Benedict Cumberbatch
Born July 19, 1976 · Hammersmith, London, England, UK
4
Films reviewed
8.2
Avg. rating
Avengers: Infinity War
Best-reviewed
2013–2021
Years active
Biography
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).
On theIReview.com
Films featuring Benedict Cumberbatchthat we've reviewed.
★ 8.1Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Doctor Strange
Jon Watts · 2021
RT 93%
★ 8.21917
as Colonel Mackenzie
Sam Mendes · 2020
RT 88%
★ 8.4Avengers: Infinity War
as Dr. Stephen Strange: A former neurosurgeon who, after a car accident that led to a journey of healing, discovered the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions and became a Master of the Mystic Arts. Markus and McFeely described Strange as "[ending] up being the reasonable adult in the room" with the "widest perspective available". Julian "JayFunk" Daniels once again assisted Cumberbatch with his finger-tutting movements.
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo · 2018
RT 85%
★ 8.112 Years a Slave
as William Ford
Steve McQueen · 2013
RT 95%
Review Highlights
AI-summarized critic and audience reaction, pulled from the Fan & Critic Buzz on their highest-rated films with us.
“The public reaction to "Avengers: Infinity War" is overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its visual stunningness and narrative ambition. Some reviewers noted a slight improvement in pacing, while others felt the movie's flaws outweighed its strengths. The movie has been cited as one of the best superhero movies of all time by some, with some even calling it "the best MCU movie".”
From the Fan & Critic Buzz on Avengers: Infinity War →
“The movie "1917" has received generally positive reactions from critics and audiences alike. Many praise its technical achievements, such as the use of IMAX technology to bring the film's one-shot composition to life. Others appreciate its visceral depiction of World War I and the bravery of soldiers like George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman. The film is also commended for its performances, particularly by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, who deliver strong leads in the story. Some reviewers have noted that the movie's pacing can be slow at times, but overall, it has been praised as a visually stunning and emotionally powerful Great War movie.”
From the Fan & Critic Buzz on 1917 →
Selected Filmography
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon(2014)TV Series · 3 epsas Self - Guest
- The Simpsons(1989)TV Series · 1 epas Quilloughby (voice)
- The Daily Show(1996)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert(2015)TV Series · 2 epsas Self - Guest
- Late Night with Seth Meyers(2014)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
- The Kelly Clarkson Show(2019)TV Series · 1 epas Self
- Conan(2010)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
- Saturday Night Live(1975)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- The Graham Norton Show(2007)TV Series · 2 epsas Self - Guest
- Avengers: Endgame(2019)as Doctor Strange
- The Colbert Report(2005)TV Series · 1 epas Smaug (voice)
- Avengers: Doomsday(2026)as Doctor Stephen Strange
- Silent Witness(1996)TV Series · 2 epsas Warren Reid
- Have I Got News for You(1990)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Host
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!(2003)TV Series · 7 epsas Self - Guest
- The View(1997)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
- Top Gear(2002)TV Series · 1 epas Self
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(2022)as Doctor Stephen Strange
- Thor: Ragnarok(2017)as Doctor Strange
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark(1988)TV Series · 2 epsas Self