Wow, there was A LOT of Benedict Cumberbatch at the Hollywood Film Awards last night. Not only did Benedict win The Hollywood Actor Award for The Imitation Game, but producers cut to him throughout the evening and Bendy was featured in several “winner” packages. Bendy did not attend the HFAs with his lover Sophie Hunter though. From what I could see of his table, he sat with Harvey Weinstein, Keira Knightley and his publicist. His publicist looked exhausted. I feel you, girl.
As for how Bendy looked… I’m getting tired of yelling about his stupid haircut, so whatever. I think he’s trying to grow it out and hopefully, fingers crossed, we’ll have Cumbercurls by the Golden Globes/SAGs. I do like his new suit – at least it’s new to me, I don’t think I’ve seen this suit before. Ben looked grumpy throughout most of the show, but he did break into a smile a few times. Here’s Bendy’s speech:
It occurred to me as I was watching Benedict’s speech and how he carried himself last night that Benedict isn’t playing the same kind of Oscar campaign as Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne is doing the “British outsider, young talent in a breakthrough role” campaign. Benedict is running more of an “established actor doing consistently award-winning work for years” campaign. Like, I remember the (successful) campaign Harvey Weinstein waged on behalf of Colin Firth for The King’s Speech. That’s what Benedict’s campaign now reminds me of. He’s doing the Firth Model. That plays a bit better, I think.
I’m including photos of Bendy from the HFA red carpet, plus some pics of Bendy at LAX.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
well congrats to him, wish he was a happy bloke about it and not getting suckered in by that famewhore.
Thank goodness, at least he might get some coverage on this site now…
Ha! IKR??
The only problem is that he’s not “established” yet.
which is probably why Weinstein is going into overdrive to get his name in the news
if he posed him with that logo between his knees on purpose (top pic), he’s brilliant because that made me giggle. And if anyone can affect him, can they get him to lose that ridiculous hat?
Couldn’t agree more, Freebunny, Colin Firth was the imaginary boyfriend/husband of women of middle America for 15 years when he was campaigning. Colin had a much larger body of work behind him.
Colin is a class act, through and through. He didn’t look like someone ran over his cat while campaigning. Take notes, Ben.
A bit OT, but I met Colin Firth a few years ago. It was late, we had (unintentionally) crashed the set, and he looked tired and very thin but he was a COMPLETE gentleman and so kind. We just basically said hello then scooted away. (Well, maybe I blathered unintelligibly and melted into a puddle on the floor. It’s Mr. Darcy!)
Senaber, that is exactly the kind of response I would expect from a first class act like Colin. Thanks for sharing!
They’re trying to do a Firth campaign without a Firth career to back it up. Don’t get me wrong–BC’s career is noting to sneeze at and he is *extremely* talented, but they’re doing this like he has household name recognition and a “stable, sexy gentleman” image that Firth had going into the game for his Oscar.
Yeah, there was nothing wrong with most of Ben’s image…*sigh*
oh and i thought i’d throw this out there: want to know why there was so much of him throughout the night? (I didn’t see it, just going off your account.) it’s because this award show was funded by Fox and the Weinstein Company. It’s not really an award show but a publicity vehicle, like those authors that buy thousands of their own books so it can hit the top of the bestseller’s list.
Yep… these are pretty much bought and paid for.
#jawseyes were out in force. He only smiled barely when Keira thanked him. This is the same guy who cried when Lupita who he didn’t even work directly with won.
Jussayin.
I hope if/when he wins future awards he talks about Turing and ALSO about the other cast and crew.
I think his hair is looking better though and yes he’s running a Kings Speech campaign….but he’s not campaigning…Ok?! He isn’t. He told Harvey he wasn’t. Ok!?
*waits for people to tell me to stop being mean*
(His boots are nice and he’s wearing a Bowie t-shirt so he gets major points for that)
He never said he wouldn’t campaign, he said that, given his work schedule, he wasn’t sure he could campaign actively, the way Weinstein wants him to. Considering that Redmayne, for example, has been campaigning for over a month, Ben’s campaign so far has been pretty tame.
We’ve been through this in other threads: saying no to Weinstein is *not* a good thing.
