Top 10 Benedict Cumberbatch Performances

Few fan bases rally behind their star as much as those who love the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Whether he plays a brilliant but emotionless detective or hypocritical preacher, critics and supporters alike have praised his performances.

Thus, Cumberbatch’s nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama at the Golden Globes 2015 came with little surprise. His portrayal of the brilliant, socially-awkward Alan Turing who secretly helped win WWII was lauded by many reviews. The New York Times’ A.O. Scott claimed that “what has made Mr. Cumberbatch so effective…– and what makes his Alan Turing one of the year’s finest pieces of screen acting – is his curious ability to suggest cold detachment and acute sensitivity at the same time.”

Not only has Cumberbatch excelled in films, he has also won over a following in theater and television shows. The Telegraph labeled him a “Hamlet worth waiting for” in his rendition of Shakespeare’s classic hero. Thus, this list looks at the 10 best performances by Cumberbatch from movies as well as television and theater so as not to miss any of his brilliant work..

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10. Star Trek Into Darkness – playing Khan

Critics varied on their opinions of the long-awaited addition to Star Trek franchise. However, Cumberbatch’s villainous but strangely pitiful performance launched him into great fame. Bryan Enk at Yahoo! Movies proclaimed that “it's Benedict Cumberbatch, the new kid in the ‘Star Trek’ galaxy, who's getting the lion's share of praise for his performance as the villainous -- and maddeningly mysterious -- John Harrison.” With this film, Cumberbatch’s name became better known worldwide.

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9. August: Osage County – playing Little Charles Aiken

Little Charles Aiken differs majorly from the other roles Cumberbatch has played. Instead of being cold and brilliant, this man is quiet, ashamed, and verbally abused by his mother. One of the most touching moments of the film is when he gently sings a composition. First Post claims his croon “that pretends ‘bed’ rhymes with ‘sad’” has enough Oklahoma accent that it “does actually work.”

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8. Third Star – playing James

In this independent film, Cumberbatch plays James, a young man who is about to die of cancer. James’ last chance to experience laughter, adventure, and friendship with his buddies is both hilarious and touching. Once again, this actor exhibits the ability to endear the audience.

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7. The Hobbit Trilogy – playing the Necromancer and Smaug

The audience never directly sees Cumberbatch’s face in The Hobbit films. However, his rich voice is heard as Smaug the dragon and the Necromancer who later becomes Sauron the Dark Lord. As done with Gollum in previous films, the actor’s movements were recorded by a computer and used in the actual film. Thus, Cumberbatch’s voice but also the facial expressions and gestures were all used in the movies.

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6. 12 Years a Slave – playing Ford

Cumberbatch’s joined many other renowned actors in the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave including Brad Pitt. Although bloody and difficult to watch, this film depicted great hope and perseverance. Huffington Post stated, “It was Benedict Cumberbatch who made the biggest impact among the supporting players” with his portrayal of the kindly but weak-willed preacher and slave-owner.

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5. Parade’s End – playing Christopher Tietjens

Drama and scandal fill this HBO miniseries. Cumberbatch plays a married gentleman who begins to fall for a women’s suffrage despite longing to be faithful to his wayward wife. Many reviewers declared Parade’s End as heavy and difficult to be sucked into but still applauded the acting. Huffington Post states that Cumberbatch and his costar Rebecca Hall “are the reason to tune in and stick with this drama.”

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4. Hawking – playing Stephen Hawking

The critically acclaimed movie The Theory of Everything might be the most recent movie on Stephen Hawking but is certainly not the first. This earlier film has Cumberbatch playing the young scientist. A sweet, more optimistic view is shown than might be supposed in this film based on the real life of Hawking .

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3. Frankenstein – playing Victor Frankenstein and the Creature

Playing two parts in a production is difficult enough. Portraying the scientist and the monster he creates would be extremely difficult. However, Cumberbatch did this by alternating roles with Jonny Lee Miller in the production directed by Danny Boyle at the National Theatre Live.

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2. The Imitation Game – playing Alan Turing

Cumberbatch stunned audiences and earned a nomination for the Golden Globe’s Best Actor for his portrayal of the socially clueless but brilliant Alan Turing. This role could have easily been played coldly or, on the other hand, with too much emotion. Audiences agreed that Cumberbatch did Turing justice: “With such an alienated antihero it would be easy for The Imitation Game to fall into either arch chilliness or mechanical contrivance. Plaudits, then, to Cumberbatch for making his protagonist complex rather than just complicated,” stated The Guardian.

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1. Sherlock – playing Sherlock Holmes

What Cumberbatch continues to be best known and loved for is his depiction of Sherlock Holmes in the British show Sherlock. Bitingly witty, surprisingly thoughtful at times and unafraid of his own brilliance, this character is a great modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary detective. Because of the lead actor’s skillful performance and that of his costar Martin Freeman, the show has won numerous awards including Emmys and British Academy Television Awards.