
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 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
- 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
- 2025 · The Roses as Theo Rose
- 2024 · Eric as Vincent
- 2023 · The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar as Henry Sugar / Make-Up Artist
- 2022 · Minions & More 1 as The Grinch (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
- 2021 · The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank
- 2021 · The Electrical Life of Louis Wain as Louis Wain
- 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
- 2018 · Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle as Shere Khan (voice)
- 2018 · The Grinch as Grinch (voice)
- 2018 · The Child in Time as Stephen Lewis
- 2018 · Patrick Melrose as Patrick Melrose
- 2018 · The Current War as Thomas Edison
- 2016 · Doctor Strange as Dr. Stephen Strange
- 2016 · Zoolander 2 as All
- 2015 · National Theatre Live: Hamlet as Hamlet
- 2015 · Black Mass as Billy Bulger
- 2013 · August: Osage County as Little Charles Aiken
- 2013 · 12 Years a Slave as William Ford
- 2013 · The Fifth Estate as Julian Assange
- 2013 · Star Trek Into Darkness as John Harrison / Khan
- 2012 · Why did you come to Japan? as Self
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Richard
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Richard III
- 2011 · War Horse as Maj. Jamie Stewart
- 2011 · Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as Peter Guillam
- 2011 · The Jonathan Ross Show as Self
- 2008 · The Other Boleyn Girl as William Carey
- 2007 · Atonement as Paul Marshall
- 2006 · Amazing Grace as William Pitt
- 2006 · Starter for 10 as Patrick Watts
- 2004 · Hawking as Stephen Hawking
- 2002 · Timeshift as self
- 1993 · GMTV as Self
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- Future · Blood on Snow as The Fisherman
- 2025 · The Thing with Feathers as Dad
- 2025 · Good Hang with Amy Poehler as
- 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 · Mog's Christmas as Mr. Thomas (voice)
- 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)
- 2022 · Behind the Scenes With Jane Campion as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (voice) (archive footage)
- 2019 · Between Two Ferns: The Movie as Benedict Cumberbatch
- 2019 · Brexit: The Uncivil War as Dominic Cummings
- 2018 · The Grinch Mini-Movies as Grinch (voice)
- 2016 · Naples '44 as Norman Lewis (voice)
- 2016 · Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Self - Performer
- 2016 · Sherlock: The Abominable Bride as Sherlock Holmes
- 2013 · Sherlock: Many Happy Returns as Sherlock Holmes
- 2013 · Little Favour as Wallace
- 2013 · National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Rosencrantz
- 2013 · Solar Superstorms as Narrator
- 2012 · Frankenstein: A Modern Myth as Self / Frankenstein / The Monster
- 2012 · Stephen Hawking's Grand Design as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Parade's End as Christopher Tietjens
- 2011 · Wreckers as David
- 2010 · The Whistleblower as Nick Kaufman
- 2010 · Third Star as James
- 2010 · Four Lions as Negotiator
- 2010 · Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking as Stephen Hawking
- 2010 · Van Gogh: Painted with Words as Vincent Van Gogh
- 2010 · Burlesque Fairytales as Henry Clark
- 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
- 2003 · To Kill a King as Royalist
- 2003 · Cambridge Spies as Edward Hand
- 2002 · Tipping the Velvet as Freddy
- 2002 · Fields of Gold as Jeremy
- Future · The War Magician as Jasper Maskelyne
- 2023 · Arctic: Our Frozen Planet as Narrator
- 2022 · The Tiger Who Came to Tea as Daddy (voice)
- 2022 · Reframing the West: Behind the Scenes of Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog as
- 2021 · Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel as Self
- 2021 · Letters Live from the Archive: Freemasons’ Hall as
- 2020 · Antarctica as Self - Narrator
- 2019 · The Dog Days of Winter as The Grinch (voice)
- 2019 · Cindy-Lou's Yule Log as The Grinch
- 2018 · Walking to Nam Kok Hotel as Doctor Strange (archive footage)
- 2017 · Walk with Me as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Mark Gatiss: A Study in Sherlock as Himself
- 2014 · Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D as Narrator (Voice)
- 2014 · The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Search and Rescue as Agent Classified (voice)
- 2014 · Cristiano Ronaldo: World at His Feet as Narrator
- 2014 · Unlocking Sherlock as Himself / Sherlock Holmes
- 2014 · How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master Detective as Self
- 2013 · Jerusalem as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Girlfriend in a Coma as Dante (voice)
- 2012 · WWI's Tunnels of Death The Big Dig as Narrator (Voice)
- 2012 · 빈센트 반 고흐: 편지로 만나는 그의 삶과 그림 as
- 2012 · Sherlock: Uncovered as Sherlock, Self
- 2012 · The Dreams of William Golding as Reader
- 2011 · The Rattigan Enigma by Benedict Cumberbatch as
- 2011 · National Theatre Live: Frankenstein as The Creature / Victor Frankenstein
- 2010 · Unlocking Sherlock as Himself
- 2009 · The Turning Point as Guy Burgess
- 2007 · Inseparable as Joe / Charlie
- 2004 · Dunkirk as Lt Jimmy Langley
- 2003 · Fortysomething as Rory Slippery
- Future · Morning as Frank
- Future · How to Stop Time as Tom
- Future · Wife & Dog as
- Future · Rogue Male as
- 2005 · The Man Who Predicted 9/11 as Narrator (voice)
- 2002 · Hills Like White Elephants as The Man
- Future · Gypsy Boy as
- Future · Supermarket slave trail as Narrator