Benedict Cumberbatch may be ‘Doctor Strange’ on the big screen, but he recalls a terrifying kidnapping ordeal that he went through in South Africa years ago. Cumberbatch began his acting career in London's theater scene before transitioning to films and TV. His work includes notable movies and series including BBC's ‘Sherlock’, ‘Atonement’, and ‘The Imitation Game’, for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2014 Academy Award. Most recently, he starred in critically acclaimed dramas such as ‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ and ‘The Power of the Dog’.
In 2016, Cumberbatch joined the MCU as Dr Stephen Strange in the eponymous standalone film. He has since reprised his role as the Sorcerer Supreme in the succeeding ‘Avengers’ films and also voiced the character in the Disney+ animated series What If...? Cumberbatch will appear alongside Tom Holland in the upcoming ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ before his second solo outing as the mystic superhero in ‘Doctor Strange’ in the Multiverse of Madness. The film is scheduled to be released in 2022 as part of the MCU's ‘Phase 4’ slate.
While Cumberbatch is known for playing the powerful Sorcerer Supreme, he definitely needed saving in real life when he was held at gunpoint during a kidnapping attempt in South Africa back in 2004. The 45-year-old actor recalled his harrowing experience while speaking with Marc Maron for his WTF podcast. Cumberbatch narrated that he was filming the BBC miniseries To the Ends of the Earth when he and two of his co-actors went on a trip to learn scuba diving on their weekend off. While heading back during the night, one of their tires blew off so they stopped by the roadside where they were suddenly ambushed by armed men.
After their hijackers left with their belongings and vehicle, Cumberbatch and his co-stars were able to call for help. Despite being shaken and scared, the English actor called himself lucky to have gotten out of the traumatizing ordeal alive and unhurt. Cumberbatch's account sounds like a scene from the movies but the real-life experience was a life-changing moment for the actor. He added that it inspired him to want to pursue "a life less than ordinary."
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