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Birth Date
Benedict Cumberbatch was born on July 19th, 1976 at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London, UK. -
Family Members
Born to Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (Both Actors) they played in many films as well, he also has a half sister(Tracy Peacock, deceased) from his mother's first marriage with James Tabernacle, later Wanda Ventham married Timothy Carlton and Benedict Cumberbatch grew up living with Tracy Peacock. -
Childhood Shelter
For most of his childhood he lived in Kensington and Chelsea in West London. -
Early Education (Brambletye and Harrow School)
He started boarding school at the age of 8 first attending Brambletye School, which was founded in 1919 and later attending Harrow School, founded in 1572 for boys the age of 12-19. Harrow was a school under Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I. -
First Play (A Midsummers Night's Dream)
At 12 years old in Harrow's Production he played in Shakespeare's A Midsummers Night's Dream. Interestingly he played a female character, Titiana, Queen of the Fairies. He would also later on go to play more Shakespearean plays, this play being his start. -
Influences
His parents were a big influence in his acting career, both of his parents were also actors and that may have given him early exposure to theatre. -
Influences
Another person that heavily influenced Benedict Cumberbatch's acting career was his professor at the University of Manchester, also a stage, television and film actor. -
University Education
Benedict Cumberbatch attended the University of Manchester and studied drama there, earning a Master's Degree is classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Art. After earning his degree he had a year gap and taught English at a Tibetan Monastery in Darjeeling, India. -
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2001)
In 2001 Cumberbatch played in A Midsummer Night's Dream again this time playing Demetrius, starting his professional theatre acting career. This play was a comedy written by Shakespeare in 1595-96. -
Love's Labour Lost
Benedict Cumberbatch played Ferdinand in the Open Air Theatre in 2001. This play was a comedy written by Shakespeare in the 1590s -
Period: to
Professional Theatre Acting
Benedict Cumberbatch acted in theatre plays from 2001 to 2015 -
Productions
Cumberbatch had many big roles in classic plays at the Regent's Park Open Air, Almeida, Royal Court and Royal National Theatres since 2001. -
Production of Theatre Acting
The Regent's Park Open Air, Almeida, Royal Court and Royal National Theatres have is where most of Cumberbatch's plays were. -
Protesting
Cumberbatch participated in a protest in London against the Iraq War, and against the War Prevention Coalition, he addressed protests organized by a trade union in Westminster about risks of spending cuts for the arts. This could have affected the theatre industry and his plays. -
Hedda Gabler
Cumberbatch played George Tesman in Hedda Gabler, and performed in the Almedia Theatre. This play started at the Almeida Theatre and later moved to West End, and he was nominated for an Olivier Award for the role he played. Hedda Gabler was written by Henrik Isben and premiered January 31, 1891. -
The Lady from the Sea
Benedict Cumberbatch played Lyngstrand in this play at the Almeida Theatre. This was a play written in 1888 by a Norwegian playwright Henrik Isben. -
Ian Charleson Awards
Benedict Cumberbatch won the Ian Charleson Awards in the category of Best Classical Stage Performance with Hedda Gabler in 2005 and was nominated with Love's Labour's Lost. -
Period of Adjustment
Benedict Cumberbatch played George in the play also at the Almeida Theatre. This play was by Tennessee Williams in 1960 and is about 2 veteran soldiers and their PTSD regarding the Korean War and its effect on their personal lives and relationships. -
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Film Acting
Benedict Cumberbatch has also acted in many films concurrent to his theatre acting and has won many awards through film. The major films he has been a part of are ,The Imitation Game (2014), he was nominated for an Academy Award, Stephen Hawking (2004) and Sherlock Holmes television series (2014). -
Laurence Olivier Award
Cumberbatch won the Laurence Olivier Award with Royal National Theatre productions, Frankenstein, and was nominated with After the Dance. -
After the Dance
Cumberbatch played in After the Dance in 2010 playing David Scott-Fowler at the Royal National Theatre. With this play he was nominated for the Olivier Award. This play was from Terence Rattigan and it premiered in June 21, 1939, but not being so successful with only 60 runs until the 2010 revival play starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Guardian Critic saying that Rattigan was a "supreme dramatists of the 20th century" with this revival. -
Frankenstein (2011)
Cumberbatch played in Frankenstein in the Royal National Theatre playing Victor Frankenstein/The Creature, this was one of the plays that also contributed to his Olivier Award. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller both starring in the play gave life to the creature. He also won 2 other awards in the Best Actor Category for the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, and Evening Standard Theatre Awards. -
Places Lived
Benedict Cumberbatch probably has many other houses, but around the time he was going to get married he got a house in Los Angeles in 2014. -
WhatsOnStage Awards
Benedict Cumberbatch won the WhatsOnStage Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Hamlet in 2015 -
Marriage
Benedict Cumberbatch married Sophie Hunter in 2015 on Valentines Day, and they have been married for 7 years now. -
Children
Benedict Cumberbatch has three children, Christopher (7), Hal (6), and Finn (4). -
Hamlet
Benedict Cumberbatch played Prince Hamlet in the 2015 play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, (shortened to just Hamlet) written by Shakespeare around 1599 to 1601 and is one of Shakespeare's longest plays. (29,551 words). -
Places Lived
Benedict Cumberbatch recently in 2022 bought a home in South Somerset country side in England. -
Health Issues
Benedict Cumberbatch does not have any permanent health issues, but he did get nicotine poisoning three times while shooting a film in 2021 -
Refrences
https://people.com/movies/benedict-cumberbatch-sophie-hunter-relationship-timeline/#:~:text=February%2014%2C%202015%3A%20Benedict%20Cumberbatch,after%20announcing%20their%20baby%20news. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2952045/Benedict-Cumberbatch-s-sprawling-new-10-8m-mansion-Los-Angeles.html -
Refrences
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20211110126015/benedict-cumberbatch-harrowing-health-issues-filming-new-movie/ https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Benedict-Cumberbatch/#:~:text=He%20began%20acting%20in%20Shakespearean,Best%20Actor%20for%20the%20latter. https://freemanandcumberbatch.wordpress.com/benedict-cumberbacth/theatre/hedda-gabler/ -
Refrences
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benedict-Cumberbatch https://harrowonline.org/2023/01/21/benedict-cumberbatch-and-his-time-at-harrow-school/ https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/benedict-cumberbatch https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/benedict-cumberbatch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Benedict_Cumberbatch_performances