The following article contains discussions about suicide.
Benedict Cumberbatchis an acclaimed actor on both the small and the silver screen. He became globally known when he played the titular Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective in theBBC seriesSherlock, which began in 2010. It was this show that earnedthe actor his first Emmy nominationfor Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. He would go on to be nominated for Emmys for every single season of the series as well as its supplemental episode, “The Abominable Bride.” Cumberbatch was later nominated for his work as the leading man inPatrick Melrose.
While his television career is sprinkled with awards, Cumberbatch has also been a prominent face in movies. He made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut inDoctor Strangein 2016 and would go on to appear in several other MCU movies. In addition to these mainstream affairs, Cumberbatch is known for his work in high-rated dramas. This includesJane Campion’sThe Power of the Dog, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Now, he speaks more about the role that gave him his first Oscar nomination, years beforeThe Power of the Dogwas released.
Cumberbatch Reflects On His Imitation Game Role
Cumberbatch Felt Deeply Connected To Alan Turing
The Imitation Gamesaw Cumberbatch reach new heights as an actor. Directed by Morten Tyldum, the biographical film tells the story of Alan Turing,a real-life mathematician who tried to solve the German Enigma codeduring World War II, before suffering extreme discrimination because of his sexuality. The film features Cumberbatch in the lead role alongside a supporting cast that includesKeira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, Mark Strong, and Rory Kinnear. Cumberbatch received his first Best Actor nomination for playing Turing, though he lost to fellow biopic actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Stephen Hawking inThe Theory of Everything.
Cumberbatch has only received two Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards and did not win either.
In an interview withVariety, Cumberbatch discusses hisImitation Gamerole. According to the actor, his performance came from a"deep, deep, deep kind of connection" that he felt with this real-person characterand the things that he went through. Because he did not necessarily have to act like someone else, he felt uncertain about the praise for his performance. He mentions that “maybe that’s not good acting” but maintains that this type of acting involves something just “coming through” him. Check out the full explanation below:
It’s just like a deep, deep, deep kind of connection of thinking ‘oh I understand what you were or went through.’ And the pain of that at certain points in his story. You know,no acting was required, just sort of thinking of him was enough. Maybe that’s not good acting, I don’t know. I’ve talked about this a bit. Maybe that’s just witnessing something and feeling it historically as the abomination that it was, his chemical castration because of his sexuality.
And if you just leave it alone and don’t think, ‘how does this story get most effectively told at this point,’ something just happens.I think that’s true of a lot of art, lot of sport, lot of anything where we’re just doing it and it’s coming through us. You’re not really, you know, I got patted on the back for it a lot, but its not really you, it’s something else just coming through you. It’s the power of the story or the character. And just letting yourself be open for that, I suppose, is the trick of the acting of it.
Alan Turing’s Story Is Deeply Emotional
The Heroic Turing Was Tormented By His Own Country
During World War II, the Nazi war machine relied on a device known as the Enigma machine. It was a tool that allowed military officers to easily communicate without the Allies having the ability to decipher their code. Turing, who was a British citizen and a worker at the Bletchley Park codebreaking institute, managed to develop a device that could crack the Enigma codes. It proved to be an extremely valuable tool, which the Allies would later use as an advantage over the unsuspecting Nazi soldiers.Without Turing’s help, winning the war would have been far more difficult.
He would later receive a posthumous pardon in 2009, five years before Cumberbatch’s performance was released.
After World War II, however, Turing never received much acknowledgment from his country. As a gay man, Turing was vilified by both the government and the public.He was eventually charged with indecencyand was forced to undergo either chemical castration or imprisonment. Turing, seeking to avoid prison, accepted the hormonal changes which caused extreme distress. He was also removed from his government post. Sadly, he wasfound dead at just 41 years old, after suffering cyanide poisoning. He would later receive a posthumous pardon in 2009, five years before Cumberbatch’s performance was released.
Our Take On Cumberbatch’s Imitation Game Description
This Makes His Performance Better
Understandably, Cumberbatch would doubt his performance because of his deep empathy for Turing, but he is not right that it makes him any less of an actor.There are many different types of performing stylesthat actors rely on. When trying to connect with characters, they often rely on the controversial method acting, which sees them embody characters even after the director calls for a scene to be cut. Joaquin Phoenix and Al Pacino are just two renowned actors who rely on it, and each has won at least an Oscar for Best Actor.
The Imitation Game True Story: Everything The Movie Changes
The Imitation Game adapts the true story of Alan Turing’s codebreaking efforts during World War II, but how much does the biopic get right?
Cumberbatch’s method is no less effective. He connected with his Alan Turing character in a beautiful way that sounds like it honored the movie’s story. As much asThe Imitation Gameshows intellectual triumph, the movie is ultimately based on the personal tragedy experienced by Turing. Cumberbatch offers a stirring portrayal of this tortured lead character in a performance that rightfully earned an Oscar nomination. To see the grace and humility with which he treated the role makes it even better.
