# List of Benedict Cumberbatch performances
**Benedict Cumberbatch** (Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch, born 1976) is an English actor whose performances span film, television, theater, radio, and voice and motion-capture work. He is known for playing [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/sherlock-holmes) in the BBC series *Sherlock*, Doctor Stephen Strange in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-cinematic-universe), and a run of real-life intellectuals including [Stephen Hawking](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-hawking), Alan Turing, and Julian Assange.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [2](https://time.com/3596961/review-the-imitation-game/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976, London, England[3](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Benedict-Cumberbatch/) |
| Training | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, M.A. in Classical Acting[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Breakthrough | Bafta-nominated performance as Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama *Hawking* (2004)[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) |
| Emmy record | 7 nominations, 1 win: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, 2014, for *Sherlock: His Last Vow*[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) |
| Signature film roles | Khan in *Star Trek Into Darkness* (2013); Alan Turing in *The Imitation Game* (2014); Doctor Strange (2016 onward); Phil Burbank in *The Power of the Dog* (2021)[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/) |
| Voice and motion capture | Smaug the dragon and the Necromancer in Peter Jackson's *The Hobbit* trilogy; the Grinch; Shere Khan in *Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle*[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/) |
| Major stage roles | Both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature in Danny Boyle's *Frankenstein* (National Theatre, 2011); the title role in *Hamlet* (2015)[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [7](https://time.com/3987051/benedict-cumberbatch-hamlet-london/) |
## Television
**Early work.** Cumberbatch's screen career began with guest parts in British series including *Heartbeat* (2000), *Silent Witness* (2002), and *Fortysomething* (2003), before his starring turn as Stephen Hawking in the television film *Hawking* (2004), which dramatized the physicist's early career at Cambridge before the onset of vocal paralysis.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) He followed it with Edmund Talbot in the miniseries *To the Ends of the Earth* and the reclusive Stephen Ezard in *The Last Enemy*, the latter earning him a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) Other British television credits include Bernard in the TV movie *Small Island* and Christopher Tietjens in the BBC/HBO miniseries *Parade's End*, first aired in August 2012.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch)
**Sherlock.** The BBC's modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, first aired in 2010, made Cumberbatch a household name.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) For the role he received four Emmy nominations across the run: *A Scandal in Belgravia* (2012), *The Abominable Bride* (2016), *The Lying Detective* (2017), and the winning turn in *His Last Vow* (2014), all in the Outstanding Lead Actor category for a miniseries or movie.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch)
**Patrick Melrose and later series.** He starred as the title character in David Nicholls's *Patrick Melrose* for Showtime and Sky, winning a BAFTA TV Award and receiving Golden Globe and Emmy nominations; the series also brought him an Emmy nomination as an executive producer for Outstanding Limited Series in 2018.[8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf) • [1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) He was Emmy and BAFTA TV Award-nominated for *Brexit: The Uncivil War*, earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Leading Actor for BBC's *The Hollow Crown*, and starred in BBC's *Parade's End* and *Small Island*.[8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf) In 2024 he played Vincent Anderson in Abi Morgan's Netflix limited series *Eric*.[8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf)
## Film
Cumberbatch's early film roles included [William Pitt the Younger](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-pitt-the-younger) in *Amazing Grace* (2006), Paul Marshall in [Joe Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-wright)'s *Atonement*, and William Carey in *The Other Boleyn Girl*.[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) • [9](https://time.com/3594876/10-benedict-cumberbatch-roles-you-didnt-know-about/) In late 2011 he appeared as Major Stewart in [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s *War Horse* and as Peter Guillam in Tomas Alfredson's *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch)
**2013 as a turning point.** Within a single year he played the main antagonist [Khan Noonien Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/khan-noonien-singh) in [J. J. Abrams](https://www.edgepedia.org/j-j-abrams)'s *Star Trek Into Darkness* (May 2013), [WikiLeaks](https://www.edgepedia.org/wikileaks) founder Julian Assange in *The Fifth Estate*, and roles in the Oscar-winning *12 Years a Slave* and *August: Osage County*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?showAllCredits=true) A contemporary account noted that several of these autumn 2013 releases, including *12 Years a Slave*, *The Fifth Estate*, and *August: Osage County*, were rated R in the United States, limiting their audiences to adults.[10](https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781780926179_A24061518/preview-9781780926179_A24061518.pdf)
**The Imitation Game and franchise work.** He played [Alan Turing](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-turing) in *The Imitation Game* (2014), a performance his co-star [Charles Dance](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-dance), the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company)-trained actor playing Alastair Denniston, called "the nearest to perfection one can get with casting".[2](https://time.com/3596961/review-the-imitation-game/) • [11](https://time.com/3592712/charles-dance-benedict-cumberbatch-tywin-lannister/) From 2016 he has played Doctor Stephen Strange across the Marvel Cinematic Universe: *Doctor Strange* (2016), *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017), *Avengers: Infinity War* (2018), *Avengers: Endgame* (2019), *Spider-Man: No Way Home* (2021), and *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* (2022), the last of which grossed nearly $1 billion at the global box office.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/) • [8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf)
**2020s.