All i know is I go on a variety of celeb sites (not here and not tumblr) and I’m seeing way more Cumberbatch and very little Redmayne. Although to be fair…its celeb sites not industry sites so fair enough.
Mainly due to his engagement timing..which he says he announced…so….take from that what you will.
Oh it is totally a Kings Speech campaign. But Otter has quite a ways to go before he can claim (or clam) a body of work ala Firth. I’m a bit disappointed by the whole Oscar for Otter campaign –
Punky, Firth is also 16 years older than Ben:) both are incredibly talented though 🙂
Despite everyone claiming that Redmayne is campaigning hard, I have seen and heard far, far less of him than I have of Benedict Cumberbatch everywhere. “I told Harvey that I am too busy to campaign because I’m working” repeated endlessly in multiple interviews IS his campaign and he is pushing it very hard and has been campaigning since July.
Lindy, but that’s just for the past 10 days. Redmayne has been campaigning (it’s not a criticism, just to be clear), with industry people, going to all the right places, parties, screenings for over a month. All possible nominees (even Keira who normally doesn’t), with the exception of Keaton, are campaigning hard right now, Ben has actively started to last week. Celeb sites are different. We know Ben is internet famous, he’s been so for years.
@ aly – Yes, a 16 year head start makes for a greater body of work. Colin had to wait a while for his Oscar, it just seems that Benny is still a bit wet behind the ears (which is to be expected from a water critter.)
You said it all Lindy. He’s been campaigning for a long while now methinks. Not buying what you’re selling, Ben. I do like your suit, though.
Keira has done and been to just as many Evers as Benny has and doesn’t look like someone with a toothache. If the rumors are true she’s pregnant then it puts Benny even more to shame.
Aly, cumberbatch has been doing it for a lot longer than 10 days.
All the appearances he did while he was not working were to keep his face out there..all since Feb when Harvey bought IG.
Off top of my head..
Oz comic Cons
Sports Award presenter
Several F1 high profile appearances
French Open
Numerous magazine profiles and interviews when he had nothing to sell. And I’m not including obvious stuff like SDCC because he was there to represent specific projects. For someone who did little work first 6 months he was very visible.
Not a critisism but this is a form of campaigning
Oz comic Cons …I might be wrong but wasn’t it for Sherlock and the Hobbit?
Sports Award presenter — that was for BBC
Most actors do these things, it’s about staying relevant. I said in another post, what I think an active campaign is. I’m *not* saying he isn’t campaigning or won’t and neither has he. It is also to be noted, IMHO, that he said that he wasn’t sure he would campaign 2 months ago, before the real hoopla began. Things change:)
He may have spoken about Sherlock and hobbit but he was not there representing either. It was sold as a Q&A with him and tickets were sold on that basis.
http://spotlightreport.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/benedict-cumberbatch-australia-2014-600×350.jpg
I’m not aware of the sports awards being the bbc, F1 maybe..and same with Red Bull thing, not bbc.
Oscar campaigns start the minute talk starts about a film. You call it staying relevant..i call it early campaigning. And he did A LOT of it this year.
@Lindy: I’m sure I’ve read it somewhere that some of those events were for BBC, I don’t remember where, though.
When did the buzz about TIG started?
“You call it staying relevant..i call it early campaigning”
Fair enough:)
Yesterday, the IMDB home page was filled, top to bottom, with Eddie and his movie. He did a ‘guest’ host, review, whatever type thing along with his female co-star.
After the awards show, Eddie was featured in one of the after party interviews. I think Benedict made an appearance at the end, but no interview.
Prior to that, Eddie was seen at several industry functions. He’s campaigning and campaigning just as hard as everyone else.
The Oz comic cons were strictly Q&As. the promoters busted their asses to get him to be there and it was kind of up in the air till late in the game due to his filming schedule. Q&As are largely image PR rather than specific project PR.
@Delorb, you do know that, on Fridays, the IMDB homepage is devoted to covering the movies that open on that day, don’t you? Just like last Friday, it was covered with articles about Interstellar and Big Hero and next Friday, it will be covered with stories about whatever movies open on that day, even ones that have no hope of Oscar contention, right? TIG will get the same amount of coverage on the home page of IMDB the day it opens.
