Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed

by Lynnette Porter

  231 Chris Hastings & Peter Henn. “Applause! Applause! My Kingdom for Applause: But Are Overexcited Hobbit Fans Ruining Martin Freeman’s Richard III for Shakespeare Purists?” Daily Mail. 6 July 2014.

  232 Jack Malvern. “Uproar at My Kingdom for Applause.” Times. 6 July 2014.

  233 “Vocal Hobbit Fans Anger Theatre Stars.” New Zealand Herald. 7 July 2014.

  234 Jess Denham. “Martin Freeman Fans Are Not ‘Ruining’ Richard III, Says Director Jamie Lloyd.” Independent. 7 July 2014.

  235 “Martin Freeman Fans ‘Ruin’ Richard III.” Telegraph. 6 July 2014.

  236 Benedict Cumberbatch Q&A. StarFury: Elementary. Birmingham, U.K. 9 Feb. 2014.

  237 Michael Dobson & Clare Brennan. “Is Hamlet Staged Too Often?” Guardian. 29 Mar. 2014.

  238 Rosie Bannister. “Official Photo Released for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet.” What’s On Stage. 1 Aug. 2014.

  239 Los Angeles Times. “Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Sherlock, ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ at Comic-Con 2014.” 25 July 2014. YouTube.

  240 Ibid.

  241 Ibid.

  242 National Theatre 50 Years on Stage. Costume bible. National Theatre Archives, London.

  243 National Theatre 50 Years On Stage, Entrances and Exits, dated 28 October 2013. Prompt script. National Theatre Archives, London.

  244 NT 50 Running Order, Version 13, 25th October 2013. National Theatre Archives, London.

  245 National Theatre 50 Years On Stage, Entrances and Exits. Prompt script.

  246 “Cumberbatch, Cave, Anderson and Gaiman Join Together in Praise of Letters.” The Reading Agency. 11 Dec. 2013.

  247 “Benedict Cumberbatch - Letters Live - Alan Turing.” YouTube. 3 Jan. 2014. (Several audience videos can be found on YouTube.)

  248 Karen Price. “Hay Festival: A Love Letter to Benedict Cumberbatch.” Wales Onlines. 30 May 2014.

  249 Ibid.

  250 Hay Festival. “Imagine the World.”

  Chapter 9

  True to His Roots: Radio and Independent Film

  “I’m proud of every single project. I can genuinely say that it is varied enough, as a slate, to not fear too much overexposure”.[251]

  Benedict Cumberbatch

  Unlike many high-profile actors, whose careers favour one medium, Cumberbatch remains true to his professional roots in multiple media. Although television and film bring him the most acclaim and generate a broad fanbase internationally, he does not neglect his work on radio or in the theatre. In addition, “smaller” projects without huge budgets or global publicity junkets were just as much a part of his itinerary in 2014 as they had been before the so-far-watershed year of 2013. If anything, because so much of Cumberbatch’s calendar was consumed by celebrity events (those in which he is paid to appear as himself) or social invitations that provided him with publicity, the roles on radio, readings in the theatre, and announcement of a return to a large-venue London stage balanced the glitzy celebrity outings and best-known roles in films and in Sherlock.

  Cumberbatch’s career recently veered into a few new areas, such as producer, and even acting roles completed years ago received much greater publicity in light of his recent roles in major films or television series. This chapter provides an overview of his continuing connection with independent films and BBC radio, two media that helped establish his career. Cumberbatch now brings a great deal of attention to the types of projects he has always done but that many stars abandon as they become increasingly popular.

  Support for Independent Films

  Film has become an increasingly important medium in Cumberbatch’s career, but not only the blockbusters and Academy Award- or BAFTA-nominated movies illustrate the depth of his talent. Indies have been and continue to be a key part of his career plan. In Wreckers (2011) and Third Star (2010), he shares billing with other actors in key roles, but he appears in most scenes, and his character is the catalyst propelling the plot. Burlesque Fairytales (2009), discussed later in this chapter, gave him a chance to show his sensitive side. The short film Inseparable (2007) provided him with a showcase for his talent by having him portray two very different brothers.

