Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor, whose illustrious career is one filled with an abundance of awards and recognition from all corners of the world. From winning a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Play for Frankenstein, to a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Sherlock, it's no surprise that Cumberbatch has earned his place as one of the greatest, most beloved actors in the world. Famed for his roles on both the screen and the stage, the actor is a graduate of the Victoria University of Manchester and continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he obtained a Master of Arts in Classical Acting. After making his West End debut in Richard Eyre's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005, Cumberbatch has since starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance (2010) and Frankenstein (2011), and in 2015, he played the title role in Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre. Cumberbatch's television work includes his performance as Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004, and he gained worldwide recognition for his performance as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock from 2010 to 2017. He has also starred in Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Parade's End (2012), The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016), Patrick Melrose (2018), and Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019). His film credits are equally as impressive, with roles in 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. He also acted in the historical dramas The Current War (2017), 1917 (2019) and The Courier (2020), and received critical acclaim for his performance in Jane Campion's Western drama The Power of the Dog (2021). From 2012 to 2014, through voice and motion capture, he played the characters of Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit film series. Cumberbatch portrays Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, beginning with Doctor Strange (2016), and also voiced the character in the animated series What If...? (2021). His work has even earned him a place in the Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014, and in 2015 he was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to the performing arts and to charity. There's no doubt that with Cumberbatch's immense talent and incredible charm, he will continue to entertain audiences around the world for many years to come. After all, he may be the only man who can make playing a dragon and a wizard look both cool and dignified!