Firth was leading man material from his very first roles, though (and the title character in Valmont, a huge production). This is partly because he’s conventionally handsome, whereas Cumberbatch put in a decade or so as the dork / second banana character. (Though Firth did need and got a Travolta-esque comeback in the mid-1990s with Pride and Prejudice after a once promising career took a dive for a while.)
Claire, it’s what all the studios are doing for their “assets”, Focus is pushing Redmayne hard, the studio behind Julianne Moore (who deserves it all btw) is pushing her hard for Still Alice. I think it’s par for the course. Hopefully this kind of thing prompts people to go to the cinema and watch the movies…and it looks good for award season:)
Julianne looks really good.
His speech wasn’t a thank you speech, it was an *advertisement* for the film. Smart boy. Instead listing bunch of names, he used his time to sell the movie to the audience. The man is a f*cking PRO.
And anyone who says the engagement wasn’t timed for PR, is frankly a moron. Stop thinking he’s some sort of innocent bystander who made a hasty decision. The relationship might be real (his mood however contradicts this) for all I now, but this enGAGment is pure PR.
Also, he looked like he was sleeping his eyes open the entire time. Don’t blame him though.
Ingrid: THIS, to everything.
Ingrid, do you mean to say you don’t think the proposal was a genuine one? (Or, at the risk of sounding conspiratorial, that he didn’t propose at all.) I can’t see how two people could have an artificial proposal in a real relationship. And I’m not really convinced the relationship is fake.
And to those that say “well if it’s PR where is she” I would say that considering how private he is in regards to his personal life, it’d be uneven for him to suddenly pop up with someone. This is more in line with his image from a year ago. I could be wrong, but just my 2 cents.
And I agree the man is a pro, whether he’s a natural or coached I don’t know.
@Claire – I don’t know what the relationship between these two “lovebirds” is like, but it’s very clear that AT LEAST the timing is PR. Might be just the timing, might be that the whole thing is PR. IDK. (Personal favorite theory of mine is that she was a casual date turned fiancée)
And yes to your “where’s she?” theory. And it makes more headlines (aka keeps BC current) if they take the slow roll out route.
But my original point was that this speech is again proof that BC is not just playing the game, he’s mastering it.
@Claire: He took Olivia Poulet and Anna James with him to events and afaik he was never engaged to them! He certainly never took out notices in the Times announcing the state of his relationship with them so the whole “privacy” thing is not working for me, sorry.
He is actively a part of all these. BY choice or by force(thts another story)
@ingrid nailed it
This award doesn’t mean anything to Bendy. It was an opportunity for more PR and his speech was meant to sell the movie before it opens in a couple of weeks. Nothing more.
@Claire: The reason people are wondering about her presence or lack thereof is because he *HAS* been very private about his relationships in the past but *still* had his SO’s in attendance at events, even Anna James who *never* spoke to the press, ever, and was always a ghost when cameras were aimed at BC.
and @ingrid: YES all of this–you have the crystal ball too.
I don’t recall him being too private about Olivia. He talked about her all the time. Saying how much he loved her, her leaving him, their getting back together and such. I thought it was a bit much, but hey, he’s not me and can say whatever he likes. I think he only went underground because now he’s famous. Whatever he does it makes the papers and people dissect it to death.
“He’s not smiling, he must be ungrateful.’ ‘He’s smiling. Its fake and he’s only campaigning.’ ‘He put the notice in the paper. Aw. That’s so cute.’ ‘He put the notice in the paper. He’s campaigning!’
@delorb
He hasn’t talked openly about a relationship for years. OP was way before the scrutiny so he stopped. Until now. But there’s no consistency in that ‘privacy’ whatsoever. But there wasn’t the peekaboo nonsense that’s been happening the last few months.
As for the newspaper announcement, well that’s up to personal taste. I didn’t find it cute. I thought it was an incredibly public thing to do for an apparently private man. Again, lack of consistency.
