Nice Boy of the Week: Benedict Cumberbatch

PBS premiered their new mini-series, Sherlock, last Sunday night, and we were introduced to the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch. Benedict is bringing a fresh new look and feel to the master detective. We just couldn’t help but focus some attention on him.  

Benedict is probably best known for his role as William Pitt in Amazing Grace; as Stephen Hawking in BBC’s Hawking; and as Paul Marshall in Atonement. However, these are only a few in a long list of credits.

In Theater

Benedict made a name for himself on the stage in plays such as Hedda Gabler, in which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. Before that, in As You Like It, he played the hero, Orlando; Ferdinand in Love’s Labour’s Lost; Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet. Benedict performed in many more projects at the National Theater, the Royal Court Theater, Almeida Theatre and the Duke of York Theater.

In Television

The list in extensive here, beginning in 2002 with Fields of Gold. Benedict went on to a regular role on the series Fortysomething. In Hawking, Benedict was nominated and won the Golden Nymph for Television Films – Best Performance by an Actor, and was nominated for BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. In the mini-series The Last Enemy, Benedict was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film, playing Stephen Ezard. He was nominated for BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Bernard Bligh in Small Island. Benedict has already won the Crime Thriller Awards – Best Actor for his Sherlock Holmes.

But wait, there’s more! Coming up for Benedict is Steven Spielberg ‘s War Horse, based on a children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo first published in Great Britain in 1982. The cast announced so far include David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, David Kross and Robert de Hoog. War Horse has a release date of August 10, 2011.

Benedict is an amazing talent and we’re happy to add his name to our Nice Boys list. Don’t forget to watch Benedict in PBS Masterpiece Mystery, Sherlock, this Sunday night, Oct. 31.