  Because of audience familiarity with Cumberbatch by 2012, he was perfect for the two-minute megashort, Electric Cinema: How to Behave.[252] London’s oldest operating cinema wanted to remind audiences of etiquette during a movie, and they brought in famous actors, among them Cumberbatch as Humphrey Bogart, to capture viewer attention and make a serious point in comedic fashion. Whether as an actor cast primarily because of his talent or, in this latter case, his celebrity, Cumberbatch does not shy away from indie or short films.

  Of course, his career includes small roles in bigger-studio feature films, including The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Creation (2009), Four Lions (2010), and The Whistleblower (2010). In Atonement (2007) and Starter for 10 (2006) he had larger roles and received greater attention from critics and producers, but these film roles were interspersed with more demanding television roles. Film was not yet as striking a category on his CV.

  Then there are the “big” films for major studios. Cumberbatch may not have the starring role, but his characters are imminently memorable within even the largest ensemble. With well-received roles in War Horse (2011); Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011); Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013); and The Fifth Estate (2013), for example, Cumberbatch increasingly moved toward the A-list. He has worked with some of the most respected, well-known directors in the film industry, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Peter Jackson, Steve McQueen, and Bill Condon. He more frequently plays the lead, such as in The Fifth Estate (2013) and The Imitation Game (2014). With so many directors and producers seeking him out, he might choose not to do indie films, which often are considered prestigiously creative but not necessarily lucrative or especially career making.

  What is impressive about Cumberbatch’s film career in light of the number of well-publicised, big-budget, major studio-backed films released in 2013 in which he played a pivotal role - Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Fifth Estate, 12 Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - he also acted in the indie short Little Favour. This film not only shows Cumberbatch’s support for indies, but suggests a new off shoot in his career path. In addition to starring in and promoting Little Favour, he started a production company, SunnyMarch, with friends who put together the film.

  Little Favour is one of two indies released in 2013 that feature Cumberbatch. The second is Burlesque Fairytales, a film made in 2009 and screened at numerous international film festivals before gaining a wider release online in 2013. Whereas Little Favour suggests Cumberbatch’s possible future career shift toward producing films, Burlesque Fairytales illustrates his level of excellence before he became an international celebrity and shows him as an actor on the cusp of global fame.

  Little Favour (2013)

  In 2013 Little Favour[253] provided another starring role for Cumberbatch and even more screen time than he has in big-budget films 12 Years a Slave or August: Osage County. Cumberbatch the actor became actively involved with Little Favour from an artistic standpoint; Cumberbatch the producer found a different outlet for creativity when using his celebrity to finance the film. Once fans learned that the project SunnyMarch described on its Indiegogo page involved Cumberbatch, news spread quickly on social media and fan forums. Producer Adam Ackland, one of Cumberbatch’s friends since their meeting on the set of The Last Enemy, noted that “Little Favour was something that started very small for us, and the reason it grew was because of the people that were supporting it”.[254]

  Following the “soldier” theme of the film, the Indiegogo site listed funding levels ranging from Private (£10) to Field Mar
shall (£10,000; the only classification lacking a taker). The categories limiting the number of participants quickly sold out; the popular Lieutenant (£100), Captain (£250), and Major (£500) funding levels, for example, provided backers with autographed items - although the site carefully did not promise that Cumberbatch would sign everything for the 110 people with pledges for those amounts. (Fan-posted photos of items I saw online and those I received, however, were hand signed by Cumberbatch.) Higher levels of funding (Colonel: 10 backers at £1,000 each, Brigadier: 6 at £2,500, and General: 4 at £5,000) awarded exclusive perks, including listings within the film’s credits, tickets to the London premiere (attended by Cumberbatch), and roles as extras.

