Benedict Cumberbatch began performing in dramatic plays and
clubs during his education at Brambletye School in West Sussex and
Harrow School in northwest London. He spent a gap year teaching
English in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling in India
immediately after leaving school, and then on his return entered
the University of Manchester, where he studied drama. After
graduating, Benedict continued his training as an actor at the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). The son of actors
Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, he took his father's birth name
of Cumberbatch as his professional name.
Cumberbatch is prolific in all schools of acting, be it stage,
television, radio, or film. His theatre work includes roles in
several Shakespeare plays at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre
season during 2001/02, a run at the Almeida between 2004 and 2006,
followed by works at the Royal Court during 2007/08. He then
performed at the National Theatre in an adaptation of Terence
Rattigan's 'After the Dance' in 2010, and Danny Boyle's
extraordinary production of 'Frankenstein' in 2011, alternating the
parts of the Creator and the Creature with Jonny Lee Miller. Their
performances won both men the Best Actor Award at the 2012 Olivier
Awards, the most prestigious award ceremony dedicated to the
theatre in the United Kingdom.
His initial television work was confined to guest roles and
minor parts, including 'Tipping the Velvet', 'Silent Witness' and
'Spooks', before winning a part in 'Fortysomething', opposite Hugh
Laurie. After that, he progressed to leading roles, most
importantly playing Stephen Hawking in 'Hawking'. This in turn led
to major roles in William Golding's classic sea trilogy adaptation
'To the Ends of the Earth', 'Stuart: A Life Backwards', opposite
Tom Hardy, 'The Last Enemy', 'Small Island' and 'Van Gogh: Painted
with Words.'
While starring in these television projects, Benedict made his
way onto the big screen, again in small but memorable roles. His
single most recognisable was in 'Atonement', the adaptation of Ian
McEwan's best selling novel, which is credited for his casting as
Sherlock Holmes in 'Sherlock'.
A pilot episode for a possible six episode series was filmed in
January 2009. Though rejected in its initial form, the concept was
approved for the BBC's 'prestige' ninety minute drama format.
Cumberbatch played the lead in a small British film, 'Third Star'
over the late summer of 2009, and again returned to the role of
Captain Martin Crieff in the radio sitcom 'Cabin Pressure' in the
same year. 'Sherlock' resumed production in January 2010, and was
screened in August 2010.
His portrayal of Holmes has led him to further casting in film
and television, including Peter Guillam in 'Tinker Tailor Soldier
Spy', Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg's 'War Horse', the lead in
the major HBO miniseries 'Parade's End', and perhaps most
significantly, Smaug the Dragon - a long desired role for Benedict
- and the Necromancer in both parts of Peter Jackson's epic
adaptation of JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'.
Benedict's other forthcoming projects include a starring role in
the sequel to 2009's 'Star Trek' reboot, directed by J.J. Abrams,
as well as 'Phoenix', an independent American road movie
co-starring Liv Tyler. Both films are due for release in 2013.