Russian: from “golden-chestnut” to “reddish-brown.”



Reference "auburn" -

Great Britain gave the world steam locomotives, Newton's laws and the Theory of Evolution. And also the brilliant and incomparable actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who shook off the dust of centuries from the old-school detective stories of Conan Doyle, appearing in the role of the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes. And this is the best we've seen. Forgive me, Mr. Livanov!

We won’t tell you about the heroic fortitude with which Benedict walked towards success. Or how he conquered the hearts of people from all over the world, regularly appearing on lists of the ugliest celebrities. You know all this without us. We would like to tell you something that only true fans and connoisseurs of the work of the legendary Briton know.

Maybe someday he will return to the role of Sherlock (plak-plak)?

FUNNY CUMBERY NICKNAMES

Since Benedict himself is ironic about his last name, then we can too. Here are the funniest nicknames that fans lovingly awarded him:

• Cucumber, in some places modified to Cucumber.
• Affectionate and sweet - Benya.
• Laconic – Potato(we don’t know why) .

By the way, Benedict's fans call themselves cumberb*tches(cambers*chicks). The actor, by the way, does not approve of this.

GOOD CUMBERY MOVIES

We’re sure you’ll watch Doctor Strange without us. So here are some lesser-known, but still very cool films with Benedict:

• "The Imitation Game" (2014). A perfect fit for the image of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician, logician and cryptographer.
• "The Third Star" (2010). Benedict plays a cancer patient who, despite the terrible diagnosis, continues to desperately love life.
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011). All cool grown guys in one very atmospheric movie.
• "The Fifth Estate" (2013). Julian Assange's hair the color of the first snow is almost the main feature of the biographical thriller about the WikiLeaks service.
• "Hawking" (2004). A film reflecting on how theoretical physics can turn into the poetry of existence.
• "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013). Who else will play a fictional creature so believably? Will he voice it so perfectly? True, you won’t hear Benya’s voice in the dubbing - a reason to learn English and watch the original!

Excellent Cumber series

We warn you right away: “Sherlock” will not be here, because it’s obvious.

• “A little over forty” (2003). Sex is at the center of this family comedy: the main character doesn’t have it, the wife probably doesn’t have it, the sons definitely don’t.
• "The Empty Crown" (2016). Film adaptation of Shakespeare's plays about English kings. Benya played the vain and smug Richard III. A must see for all history buffs.
• "Good Omens" (2019). Bad news: You won't see Cumberbatch. Good - the actor voiced not just anyone, but Satan himself. Well, is this a compelling reason to start watching TV series with subs?
• "Patrick Melrose" (2019). An English dandy and fashionista is trying to overcome his addictions and demons, the causes of which are a cruel father and an indifferent mother.

Secret Camber Facts

• Benedict's heterochromia. His eyes are blue, green and golden at the same time.
• Natural hair color- golden chestnut.
• Benedict year taught English in a Tibetan monastery for shelter and food.
• Before following in the footsteps of his actor parents, Benedict wanted to choose legal profession.
• Benedict writes paintings. Some are sold at charity auctions.
• Dream role- singer Elvis Presley.
• Favorite Director– Stanley Kubrick.
• In 2005, Benedict was in South Africa kidnapped by bandits. Fortunately, everything worked out fine.
• Benedict collects stuffed owls