
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born July 19, 1976) is an English actor. Known for his roles on the screen and stage, he has received various accolades throughout his career, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Television Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award. Cumberbatch won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Frankenstein and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Sherlock. His performances in the dramas The Imitation Game (2014) and The Power of the Dog (2021) earned him nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award, all for Best Actor in a Leading Role. For playing the title role in five-part drama miniseries Patrick Melrose, he won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In 2014 Time magazine included him in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, 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. A graduate of the Victoria University of Manchester, Cumberbatch continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, obtaining a Master of Arts in Classical Acting. He first performed at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in Shakespearean productions and made his West End debut in Richard Eyre's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005. Since then, he has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance (2010) and Frankenstein (2011). 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. He gained worldwide recognition for his performance as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock from 2010 to 2017. He has also headlined 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). In films, Cumberbatch has starred 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).
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · The Roses as Theo
- 2025 · The Phoenician Scheme as Uncle Nubar
- 2022 · Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Doctor Stephen Strange
- 2021 · Spider-Man: No Way Home as Doctor Strange
- 2021 · What If...? as Doctor Strange (voice)
- 2021 · What If...? as Doctor Strange / Strange Supreme (voice)
- 2021 · What If...? as Doctor Strange / Strange-Supreme (voice)
- 2021 · What If...? as Strange Supreme / Demon Strange (voice)
- 2019 · The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- 2019 · Good Omens as Satan (voice)
- 2019 · Avengers: Endgame as Doctor Strange
- 2018 · Avengers: Infinity War as Doctor Strange
- 2017 · Thor: Ragnarok as Doctor Strange
- 2016 · Doctor Strange as Dr. Stephen Strange
- 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 2014 · The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as Smaug / Sauron (voice)
- 2014 · Penguins of Madagascar as Classified (voice)
- 2014 · The Imitation Game as Alan Turing
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 2014 · The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2013 · The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as Smaug / Sauron
- 2012 · The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Necromancer
- 2010 · Sherlock as Sherlock Holmes
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self - Guest
- 2006 · The One Show as Self - Guest
- 2004 · Agatha Christie's Marple as Luke Fitzwilliam
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2002 · Spooks as Jim North
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · Leute heute as Self
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Silent Witness as Warren Reid
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Toby Fisher
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Charles
- 1990 · Have I Got News for You as Self - Host
- 1989 · The Simpsons as Severus Snape / Prime Minister (voice)
- 1989 · The Simpsons as Quilloughby (voice)
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- Future · Have I Got a Bit More News for You as Self - Presenter
- 2024 · The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More as Henry Sugar / Max Engelman / Harry (archive footage)
- 2024 · The Book of Clarence as Benjamin
- 2023 · The End We Start From as AB
- 2023 · James Blunt: One Brit Wonder as Self (archive footage)
- 2023 · Poison as Harry Pope
- 2022 · Super/Natural as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (voice) (archive footage)
- 2021 · The Electrical Life of Louis Wain as Louis Wain
- 2020 · Antarctica as Self - Narrator
- 2019 · Between Two Ferns: The Movie as Benedict Cumberbatch
- 2019 · The Dog Days of Winter as The Grinch (voice)
- 2018 · The Child in Time as Stephen Lewis
- 2018 · The Current War as Thomas Edison
- 2016 · Naples '44 as Norman Lewis (voice)
- 2016 · Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Self - Performer
- 2015 · National Theatre Live: Hamlet as Hamlet
- 2014 · Unlocking Sherlock as Himself / Sherlock Holmes
- 2013 · August: Osage County as Little Charles Aiken
- 2013 · Jerusalem as Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Rosencrantz
- 2012 · Stephen Hawking's Grand Design as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Parade's End as Christopher Tietjens
