A few years ago, not many people knew the name Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now, the 38-year-old actor has an Emmy-winning miniseries, "Sherlock," and a rabid fan following known as the "Cumberbitches." Dozensupondozens of Tumblr pages are devoted to the London-born actor.
In his latest role, he plays brilliant British cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game," opening in theaters Nov. 28th.
He also plays not one, but two villains in "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies."
Benedict Cumberbatch was born in London in the summer of '76 to actor parents Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton. He said he had a "great childhood," though he was "over-gregarious" and "prone to moments of hyperactivity, then exhaustion and bad temperedness."
Source: ElleUK
His parents tried to dissuade him from acting by sending him to Harrow, one of the oldest, most-respected all-male boarding schools in the United Kingdom. He describes the experience as "a bit embarrassing.""Luckily I was on the rugby team, so I was macho at the same time!"
While he also painted at school, he couldn't escape the theater. One of his earliest roles was playing Titania, Queen of the Fairies in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Source: Digital Spy
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