Benedict Cumberbatch
Born
July 19, 1976 (48 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Hammersmith, London, England, UK
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
The Thing with Feathers
Dad
2025
Mog's Christmas
Mr. Thomas (voice)
2023
Poison
Harry Pope
2023
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Henry Sugar / Make-Up Artist
2023
Minions & More Volume 1
The Grinch (voice)
2022
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Self - Doctor Stephen Strange
2022
Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
Self (archive footage)
2022
Behind the Scenes With Jane Campion
Self (archive footage)
2022
Reframing the West: Behind the Scenes of Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog
2022
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (voice) (archive footage)
2021
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Smaug / Sauron (voice)
2014
The Imitation Game
Alan Turing
2014
Cristiano Ronaldo: World at His Feet
Narrator
2014
August: Osage County
Little Charles Aiken
2013
Sherlock: Many Happy Returns
Sherlock Holmes
2013
Walking with Dinosaurs
Narrator (Prehistoric Planet 3D Version)
2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Smaug / Sauron
2013
Little Favour
Wallace
2013
12 Years a Slave
William Ford
2013
The Fifth Estate
Julian Assange
2013
Star Trek Into Darkness
John Harrison / Khan
2013
Solar Superstorms
Narrator
2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Necromancer
2012
Girlfriend in a Coma
Dante (voice)
2012
War Horse
Maj. Jamie Stewart
2011
Wreckers
David
2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Peter Guillam
2011
National Theatre Live: Frankenstein
The Creature / Victor Frankenstein
2011
The Whistleblower
Nick Kaufman
2010
Third Star
James
2010
Four Lions
Negotiator
2010
Burlesque Fairytales
Henry Clark
2010
Creation
Joseph Dalton Hooker
2009
The Other Boleyn Girl
William Carey
2008
Stuart: A Life Backwards
Alexander Masters
2007
Inseparable
Joe / Charlie
2007
Atonement
Paul Marshall
2007
Amazing Grace
William Pitt
2006
Starter for 10
Patrick Watts
2006
The Man Who Predicted 9/11
Narrator (voice)
2005
Hawking
Stephen Hawking
2004
Magik
Lewis
The Roses
Theo
2025
The Phoenician Scheme
Uncle Nubar
2025
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More
Henry Sugar / Max Engelman / Harry (archive footage)
2024
The Book of Clarence
Benjamin
2024
The End We Start From
AB
2023
Arctic: Our Frozen Planet
Narrator
2023
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Stephen Strange
2022
The Power of the Dog
Phil Burbank
2021
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Louis Wain
2021
The Courier
Greville Wynne
2020
1917
Colonel MacKenzie
2019
Cindy-Lou's Yule Log
The Grinch
2019
The Dog Days of Winter
The Grinch (voice)
2019
Brexit: The Uncivil War
Dominic Cummings
2019
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Shere Khan (voice)
2018
The Grinch
Grinch (voice)
2018
The Child in Time
Stephen Lewis
2018
Avengers: Infinity War
Doctor Strange
2018
The Current War
Thomas Edison
2018
Thor: Ragnarok
Doctor Strange
2017
Walk with Me
Narrator (voice)
2017
Naples '44
Norman Lewis (voice)
2016
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC
Self - Performer
2016
Zoolander 2
All
2016
Mark Gatiss: A Study in Sherlock
Himself
2016
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
Sherlock Holmes
2016
National Theatre Live: Hamlet
Hamlet
2015
Black Mass
Billy Bulger
2015
9 Kisses
Man at Costume Party
2014
Penguins of Madagascar
Classified (voice)
2014
Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D
Narrator (Voice)
2014
Unlocking Sherlock
Himself / Sherlock Holmes
2014
Jerusalem
Narrator (voice)
2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
Rosencrantz
2013
Sherlock: Uncovered
Sherlock, Self
2012
Van Gogh: Painted with Words
Vincent Van Gogh
2010
The War Magician
Jasper Maskelyne
Fields of Gold
Jeremy
2002
Rogue Male
The Turning Point
Guy Burgess
2009
To Kill a King
Royalist
2003
Gypsy Boy
Avengers: Secret Wars
Doctor Strange
2027
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special
Self (archive footage)
2024
James Blunt: One Brit Wonder
Self (archive footage)
2023
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Daddy (voice)
2022
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Doctor Strange
2021
What If...?