He was fairly private about Olivia but having become famous while he was with her, and had been with her for almost 10 years at that point, a lot of things became public knowledge without him discussing it, and other things he discussed didn’t really cut into private vs personal. Personal: “I love her”. Private: “We’re discussing finances and fighting over spending.” He didn’t delve into private things about his relationship with Olivia but he did discuss the personal.
He and Olivia did a travel series together, at least one of them in Greece, surprised to see her there but there they were, in the pool, etc. Not exactly hidden or private, but then I wasn’t paying attention back then anyway.
I’d say Olivia was a slightly different kettle of fish since they were together since uni, before he started getting “big,” and her presence in his life wasn’t secret. He didn’t discuss their relationship in detail, but he also didn’t hide her away. (I kinda wish those crazy kids had made it work).
@Lilac: and Moore has been campaigning since Cannes. It’s what they do. The Oscars are basically a year long run. Ben has been doing press, a lot of press, *but* the campaign he meant is the one where you go to parties, luncheons, dinners, screenings, charity drives and *so far* he hasn’t done that in the USA …which is where a good portion of the AMPAS voters live.
Campaigns is not just what we see, most of it is behind the scenes.
Hope it’s clearer:)
he did a few campaign parties last weekend in LA. I’m beginning to think he’s looking angry (as is HW) because Weinstein wanted him to parade the fiance around as part of the campaign and he left her home. I’m beginning to think that is the core of the issue, he doesn’t want to use her that way. Not sure about the engagement advertisement and the timing of it.
MET Gala.
@OldEnough: last week end…when the campaign officially kicked in.
@LilacFlower: wasn’t the MET Gala in London last year?
Of course he’ll be a trooper and will campaign, duh, he’ll probably need caffeine IVs by the end of it, but that’s another story.
The Met gala is in New York. The Met Gala benefits the Costume Institute, which is a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is in New York City. He skipped several events in London this year because he was in New York “working” but was never clear what he was “working” on. He did seem to spend a great deal of time with Anna Wintour and Zachary Quinto. In New York.
Lilacflowers: sorry, I didn’t know that (re: Met Gala).
@old enough – Isn’t SH the one who said she didn’t like to walk red carpets with people who are more famous than her? Which means she will never walk a red carpet.
All fans who think that BC is above this and is only about the acting are seriously misguided. Like was said, he spent a lot of time with Anna Wintour and guess who’s now on the cover as a story for December Vogue again? Yes – Benedict Cumberbatch along with Bradley Cooper, another Wintour fave. They hang out with her and in return they get coverage in her magazine. That’s how it works. UGH. Nothing to with journalism. Can’t lie, does make me sad he’s going along with stuff like this. But it is what it is.
His chumminess with the nightmare hag that is Wintour is probably the thing that has disappointed me most about him.
@Sooth: Someone on another thread did say Wintour is indeed close with HW and his wife, so that kind of smacks to me of very early campaigning. Maybe HW has wanted BC in his ‘stable’ for a while.
@aly,
Yes its clearer unless you think Benedict is the only one who is campaigning. They all campaign. Even those people who say they don’t campaign. That IS their campaign.
Some have started early, some have started late. Some get puff pieces done, while others get hard-hitting pieces done. Some show up at private parties, after saying that they won’t campaign. Others will show up for everything. Its all campaigning.
I can remember a dig against Tom Hanks. They pointed out how he managed to be at practically EVERY awards ceremony that year. As a fan, I thought it was just Hanks being a good guy, but it was campaigning.
@delorb: yeah…which was my point. Sorry, sometimes I get lost in translation and I can’t explain myself proprly!:)
Ben said he wasn’t sure he would have the time given his workload, to campaign like HW wanted him to. But of course he’ll do his fair share of promoting; he’s not stupid.
…and his hair is growing, I have hope for Sherlock;)
Lilac, if I remember correctly, he was working on the *Penwings* movie in NY around the time of the Met Gala.
Wasn’t it right after the Met Ball that he went to lunch with Dakota Johnson?
@claire Yeah, I’ve never heard of this award show before and to me it sounds exactly like “The Human Fund,” the generic-named fake charity George Costanza on “Seinfeld” established so that he could pretend to make donations in peoples’ names instead of giving them gifts. LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_z3RTwIWOw
It’s usually not televised (this is the first year, I think) and it’s really just a “dry run”/pr junket for the movies and actors that are considered front runners.
and nobody knows who is on the committee that chooses theses awards if there even is a committee and it looks even more suspect.It could have Harvey Weinstein on it for all anyone knows.