  The film received immediate, overwhelming financial support: £86,240, or 345% greater than its goal of £25,000.[255] Not only did the perks interest Cumberbatch fans, but interaction with the SunnyMarch team working to create and ship the packages was positive - going a long way to ensure that SunnyMarch develops both a high-quality reputation for filmmaking within the entertainment industry and for effective “customer service” with fans. In January 2014 backers received a link to watch the film via Vimeo, and those who pledged at the Captain level or higher later received a DVD. Little Favour also became available from iTunes, where, of its 335 viewer ratings by August 2014, 287 give the film five stars.[256]

  In the “making of” film, Cumberbatch expresses his amazement at his fandom and indicates the tangible bond between fan and filmmaker established during the creation of Little Favour. The actor found this project rewarding in particular because of the “genuine joy of knowing you’re doing what you’re doing because of the people that want to see you do it”. He applauded fans who “put their money where their fandom is and where their hearts are”. Very practically, the film became “bigger, bolder, more experimental,”[257] thanks to fans. To respond personally to those who supported the film, the actor recorded a message to thank backers. True to Cumberbatch’s promise, their money was well spent by first-time filmmaker, writer/director Patrick Victor Monroe.

  Bigger is not always better. Perceiving a film as less worthwhile because it is short does a disservice to this category of film in general and this indie in particular. At twenty-six and a half minutes, more than three of them credits, Little Favour may be short in run time but is big on packing action and symbolism into a few scenes. A first screening reveals the violent, shocking plot details, but a second viewing unveils deeper meanings behind a line of dialogue or a lingering close-up. This layering makes Little Favour far more than another illustration of Cumberbatch’s acting skill or a testament to his popularity.

  Wallace (nicknamed Ace) is the audience’s entry character, which differs from the purpose that Cumberbatch’s characters usually serve in a story. [Often, as in Sherlock, for example, another character (such as John Watson) provides insights into the plot or other characters; the audience learns along with the entry character. In The Fifth Estate Daniel Berg leads audiences to the first glimpse of Julian Assange.] In Little Favour, the audience follows Ace, and, ultimately, their “fate” is the same as Ace’s. The story surprises and intrigues audiences because, at least on a first viewing, they interpret other characters’ words and actions as Ace does.

  Little Favour prompts its audience to ask questions and want to see more. What is the history between Ace and James (Colin Salmon), and why did they become estranged? When James calls in the favour Ace owes him, the request is surprising - to look after James’ preteen daughter, Lilah (Paris Winter Monroe). It indeed seems like a little favour, both in the anticipated ease of the job and in the size and age of the child. Of course, the cinematic cliché is that this job is not as easy as it sounds, and “little favour” takes on a more sinister meaning as the plot intensifies.

  Cumberbatch described Ace as an “a lone wolf. He’s somebody who, I think, carved out a life... in order to protect himself and those around him from what he’s experienced and what he’s traumatised by, which is some kind of military past”. Monroe’s explanation is simpler: “I wanted to take Benedict’s hero and bring him face to face with a child soldier on the streets of London”.[258]

  The director gets edgy performances from his actors but also reveals more about these characters from carefully chosen camera shots and the characters’ wardrobe. In the opening scenes, emotionally compressed Ace walks stiffly next to the much looser limbed, more confident James. Ace’s wardrobe - a form-fitting, tightly zipped leather jacket - matches his tense demeanour; he keeps his hands stuffed into pockets as he warily walks into an unknown situation. That James and Ace are opposites is clearly delineated in a silhouetted profile shot of the pair standing in front of a brick wall, separated by the visual line provided by a girder.

  Once Ace goes into action, however, shots emphasise his natural state as a physically menacing fighter. Sweaty, blooded, ripped Ace, stripped to his vest, is shown in close-up as he battles. (During the Indiegogo campaign, a promotional photograph featured the actor in this scene. A still showing off Cumberbatch’s muscular arms and BAMF pose was an excellent marketing choice to entice the actor’s fans to fund the project.)