- 2012 · Sherlock: Uncovered as Sherlock, Self
- 2010 · The Whistleblower as Nick Kaufman
- 2010 · Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking as Stephen Hawking
- 2010 · Van Gogh: Painted with Words as Vincent Van Gogh
- 2009 · Small Island as Bernard
- 2009 · Creation as Joseph Dalton Hooker
- 2009 · South Pacific as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2008 · The Last Enemy as Stephen Ezard
- 2007 · Stuart: A Life Backwards as Alexander Masters
- 2005 · Broken News as Will Parker
- 2005 · To the Ends of the Earth as Edmund Talbot
- 2005 · Nathan Barley as Robin
- 2004 · Hawking as Stephen Hawking
- 2004 · Dunkirk as Lt Jimmy Langley
- 2003 · Fortysomething as Rory Slippery
- 2003 · To Kill a King as Royalist
- 2003 · Cambridge Spies as Edward Hand
- 2002 · Tipping the Velvet as Freddy
- Future · Blood on Snow as The Fisherman
- 2025 · The Thing with Feathers as Dad
- 2024 · Eric as Vincent
- 2023 · Mog's Christmas as Mr. Thomas (voice)
- 2023 · Arctic: Our Frozen Planet as Narrator
- 2023 · The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar as Henry Sugar / Make-Up Artist
- 2022 · Minions & More 1 as The Grinch (voice)
- 2022 · The Tiger Who Came to Tea as Daddy (voice)
- 2022 · Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge as Self
- 2022 · Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Self - Doctor Stephen Strange
- 2022 · Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · Behind the Scenes With Jane Campion as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · Reframing the West: Behind the Scenes of Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog as
- 2021 · The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank
- 2021 · Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel as Self
- 2021 · Letters Live from the Archive: Freemasons’ Hall as
- 2021 · The Mauritanian as Lt. Stuart Couch
- 2021 · Marvel Studios Legends as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2020 · Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King as Self
- 2020 · The Courier as Greville Wynne
- 2019 · 1917 as Colonel MacKenzie
- 2019 · Cindy-Lou's Yule Log as The Grinch
- 2019 · Brexit: The Uncivil War as Dominic Cummings
- 2018 · Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle as Shere Khan (voice)
- 2018 · The Grinch Mini-Movies as Grinch (voice)
- 2018 · The Grinch as Grinch (voice)
- 2018 · Walking to Nam Kok Hotel as Doctor Strange (archive footage)
- 2018 · Patrick Melrose as Patrick Melrose
- 2016 · Mark Gatiss: A Study in Sherlock as Himself
- 2014 · Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D as Narrator (Voice)
- 2013 · Little Favour as Wallace
- 2012 · WWI's Tunnels of Death The Big Dig as Narrator (Voice)
- Future · How to Stop Time as Tom
- 2017 · Walk with Me as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Zoolander 2 as All
- 2016 · Sherlock: The Abominable Bride as Sherlock Holmes
- 2015 · Black Mass as Billy Bulger
- 2014 · The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Search and Rescue as Agent Classified (voice)
- 2014 · Cristiano Ronaldo: World at His Feet as Narrator
- 2014 · How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master Detective as Self
- 2013 · Sherlock: Many Happy Returns as Sherlock Holmes
- 2013 · Walking with Dinosaurs as Narrator (Prehistoric Planet 3D Version)
- 2013 · 12 Years a Slave as William Ford
- 2013 · The Fifth Estate as Julian Assange
- 2013 · Star Trek Into Darkness as John Harrison / Khan
- 2013 · Solar Superstorms as Narrator
- 2012 · Girlfriend in a Coma as Dante (voice)
- 2012 · Frankenstein: A Modern Myth as Self / Frankenstein / The Monster
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Richard
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Richard III
- 2012 · Why did you come to Japan? as Self
- 2012 · 빈센트 반 고흐: 편지로 만나는 그의 삶과 그림 as
- 2011 · War Horse as Maj. Jamie Stewart
- 2011 · Wreckers as David
- 2011 · Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as Peter Guillam
- 2011 · The Jonathan Ross Show as Self
- 2011 · The Rattigan Enigma by Benedict Cumberbatch as
- 2011 · National Theatre Live: Frankenstein as The Creature / Victor Frankenstein
- 2010 · Unlocking Sherlock as Himself
- 2010 · Third Star as James
- 2010 · Four Lions as Negotiator
- 2010 · Burlesque Fairytales as Henry Clark
- 2009 · The Turning Point as Guy Burgess
- 2008 · The Other Boleyn Girl as William Carey
- 2007 · Inseparable as Joe / Charlie
- 2007 · Atonement as Paul Marshall
- 2006 · Amazing Grace as William Pitt
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Patrick Watts
- 2005 · The Man Who Predicted 9/11 as Narrator (voice)
- 2002 · Timeshift as self
- 2002 · Fields of Gold as Jeremy
- 2002 · Hills Like White Elephants as The Man
- 1993 · GMTV as Self
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- Future · The War Magician as Jasper Maskelyne
- Future · Wife & Dog as
- Future · Magik as Lewis
- Future · Morning as Frank
- Future · Rogue Male as
- Future · Gypsy Boy as