Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor and film producer. Cumberbatch has worked in theatre, television, film and radio. His breakthrough on the big screen came in 2004 when he portrayed Stephen Hawking in the television movie Hawking (2004). In 2010, he became a household name as Sherlock Holmes on the British television series Sherlock (2010). In 2011, he appeared in two Oscar-nominated films – War Horse (2011) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).

Early Life

Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England. He grew up in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. His parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch), are both actors. He has a half-sister, Tracy Peacock, from his mother’s first marriage. He is a grandson of submarine commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, and a great-grandson of diplomat Henry Arnold Cumberbatch CMG. His great-grandfather, Henry Arnold Cumberbatch, was Queen Victoria’s consul general in Turkey and Lebanon.

Cumberbatch attended Brambletye School and Harrow School. Whilst at Harrow, he had an arts scholarship and painted large oil canvases. It’s also where he began acting. After he finished school, he took a year off to volunteer as an English teacher in a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling, India. On his return, he studied drama at Manchester University. He continued his training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduating with an M.A. in Classical Acting. By the time he had completed his studies, he already had an agent.

Cumberbatch was dating actress Olivia Poulet in 2001 and in February 2015, he married director and actress Sophie Hunter. He and Sophie welcomed a son in June 2015.

Profile

Full Name: Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch
Born: July 19, 1976
Birth Place: Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London, UK
Spouse: Sophie Hunter (m. 2015)
Parent(s): Timothy Carlton; Wanda Ventham
Children: Hal Auden Cumberbatch, Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch
Education: Harrow School, LAMDA, Brambletye School, The University of Manchester