ABOUT BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
FULL NAME
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch
CHARACTERS
Sherlock Holmes
DATE OF BIRTH
19 July 1976
PLACE OF BIRTH
London, England, UK
HEIGHT
6.04 ft (1.84 m)
FANMAIL
FAO: Benedict Cumberbatch
c/o Conway Van Gelder Grant
3rd Floor, 8-12 Broadwick Street
London W1F 8HW, UK
As much as he would like to, Benedict is unable to answer mail personally or sign personal items, it would just be impossible due to the overwhelming amount of mail he receives every week. However, it does ALL get read and he does see as much of it as possible and is very grateful for all the lovely gifts, kind comments and support the letters give him. From time to time, a photocopy signature will be sent in reply, but with so much fanmail, it is impossible to guarantee a reply.
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Benedict Cumberbatch began performing in dramatic plays and clubs during his education at Brambletye School in West Sussex and Harrow School in northwest London. He spent a gap year teaching English in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling in India immediately after leaving school, and then on his return entered the University of Manchester, where he studied drama. After graduating, Benedict continued his training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). The son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, he took his father's birth name of Cumberbatch as his professional name.
Cumberbatch is prolific in all schools of acting, be it stage, television, radio, or film. His theatre work includes roles in several Shakespeare plays at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre season during 2001/02, a run at the Almeida between 2004 and 2006, followed by works at the Royal Court during 2007/08. He then performed at the National Theatre in an adaptation of Terence Rattigan's 'After the Dance' in 2010, and Danny Boyle's extraordinary production of 'Frankenstein' in 2011, alternating the parts of the Creator and the Creature with Jonny Lee Miller. Their performances won both men the Best Actor Award at the 2012 Olivier Awards, the most prestigious award ceremony dedicated to the theatre in the United Kingdom.
His initial television work was confined to guest roles and minor parts, including 'Tipping the Velvet', 'Silent Witness' and 'Spooks', before winning a part in 'Fortysomething', opposite Hugh Laurie. After that, he progressed to leading roles, most importantly playing Stephen Hawking in 'Hawking'. This in turn led to major roles in William Golding's classic sea trilogy adaptation 'To the Ends of the Earth', 'Stuart: A Life Backwards', opposite Tom Hardy, 'The Last Enemy', 'Small Island' and 'Van Gogh: Painted with Words.'
While starring in these television projects, Benedict made his way onto the big screen, again in small but memorable roles. His single most recognisable was in 'Atonement', the adaptation of Ian McEwan's best selling novel, which is credited for his casting as Sherlock Holmes in 'Sherlock'.
A pilot episode for a possible six episode series was filmed in January 2009. Though rejected in its initial form, the concept was approved for the BBC's 'prestige' ninety minute drama format. Cumberbatch played the lead in a small British film, 'Third Star' over the late summer of 2009, and again returned to the role of Captain Martin Crieff in the radio sitcom 'Cabin Pressure' in the same year. 'Sherlock' resumed production in January 2010, and was screened in August 2010.
His portrayal of Holmes has led him to further casting in film and television, including Peter Guillam in 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg's 'War Horse', the lead in the major HBO miniseries 'Parade's End', and perhaps most significantly, Smaug the Dragon - a long desired role for Benedict - and the Necromancer in both parts of Peter Jackson's epic adaptation of JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'.
Benedict's other forthcoming projects due for release in 2013/14 include a starring role as the mysterious terrorist John Harrison in 'Star Trek Into Darkness', the sequel to director J.J. Abram's 2009 franchise reboot; '12 Years a Slave' from director Steve McQueen starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Brad Pitt; and a much talked about role as the infamous Julian Assange in 'The Fifth Estate'.
Following filming on Sherlock Series Three, Benedict is set to rejoin director Paul McGuigan for an untitled biographical film about the life of 'fifth Beatle' Brian Epstein, and to star in 'The Imitation Game' as the celebrated and tragic Alan Turing, who famously helped to crack the German Enigma coding machine during the Second World War.
IS HE ON TWITTER?
You may have come across accounts on Twitter that claim to be Benedict Cumberbatch. Even though they appear to be very convincing, sadly these are imposters.
Benedict Cumberbatch's agency, Conway van Gelder Grant Ltd, has informed us that Benedict would very much like it known by as many people as possible that he is NOT on twitter.
Should he ever decide to join Twitter, once we have had it confirmed by his official representatives, we will immediately add his Twitter handle to the information above.