It’s the same suit from the Bright Young Things gala.
Congratulations to him, he looks zombielike. Even that smile when Keira thanked him looked odd and strained. Go take a nap, Benny, darling.
PS. I hate that silly hat and those glasses.
I thought he was very gracious and can’t wait to see the movie.
That movie looks so boring I don’t know if I can sit through it.
It can’t be worse than TFE:)
You got me there. LOL!
I think that suit is a bit dull – bank manager look. Think he needs a date with a new tailor.
But his face looks fresh and not the tired drag-face people keep going on about. He’s ok. I am glad he has won some kind of award, but it all smells a bit of a HW set up, but still nice to see Eddy there too.
Probably the whole show was filled with set up awards….see Affleck’s jokes when he got up to the stage to accept the film award for Gone Girl.
Not sure if Ben was at HW’s table. HW was with Keira and her mum (I think) and Benedict was sat next to Julie Chen (CBS’s resident prattling host) and her husband Les Moonves (CBS CEO), with Karon on his other side, maybe at a different table from Keira. (unless KK was on the opposite side of BC’s table) If it were me, I think I’d rather sit with Harvey.
Gurl, Harvey, Keira, Benedict are in the same table. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2c0mJrCYAAfl4X.jpg
North, I saw snaps of HW at Ben’s table, just across from him. I’m wondering if his angry look was due to Harv’s close proximity, something he said to BC or just the culmination of everything he’s being ordered to do for the campaign.
Anyway, having HV that close physically could have set him off and not even KK could pull him out of it.
I see it now Mindy and MR and stand corrected. They were just on the other side. Here’s a pic from Allen Leech’s twitter where you can see BC, LC and LM, but on the other side of the table you can just make out KK and HW’s heads.
https://twitter.com/Allenleech/status/533699750181081088
Sad about Harvey’s friend and business associate. No wonder he looked very serious during the ceremony.
Caught a couple of tweets yesterday from people in the industry who spoke about “Weinstein’s two tables”.
Rolling my eyes at this tweet from AL. God, talk about overkill.
What’s the ‘two tables’ thing?
I think Alan Leech is thirsty. Isn’t his post-Downton game not going as strongly as predicted?
@Sooth – there was the table that Harvey and Les Moonves were at (along with BC and KK) and there was the table next to them that Allan Leech and others were at. I think those were Harvey’s two tables.
@MissMary, I don’t think Leech’s “post-Downtown” career has been going on very long, since he’s still on the show. Time will tell whether he will break out more after that show ends, but he seems like he’s getting solid parts here and there (TIG for one).
@MissMary: #coattailerftw
Carrying over from the last thread: remember the DL story about Hunter having a musician boyfriend in NYC?
Well a musician in NYC posted publicly on her fb that he loved her the day after she was engaged:
http://eggsbenedish.tumblr.com/post/102681155647/lifted-from-sophies-fb-page-the-post-was-public
I mentioned that, in the interest of devil’s advocate, I have platonic friends who talk to me and our other friends like that, but given they were apparently dating, and she was in snaps with him as recently as late summer, it does make me raise a brow.
I don’t think matthew siskin has been seen in any snaps with her.
My mistake!
@Claire, If that one is legit, it’s quite the timing… But maybe the most interesting thing about it all is the photo. Those dogs in the photo are whippet like, no? Weren’t those the kind of dogs BC said he liked during that Katie Couric show? (I looked it up and he said ‘Lurchers’, who look a lot like greyhounds/whippets too) Ah well, I was bored, haha. Anyway, who took that photo? And Sophie Hunter, she’s just normal people everyone, taking arty FB pics while trying to make your FB friends jealous. 😉
I think that’s reaching a bit, Cate. 😉
LOL, it’s a Saturday and I’m a tiny bit bored, sorry Sooth! All in good fun…*nudge, nudge* 😉
Haha, no need to be sorry. I’ve seen further reaches on here tbh. 😉
Cold Saturday nights need a bit of pepping up..