** His credits in this period include [Greville Wynne](https://www.edgepedia.org/greville-wynne) in *The Courier* (2020), [Stuart Couch](https://www.edgepedia.org/stuart-couch) in *The Mauritanian* (2021), [Louis Wain](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-wain) in Will Sharpe's *The Electrical Life of Louis Wain* (2021), Phil Burbank in Jane Campion's *The Power of the Dog* (2021), Colonel Mackenzie in Sam Mendes's BAFTA-winning *1917* (2019), Thomas Edison in *The Current War* (2017), and the title character in Wes Anderson's Academy Award-winning short *The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar* (2023), in which he also played Max Engelman.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/) • [8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf) In 2023 he also appeared in *Poison* (as Harry), *The End We Start From* (as AB, and as executive producer), and *The Book of Clarence* (as Benjamin).[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/) In 2025 he played Dad in Dylan Southern's *The Thing with Feathers*, described by the BFI as a visually striking fantasy drama about grief, family, and healing, Uncle Nubar in Wes Anderson's *The Phoenician Scheme*, and Theo Rose in *The Roses*, on which he also served as executive producer.[13](https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/collection/british-cinema) • [12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/)
## Voice and motion capture
Cumberbatch has built a parallel career in voice and performance-capture roles. In Peter Jackson's *The Hobbit* trilogy he portrayed the dragon Smaug through voice and motion capture and provided the motion capture for the Necromancer.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) His other voice roles include Khan in *Star Trek Into Darkness*, the Grinch in *The Grinch* (2018), Shere Khan in *Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle* (2018), Agent Classified in *Penguins of Madagascar*, and Doctor Strange in the animated series *What If...?* (2021).[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/) • [12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/) He has also worked as a narrator, on the documentary *Girlfriend in a Coma* (2012), the series *Super/Natural* (2022), the film *Arctic: Our Frozen Planet* (2023), and the 2024 series *Patriot - Alexey Navalny*.[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/)
## Theatre
Cumberbatch has worked regularly on the London stage, with credits at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, the Almeida, the Royal Court, and the National Theatre; his Almeida roles include Lyngstrand in Ibsen's *The Lady from the Sea* (2004), Tesman in *Hedda Gabler* (2005, also West End), and George Haverstick in Tennessee Williams's *Period of Adjustment* (2006).[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?showAllCredits=true) In February 2011 he starred in Danny Boyle's stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's *Frankenstein* at the Royal National Theatre, alternating the roles of professor and creature night by night with co-star Jonny Lee Miller.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html) In August 2015 he opened in the title role of Shakespeare's *Hamlet* at the Barbican; the 12-week production had sold out in minutes the previous August, with tickets resold for up to $700, and theatregoers described the opening performance as "electrifying".[7](https://time.com/3987051/benedict-cumberbatch-hamlet-london/)
## Awards
Cumberbatch's Emmy record stands at 7 nominations and 1 win, the 2014 award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for *Sherlock: His Last Vow*; his nominated roles were Sherlock Holmes (2012, 2016, 2017), Christopher Tietjens in *Parade's End* (2013), and Patrick Melrose (2018), with a further 2018 nomination as *Patrick Melrose*'s executive producer.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) He has received multiple BAFTA nominations, including four as noted by the Television Academy, and won the BAFTA TV Award for *Patrick Melrose*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch) • [8](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf) He was nominated for the BAFTA for Leading Actor for *The Imitation Game* at the 2015 British Academy Film Awards.[14](https://static.bafta.org/uploads_pre_202411/film1415winnersmasterlist.pdf)
## Recent and upcoming work
Beyond *The Thing with Feathers*, *The Phoenician Scheme*, and *The Roses* in 2025, Cumberbatch's announced projects include *Wife and Dog* (2026 or 2027), *Blood on Snow* (post-production), *Rogue Male* (in script), and the voice role of Mr. Thomas in *Mog's Bad Thing* (pre-production).[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?showAllCredits=true) Variety reported in January 2025 that he would be absent from *Avengers: Doomsday* (2026) but central to *Avengers: Secret Wars* (2027), and that a third Doctor Strange solo film had been hinted at.[15](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/benedict-cumberbatch)
## References
1. [Benedict Cumberbatch, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/benedict-cumberbatch)
2. [Review: The Imitation Game, TIME](https://time.com/3596961/review-the-imitation-game/)
3. [Benedict Cumberbatch, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Benedict-Cumberbatch/)
4. [Benedict Cumberbatch, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1212722/?showAllCredits=true)
5. [Benedict Cumberbatch: Success? It's elementary, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/benedict-cumberbatch-success-it-s-elementary-2197808.html)
6. [Benedict Cumberbatch, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/benedict-cumberbatch/)
7. [Benedict Cumberbatch Electrifies London in Hamlet Opening, TIME](https://time.com/3987051/benedict-cumberbatch-hamlet-london/)
8. [Benedict Cumberbatch biography, Festival de Cannes](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2025/05/187989.pdf)
9. [10 Benedict Cumberbatch Roles You Didn't Know About, TIME](https://time.com/3594876/10-benedict-cumberbatch-roles-you-didnt-know-about/)
10. [Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed: Films, Fame, Fans](https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781780926179_A24061518/preview-9781780926179_A24061518.pdf)
11. [Charles Dance on Benedict Cumberbatch and Playing Tywin Lannister, TIME](https://time.com/3592712/charles-dance-benedict-cumberbatch-tywin-lannister/)
12. [Benedict Cumberbatch, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/benedict-cumberbatch/)
13. [British Cinema collection, BFI Player](https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/collection/british-cinema)
14. [EE British Academy Film Awards winners list, BAFTA](https://static.bafta.org/uploads_pre_202411/film1415winnersmasterlist.pdf)
15. [Where Is Benedict Cumberbatch Now?, CRBC News](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/benedict-cumberbatch)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Actor filmographies and performer list articles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license