Doctor Strange (voice) · (3 episodes)
2021
Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel
Self
2021
Letters Live from the Archive: Freemasons’ Hall
2021
The Mauritanian
Lt. Stuart Couch
2021
Antarctica
Self - Narrator
2020
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
Self
2020
Between Two Ferns: The Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch
2019
Avengers: Endgame
Doctor Strange
2019
The Grinch Mini-Movies
Grinch (voice)
2018
Walking to Nam Kok Hotel
Doctor Strange (archive footage)
2018
Doctor Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange
2016
The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Search and Rescue
Agent Classified (voice)
2014
How to Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of a Master Detective
Self
2014
Frankenstein: A Modern Myth
Self / Frankenstein / The Monster
2012
Parade's End
Christopher Tietjens · (5 episodes)
2012
Unlocking Sherlock
Himself
2010
Hills Like White Elephants
The Man
2002
Wife & Dog
Blood on Snow
The Fisherman
Stephen Hawking's Grand Design
Narrator (voice) · (3 episodes)
2012
The Rattigan Enigma by Benedict Cumberbatch
2011
Morning
Frank
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self · (1 episode)
2011
Sherlock
Sherlock Holmes · (12 episodes)
2010
Small Island
Bernard · (2 episodes)
2009
The Last Enemy
Stephen Ezard · (5 episodes)
2008
The One Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
Broken News
Will Parker · (6 episodes)
2005
To the Ends of the Earth
Edmund Talbot · (3 episodes)
2005
Agatha Christie's Marple
Luke Fitzwilliam · (1 episode)
2004
Fortysomething
Rory Slippery · (6 episodes)
2003
Spooks
Jim North · (1 episode)
2002
Silent Witness
Warren Reid · (2 episodes)
1996
GMTV
Self · (1 episode)
1993
Heartbeat
Toby Fisher · (1 episode)
1992
The Simpsons
Severus Snape / Prime Minister (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
How to Stop Time
Tom · (1 episode)
Eric
Vincent · (6 episodes)
2024
Super/Natural
Self - Narrator (voice) · (6 episodes)
2022
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge
Self · (1 episode)
2022
What If...?
Doctor Strange / Strange Supreme (voice) · (1 episode)
2021
What If...?
Doctor Strange / Strange-Supreme (voice) · (1 episode)
2021
What If...?
Strange Supreme / Demon Strange (voice) · (1 episode)
2021
Marvel Studios Legends
Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (archive footage) (uncredited) · (2 episodes)
2021
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(1 episode)
2019
Good Omens
Satan (voice) · (1 episode)
2019
Patrick Melrose
Patrick Melrose · (5 episodes)
2018
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (3 episodes)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014
WWI's Tunnels of Death The Big Dig
Narrator (Voice) · (2 episodes)
2012
The Hollow Crown
Richard · (1 episode)
2012
The Hollow Crown
Richard III · (1 episode)
2012
Why did you come to Japan?
Self · (1 episode)
2012
빈센트 반 고흐: 편지로 만나는 그의 삶과 그림
(1 episode)
2012
Honest Trailers
Khan (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2012
Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking · (3 episodes)
2010
South Pacific
Narrator (voice) · (6 episodes)
2009
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (7 episodes)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
2007
Nathan Barley
Robin · (2 episodes)
2005
Dunkirk
Lt Jimmy Langley · (3 episodes)
2004
Cambridge Spies
Edward Hand · (1 episode)
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Tipping the Velvet
Freddy · (1 episode)
2002
Top Gear
Self · (1 episode)
2002
Timeshift
self · (1 episode)
2002
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
Leute heute
Self · (1 episode)
1997
The Daily Show
Self · (1 episode)
1996
Heartbeat
Charles · (1 episode)
1992
The Simpsons
Quilloughby (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
(2 episodes)
1988
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (2 episodes)
1975
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1975
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)