Yes, he said he liked lurchers, but was wrong about the breeding, usually Scottish Deerhounds or Greyhounds and collies or Bedlington terriers, not Irish Wolfhounds, but he was close, and I felt proud that I was apparently the only one who knew what they were, even if I was at home screaming “YAY! SIGHTHOUND PERSON! WE’RE MADE FOR EACH OTHER” LOL. She doesn’t look like a dog person, too self involved….
hahaha…he’s probably trying to raise his profile too!! His fb photos show he’s got a model gf and she’s blonde. Gosh, why does everyone who live in NY soo pretentious?!?! Not sure what’s going on with BC but I hope he gets over this hurdle….who knows…maybe SH is having second thoughts??? If that’s the caae I hope there isn’t a baby involved…that would be sad.
Ashamed to say I went there (Sophie’s FB page) and discovered that within her 805 FB friends are not one but TWO folk who have mutual friends with me! So I’m two FB degrees removed from her, or something like that. Fun fact: one of the connecting friends from my side is a total Hiddlestoner. 😀
Doesn’t he have a girlfriend per that Guardian piece on him from November 2013?
Could you stop calling her his lover? She’s his fiancee, and I’ve always hated that term.
They’re all in denial with the “f” word.
even benny is in denial to . thats why WILWIPT
@Lucifer -LOL 😀
(Actually, I think you are right, semantics matter.)
Oh, jackpot ..someone’s used the ‘denial’ card.
*rolls eyes*
Sarah Jessica Parker – Hello lover.
I’ll try to articulate what bothers me most about the Weinstein connection with Hunter, who is a mediocre nobody no matter how much PR tries to sexy up her CV, and it’s not what you might think it would be.
Let’s assume the relationship and engagement are 100% real.
Let’s assume what we suspect is true: Weinstein is running Benedict into the ground and that’s why he looks so unhappy.
This broad has had VERY close friendships with those in Weinstein and his wife’s circle far longer than she has had any friendship, let alone a relationship, with Benedict. Worse comes to worst, she’s never going to use her influence to get Weinstein to back off for the sake of the man’s sanity: she would jeopardize her personal and professional ties by doing that. Not just with Weinstein. Not just with his wife. But the wife’s brother and his partner, who is her best friend. It would be downright dangerous to her standing in that social circle.
I know many people in this business and I’ll tell you as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, many of these people, including lovers and so called close friends, put the safety of staying connected in the biz, especially with power players, above personal well being. Personal well being defined as personal sanity, staying free from addictions, men and women with ulterior motives, inflated egos and so on.
I have war stories and I have battle scars from this stuff. I thought BC would have been smarter to mix business with his private life, and it’s impossible to divorce those two things in such a setup.
@ Alex. Well, that’s disturbing as all hell. And didn’t know that SH had that kind of connection. Interesting, all of it.
BC and SH have many friends in common – not to mention the fact that they worked together on Burlesque Fairytales – so I’m not buying a big HW conspiracy to get them together.
SH is close with HW’s brother in law and his gf, and she’s also close with several of HW’s wife’s friends (she likes to move in the “money for nothing” circles). She has been for some time, and it’s actual close not “we met at a party once and air kissed” close.
It’s all just quite yuck and disappointing, but I guess I just have my own perception of The Auburn Otter to blame.
I must say, the conspiracy theorists here are really on the Twihard level-pathetic scale. You guys really have too much time thinking about stranger 1 and stranger 2 getting engaged. It’s… troubling.
He just landed in LA like 5 hours before the ceremony. Any human being would look knackered with that sched.
It’s gotten nutty. He’s mentally ill … HW dispatched SH to ensnare Benedict with her feminine wiles … Whatever happened to two people meeting, falling in love, and wanting to spend the rest of their lives together? Sounds pretty simple to me.
Its tough but i can testify that when you travel first/business class which I’m 99% sure he does its a hell of a lot easier. The whole experience is designed for regular high profile travellers. You get a proper rest on the plane for a start.
Either way, act like a professional.
