Benedict Cumberbatch on acting

Actor talks about his various roles in films out in 2013

Benedict Cumberbatch, star of The Fifth Estate and supporting actor in 12 Years a Slave, talks about finding challenging film roles.

Rising star Benedict Cumberbatch was a force at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Cumberbatch appeared in three films — The Fifth Estate, 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage Country — and the performances are as strong as they are diverse. His roles range from an empathetic slave owner to Julian Assange.

“As an actor approaching a role you have to find a level of empathy and understanding with your character, and I think to try and carve out anything that’s two-dimensional, to go into this realm of . . . you know, thumbs up, thumbs down — I just find that so limiting.”

Both The Fifth Estate and 12 Years a Slave open in theatres this week.

August: Osage County hits theatres in the new year.

Read more about Cumberbatch:

Benedict Cumberbatch on officiating a gay wedding

Controversy abounds over Julian Assange biopic, The Fifth Estate

Keep Reading

A side by side of two black and white photos by photographer Peter Hujar, one a self portrait and the other his piece Orgasmic Man.

The haunting photographs of Peter Hujar

Photographer Peter Hujar’s work revelled in eroticism, pain and the thin line between life and death
Demonstrators put up an LGBT Pride flag at Stonewall National Monument after it was removed by the Trump Administration

Pride flag returns to Stonewall after sudden removal

The Pride flag at Stonewall National Monument was taken down after a crackdown on “improper partisan ideology” in federal landmarks

How a Canadian social media age ban would impact trans people of all ages

Whether it’s requiring government ID or scanning users’ faces, digital age-verification tools pose a host of problems for queer and trans people
A screenshot of sexual health Instagram account Bellesa, which was banned by Meta.

Popular women’s sexual health Instagram hit with sudden Meta ban

The ban on Bellesa Boutique's page, which caters to women and queer people, comes amidst a bigger crackdown on sex content
Advertisement