Being a posh actor in England you cannot escape the class-typing from whatever side you look at it. Benedict Cumberbatch More Quotes by Benedict Cumberbatch More Quotes From Benedict Cumberbatch I love the idea of playing something stupid or romantic. I'm not the smartest man in the room. I listen, and I learn, and I observe, but I'm always playing characters with intellects profoundly superior to mine. That's great fun, even though it's as much a fantasy for me as for the people watching me. Benedict Cumberbatch stupidfuncharacter I think what I loved in cinema - and what I mean by cinema is not just films, but proper, classical cinema - are the extraordinary moments that can occur on screen. At the same time, I do feel that cinema and theater feed each other. I feel like you can do close-up on stage and you can do something very bold and highly characterized - and, dare I say, theatrical - on camera. I think the cameras and the viewpoints shift depending on the intensity and integrity of your intention and focus on that. Benedict Cumberbatch integritymeanthinking Cumberbatch - it sounds like a fart in a bath, doesn't it? What a fluffy old name. I can never say it on a Monday morning. When I became an actor, Mum wasn't keen on me keeping it. Benedict Cumberbatch namesmondaymorning One of the best things about being an actor is that it's a meritocracy. Benedict Cumberbatch meritocracybest-thingsactors I suppose my bodily proportions are quite flattering. I'm ripped, doing something I wouldn't normally do with my body, or having done to it, involving Watson. Benedict Cumberbatch proportionbodydone I've been very lucky at what's happened in my career to date, but playing something as far from me as possible is an ambition of mine - anything from a mutated baddy in a comic book action thriller, to a detective. If anything, I'd like Gary Oldman's career: he's the perfect example of it. I've love to have a really broad sweep of characters - to be able to do something edgy, surprising and unfashionable. Benedict Cumberbatch ambitioncharacterbook I'm sort of focused on my long-term goal of carving out a career that's for life, rather than being a flash in the pan. Benedict Cumberbatch careersgoallong Not that i had a big arse but even that was toned. Benedict Cumberbatch arsesbigs I want to do it all. I want to climb mountains, go through jungles, fight wars in space, get the girl, shoot the bad-guy full of lead, have all the zippy one liners, bulge muscles out of a singlet, drip sweat and blood on screen, all of that. Benedict Cumberbatch girlfightingwar You have to sometimes just run with the problem rather than trying to solve it with hi-tech wizardry and lots of planning. Benedict Cumberbatch wizardryrunningtrying 'Sherlock' fans are, by and large, an intelligent breed, so they've gone through my back catalogue and got what I've done, why and how I've done it. There is some obsessive behaviour, but I worry for them rather than me. Benedict Cumberbatch fansintelligentworry I remember very clearly someone saying, 'Don't shake hands with the cactus,' and I thought, 'Well, why not? What could possibly go wrong?' Shaking hands is a friendly gesture. Benedict Cumberbatch cactusfriendlyhands There are things that are a given, that you've already established, and obviously, visually, certain iconic things that can't be completely removed, like a certain hat or a certain coat in my case. Benedict Cumberbatch coatshatsgiven I am shortsighted. I need glasses for watching movies or concerts. It's not a hipster affectation; I do have poor eyesight. This is how ridiculous my life is: I've had the test for contact lenses, but I haven't found a half-day where I can go to the optician. Benedict Cumberbatch hipsterridiculouspoor I'm quite sensitive to people noticing me. There are times when I'm relaxed, then others when it does make me self-conscious. Benedict Cumberbatch selfdoepeople I am a PR disaster because I talk too much. Benedict Cumberbatch disastertoo-much I tend to have a cup of tea, try to stop worrying about what I did wrong, cool down and will the audience back in as soon as possible. Benedict Cumberbatch worryteatrying It's always important to have the blessing. Benedict Cumberbatch importantblessing People's hands fascinate me. It's tempting to look at a businessman's left hand and see if there's an indentation from a missing wedding ring. Or maybe there's a tan line and the skin is pressed down where's he's worked a ring off his finger. Benedict Cumberbatch missinghandspeople I'm always playing characters with intellects profoundly superior to mine. That's great fun, even though it's as much a fantasy for me as for the people watching me. Benedict Cumberbatch funcharacterpeople
