Benedict Cumberbatch's Best Roles Through The Years

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Benedict Cumberbatch

Born July 19, 1976 in London, England, Benedict Cumberbatch was destined for the spotlight. The son of actor Timothy Carlton and actress Wanda Ventham, Benedict developed a passion for drama at an early age. Throughout his childhood he would star in numerous Shakespeare performances and after training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Benedict was ready to perform on the prestigious West End!

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'Hawking'

While performing in the London theater scene, Benedict Cumberbatch was also making his way into television. After a few smaller roles in series such as British police drama Heartbeat, Benedict landed his breakthrough role as "Stephen Hawking" in comedy television film Hawking.

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'Amazing Grace'

By 2006, Benedict Cumberbatch had made a name for himself in the British theater and television scene and was ready for his big film breakthrough when he landed the part of British parliamentarian "William Pitt the Younger" in biographical drama Amazing Grace. Nominated for a British Breakthrough Acting Award, Benedict would then be cast in 2007's Atonement which would lead to his next big role...

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'Sherlock'

In the later half of the 2000s, Benedict Cumberbatch would continue to build up his impressive resume, adding BBC miniseries The Last Enemy, and films The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Creation (2008) to the list. However, one of Benedict's biggest roles to date would come in 2010 when he was cast into the role of "Sherlock Holmes" on hit BBC/PBS television series Sherlock. Over the four seasons of the show, Benedict has been nominated multiple times for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie and even won the award in 2014!

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'12 Years a Slave'

Over the years, Benedict Cumberbatch has become known for his incredible knack to take on extremely complex characters, and, in 2013, he took on not just one but three films that would premier at the Toronto International Film Festival! The first of these was the part of slave owner "William Prince Ford" in Academy Award winning drama 12 Years a Slave.

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'The Fifth Estate'

Benedict Cumberbatch's next big role of 2013 would come as WikiLeaks founder "Julian Assange" in The Fifth Estate. While the film itself would receive mixed criticisms, especially from Julian Assange himself, critics loved Benedict's performance and regarded the film as a tribute to his remarkable talent.

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'The Imitation Game'

The third film Benedict would star in was tragicomedy August: Osage County, co-produced by George Clooney! While following up a trio of outstanding performances could be a challenge for many actors, Benedict Cumberbatch proved himself truly remarkable with his 2014 performance in The Imitation Game. Taking on the role of British crytographer "Alan Turing", the part would earn Benedict nominations for a Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, and Academy Award for Best Actor!

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'The Hobbit'

Perhaps one of the most interesting experiences for Benedict Cumberbatch came when he took on the part of both the voice of "Smaug the Dragon" and "Necromancer" in the first of 'The Hobbit' series films! As Benedict told 'Total Film' in an interview, "You just have to lose your shit on a carpeted floor, in a place that looks a little bit like a mundane government building. It was just me as well, with four static cameras and all the sensors." We think he did a great job under the circumstances, and the final product proves it!

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'Doctor Strange'

Most recently, Benedict Cumberbatch has been busy playing the part of "Doctor Stephen Strange" for multiple Marvel films and building his family with wife of five years, English director Sophie Hunter. His character, which was introduced with the Doctor Strange film in 2016, has made appearances in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Now a father to two adorable sons, Benedict Cumberbatch is truly a superhero both on and off screen!

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'The Hollow Crown'

2016 would also bring Benedict Cumberbatch a chance to go back to his Shakespearean theater roots! Cast into the role of "King Richard III", Benedict took part in the highly praised British television film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Also starring Hugh Bonneville and Judi Dench, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses is a must see!

Ranked as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2014, English actor, Benedict Cumberbatch is more than worthy of the title! With films from Hawking to Doctor Strange, here is a look back at Benedict Cumberbatch's best roles!

Benedict Cumberbatch: His Best Roles

Enjoy!