Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (b. 1977) is a British actor, best known for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama, Hawking, for which he was nominated as Best Actor at the 2005 British Academy Television Awards.

The son of actor Timothy Carlton and actress Wanda Ventham, he was educated at Harrow School and the University of Manchester. He then trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). His television roles include two separate guest roles in Heartbeat, a major role in the ITV comedy drama Fortysomething (a notable flop, which was pulled from its primetime slot halfway through its run), and brief appearances in the comedy sketch show Broken News. Apart from Hawking, his most important role has been the lead in the 2005 BBC drama serial, To the Ends of the Earth.

He appears as the University Challenge team captain Patrick Watts in Starter for Ten, the film adaptation of David Nicholls' book of the same name, which was released in 2006.

Most recently, Cumberbatch had the role of William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister of England from 1783-1801 and 1804-1806, in the film Amazing Grace, a movie which highlights attempts to end the slave trade in the British Empire.


Interesting facts
During his gap year, before he went to Manchester University, Cumberbatch had the rare privilege of teaching English at a Tibetan monastery.



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Source consultée le 14 mai 2007 à 13h00 GMT