Talking Movies: The Many Masks of Benedict Cumberbatch

Welcome to Talking Movies, I’m Spling…

This week we begin the first episode of the two part series, The Many Masks of Benedict Cumberbatch…

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an award-winning English actor who has been appointed a CBE by the Queen and included in Time magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People in the World list. Attending the Victoria University of Manchester before enrolling for a Master of Arts in Classical Acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Before Eddie Redmayne became inextricably linked with Stephen Hawking, it was Cumberbatch who played the late great Hawking. Rising up through the ranks of theatre, TV and film, you may remember Cumberbatch playing a supporting role to James McAvoy in Starters for 10. While Cumberbatch is best served in leading roles, he has done a great job in smaller supporting roles with an old world look and sophistication that makes him an asset to war dramas such as Atonement, War Horse, Dunkirk and 1917.

Here are a few of his most memorable masks…

Stephen Hawking – Hawking (2004)

Even two decades ago, Cumberbatch was attracting challenging roles where he was asked to portray genius. Perhaps it’s his elongated face, calculating blue eyes or distinguished manner that make him seem intelligent, even a bit alien.

In the BBC film Hawking, Cumberbatch plays Hawking in his early years at Cambridge University leading to his struggle with motor neuron disease. The performance, credited as the first portrayal of the world famous physicist on screen not by himself, was lauded with praise from critics in particular putting the young actor on the map.

Vincent Van Gogh – Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010)

Cumberbatch has an artful quality, something not often as exploited as his aura of super intelligence. While far from being impoverished, the “New King of Celebrity Impressionists” was able to capture the essence of one of the art world’s most adored impressionists. A chameleon of sorts, the actor was able to channel his talents into a performance as Van Gogh, which The Daily Telegraph described as “impassioned”, “vividly” bringing the renowned artist to “blue-eyed life”.

Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock (2010)

The list just wouldn’t be complete without adding his eponymous role as Sherlock Holmes. The contemporary version finds Cumberbatch giving his own spin to the character whose brilliance is cleverly edited to demonstrate how quickly his mind works. Sparring with Andrew Scott as his nemesis Moriarty in a modern London and joining many adventures with The Hobbit Trilogy co-star Martin Freeman, the revitalised Sherlock benefits from Cumberbatch’s immense presence and intoxicatingly wiley charms.

Victor Frankenstein/Frankenstein’s Monster – Frankenstein (2011)

Danny Boyle directed a stage production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the Royal National Theatre, which was broadcast to cinemas. The Slumdog Millionaire director’s adaptation received high praise, much of which was directed to Cumberbatch for his performance, which found him alternating between playing Victor Frankenstein and his monster on stage. It was this performance that garnered Cumberbatch the coveted “Triple Crown” earning him the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award, Evening Standard Award as well as the Olivier Award.

Smaug – The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

When people speak about motion capture or “mocap”, it’s generally Andy Serkis’ name that crops up. The undisputed king of motion capture performance, his work is probably the biggest proponent for the technology’s inclusion at the Academy Awards. While these are still early days when it comes to completely digital characters or those based on physical performance, it’s Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn as Smaug that’s only getting the credit it so rightfully deserves now.

Videos depicting his behind-the-scenes performance where “gives it horns” seems like an understatement, the actor contorts his body like Tolkien’s dragon would, once again plying his golden voice and air of centuries-old wisdom and intelligence.

Khan – Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Playing the reimagined Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness just seemed obvious for Cumberbatch, maybe too obvious considering his work on Sherlock. Spectacular visuals, high-flying entertainment and the Kirk-Spock bromance take centre stage, but it’s Khan’s scheming, scene-stealing performance as the “superhuman” character with personal vendettas that truly elevate this action-packed sequel.

A one-man army and ruthless terrorist, this is a convincing and undeniably magnetic performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. A complex character underscored by a supremely watchable performance, Khan’s deceptive machinations make him every bit as mysterious and troublesome as Loki in The Avengers.

Julian Assange (Asunge) – The Fifth Estate (2013)

Besides Smaug, playing Julian Assange is probably one of his most dramatic transformations. It’s not often that Cumberbatch makes a drastic physical transformation like his Stuart: A Life Backwards co-star Tom Hardy, who didn’t get enough credit for his performance as Bain in The Dark Knight Rises. So, it’s usually a slight physical alteration and more about his actual appearance from the shoulders up.

Going for long white hair is a bit of a shock for audiences who have become accustomed to seeing Cumberbatch transform more gradually on screen or stage. While the film was a little underwhelming, Cumberbatch got a chance to try something completely different in the paranoid Fifth Estate as the WikiLeaks bigwig.

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