INTERVIEW
His parents initially had other ideas, however.
“They’re incredibly supportive and it wasn’t that they weren’t at the beginning, they just wanted something different and better, like a lot of parents do for their children,” Benedict explains. “And I’d seen all the good things, but I had also seen the bad things. I knew it wouldn’t necessarily be the same, but I was very aware of the world I was walking into.
“They wanted me to do something a bit more grown-up, like be a barrister or a doctor or teacher,” he elaborates. “I think law was the thing that bit deepest for a while. And then I discovered, the further down that route I went, it was as precarious [as acting].
“You’re only as good as your last case, it’s a form of performance of course, and it’s so over-subscribed as a profession as well – so many brilliant, brilliant people not getting jobs – so why not pursue the first dream and roll with the punches? ”
And his latest bout comes in the
4THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
ANTHONY HOPKINS chews the scenery and fellow cast members as cannibal serialkiller Dr Hannibal Lecter. The evil genius is drafted in to help rookie FBI agent (Jodie Foster) from his cell, when her first case hits a dead end. form of Hollywood knock-out, Doctor Strange.
The latest in Marvel Studios’ largescale adaptations tells the story of world-famous neurosurgeon, Dr Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), the Master of the Mystic Arts, who made his first appearance in Marvel comics in 1963 – and whose life is turned upside down when a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands.
When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place – a mysterious enclave known as KamarTaj. He quickly learns that this is not just a centre
5THE FUGITIVE (1993)
What’s up Doc? Benedict Cumberbatch DR RICHARD KIMBLE (Harrison Ford) is framed for his wife’s murder, and the middle-aged vascular surgeon somehow evades a massive manhunt while searching for the real killer – the One Armed Man. He insists his career moves are all but thought out, however. “It’s about me giving myself a surprise or doing something that I haven’t done, or that’s different in some degree, if not a complete U-turn,” he explains firmly. “The older I get, the more it’s about the people I want to work with, especially directors. “I have my own production company, so I am interested in making cinema I’d like to see, as much as be in. It’s not just about me,” adds the star, who set up production company SunnyMarch in 2013, alongside Adam Ackland, Patrick Monroe, Ben Dillon and Adam Selves. As for what he’s doing next – “We don’t say ‘never’ on Sherlock” – he is quick to make his escape when the subject of Doctor Strange joining the much-hyped Avengers: Infinity War arises. But with the cinematic Marvel Universe comes huge fandom – so has he found peace with the side of the job he has openly admitted to struggling with in the past: fame? “You get on with it,” Benedict offers, ready to uproot from his chair. “I am thrilled to be doing the work I am doing, and then you deal with the consequences.” Benedict as Doctor Strange
6THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU (1996)
A RISIBLE take on HG Wells’ novel casts Marlon Brando as a physiologist playing God on a desert island. Val Kilmer is the castaway appalled by Moreau’s splicing of humans with animals to create horrific hybrids. The film, ironically, is 100% turkey. Doctor Strange is in cinemas now
7FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998)
ECCENTRIC writer Hunter Thompson (Johnny Depp playing his real-life pal) and his Samoan attorney Dr Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) head for Las Vegas on a drug-fuelled bender as the idealism of their 60s hippy-dream evaporates.