  To prepare, Cumberbatch focused on the instructions of the stunt man who choreographed the fight. Rehearsals took place, ironically, in a church hall, because no other space was available. In the behind-the-scenes footage, Cumberbatch checks hand positions for a punch, practices a series of kicks, and smoothly executes an impressive number of pushups. Even during a slow-mo rehearsal, the actor is in character as Ace, who will be putting everything into a fast-motion fight. Cumberbatch explained that an actor must sell the action for the camera, but the pace can be very different before that point:

  [Initially,] you go through things as a very slow step-by-step dance,... then build it together... [Y]ou do one section and then add on another section, and then you start running it very slowly, and then you build in some speed. By the time the cameras roll, you know it very well. There’s a lot of muscle memory going on.[259]

  For his role as Khan in Star Trek, Cumberbatch developed a more muscular physique, which also came in handy for his role as Ace, which was filmed shortly after Star Trek’s release and Cumberbatch’s international press tour. (Before working with Cumberbatch on Little Favour, Monroe had been the actor’s personal trainer.) Getting back into action on film greatly appealed to the actor after his Star Trek experience. Cumberbatch enthused that he was looking forward to do more action in films, especially after such a wonderful experience with live action on Star Trek: Into Darkness. He loved the “hand-to-hand combat, chase sequences, stunts, as much as I was obviously permitted to do,” as well as “transforming myself from [a] white, thin, reedy guy into somebody... looking a bit superhuman”.[260]

  Cumberbatch’s performance, however, relies on more than physical presence, no matter how impressive. Ace’s journey keeps the audience wondering what will happen next, and the actor’s flair for expressing the character’s changing emotional state compliments his physical embodiment of the role.

  In fact, the entire cast is well suited to their roles, even newcomer Paris Monroe, who impressed the seasoned actors. In the “making of” footage, Cumberbatch effusively praises his co-stars.

  Colin Salmon is equally magnanimous about Cumberbatch’s talent: “He’s everything it says on the tin. He’s mercurial. He’s intelligent. He’s diligent. He’s funny. He’s a proper actor”. Monroe added his appreciation for Cumberbatch, as both actor and producer: “None of us would be here without Benedict... the nucleus of the entire project”. [261]

  By the time the lengthy credits roll and the film’s many supporters are duly thanked, viewers are aware that there is a much deeper story yet to tell (especially for those who have not read the Indiegogo plot synopsis that reveals more backstory). SunnyMarch, including the trio of actor/producer Cumberbatch, executive producer Ackland, and writer/director Monroe (who, with Wi
ll Hensel, even composed the film’s original music), might someday turn Little Favour into a full-length feature and provide more of the backstory that the short’s fans crave.

  SunnyMarch chose well for its first production. In May 2014, Little Favour gained the favour of a Polish audience at the Off Plus Camera Festival of Independent Cinema in Krakow. Following a screening, producers Ackland and Adam Selves, actor Nick Moran, and actor/ producer Cumberbatch discussed the film during a Q&A hosted by film critic and festival co-operator, Elvis Mitchell. The Little Favour team stressed the cooperative nature of making their first film, giving them tremendous freedom and room to experiment; at times, the Q&A seemed like a love fest among the film’s creative forces, who clearly appreciate each other’s talent and collaboration.

  At the Kijow Cinema on May 10, Cumberbatch received the Against the Current Award for his work in establishing SunnyMarch. Explaining that he wants to support “an independent spirit” and noting that “you have to take risks,” Cumberbatch vowed that the company would produce more than vanity projects for him. He further won over the crowd by adding that Krakow’s beauty would make it an ideal filming location.[262] Cumberbatch literally made a lasting impression; an imprint of his hands has been placed in Krakow’s Film Alley.[263]

  After such a promising start, SunnyMarch needs to build on the momentum of Little Favour for subsequent projects. Cumberbatch has said that “we have scripts in development and books that we’re looking to option. We have links through my agency [in the U.K.] and in the U.S. to facilitate that. It’s about building a reputation and slate off the back of this short”.[264] SunnyMarch may help Cumberbatch expand his role as a producer in the future, a direction that many actors, such as George Clooney or Brad Pitt, take as they gain more clout in the entertainment industry. Cumberbatch frequently expresses his admiration of these actors and his interest in emulating their careers outside of acting. SunnyMarch gives him the opportunity to do so.