Sorry I’m just so fed up with people going on about him being tired!
he has workd harder in worse conditions all his life. He is used to this. The ppl claimimg the hard work part must be not doing ANY work during thr day to day life
Lucifer, that’s true…but it could also be a cumulative effect. There’s no written rule for when the body starts to send you messages to, “chill, that’s too much, ffs would you rest already?”
To me, being stressed and burnt out makes more sense than SH being a succubus, mostly because I don’t put much stock in that relationship to begin with.
your last line sums it up all 😀
Maybe he’s tired about people calling him whipped, blackmailed, and under contract-thus miserable after he announced his engagement. I’d be pissy as hell, too, if people were saying those things about me–no other catalyst needed.
Jesus, everyone saying he looks sad because he doesn’t want to be engaged are both denying the obvious and right fricking looned.
Jackie: not everyone is saying what you claim. And please, if you really think that a 38 years man, who is a public figure is upset because of what 10 people say on the internet Idk what to say. You’re giving fans way more importance than they actually have
Exactly, Aly. God it’s too hilarious for words that people think his thunderous demeanour is due to a few fans with raised eyebrows and questions on the Internet.
It’s so creepy that fans think they’re important in his life in this way.
Sooth, right? I’m sure he doesn’t give a **** what I think of him and vice versa. Contrary to popular belief, most of his fans aren’t knitting him sweaters. This is the only place I talk about him. I’m interested in his work and occasionally gossip about him on one website. I don’t stalk him, send him ties or post a million tumblr pictures.
I see some of his movies and watch the odd interview with him. Maybe come here and follow some links some people have posted. If he doesn’t want to hear from his crazy fanbase he could, you know, not go on tumblr or gossip sites. He’s pretty easy to avoid, actually.
@Mindy – Since we spend too much time on this, does this mean your disappointment will cause you to move on? We would hate to waste your time because we are not going to change our minds.
Oh for thors sake. Enough with ‘twihard’ comparisons. If that’s what you get for using your brain and looking beyond the narrative BS you’re fed, then that kinda sucks.
If you honestly think that everything of late is normal, then I think you may be the one in denial here. He’s worked like a dog all his professional life and has turned up to press so knackered he could barely open his eyes and he was warm and smiley. This has eff all to do with him being tired.
You’re taking your time to read and post on a celeb gossip thread so please don’t shame other people here who are taking some quite weird behaviour and talking about it. Why are you even here if you think this is so pointless?
I’m getting real tired of people lazily being lumped in with ‘twihards’ because this whole thing is rolling out weirdly. And anyone who is denying that really needs to clean their specs.
You don’t have to agree but don’t make others feel like loons for talking about it because we quite clearly aren’t.
@sooth – Excellent post. If you want to join the conversation please free but don’t get upset and point fingers at others who don’t see your point of view. If your mission is to come over and change the narrative by shouting everyone down then go back to your own board. People are very friendly here; I posted after lurking for months and no one complained. However, it is a different atmosphere from IMDB or whatever it is.
Sooth: Sounds like we have a visitor here who is on the payroll and trying to make the “oh, look, crazy fans!” thing happen.
And it’s not a correct comparison anyway. Most of the IMDB crowd and other over policing fans would be coming closer to the so called ‘Twihards’. We’re closer to the tiny part of the Twilight/Pattinson fandom wondering about ‘Robsten’, how that relationship was quite out there too and used for PR.
LOL. Just throwing a tiny bit of oil on the fire here…*smiles innocently*
Exactly, Cate.
convinced there’s an overlap between the Twihards and the Cumber Collective. It’s so gross.
Then leave, ignore the posts…it’s not that difficult, really.
‘Gross’?
Really? *shakes head* What are you,like…twelve or something?
Please stop referring to individuals as the ‘cumbercollective’. Not everybody wants to embarrass themselves with a collective amorphous identity. And if the best insult you can come up with is the lame and nonsensical comparison to ‘twihards’, then I think you might be struggling a bit.
So he has a long haul flight? Big deal! I’m getting fed up with people making excuses for his behaviour, he’s an actor and all this comes with the job and he should be greatful that it pays a good wage. He should try a retail, nurses, police job for example then he’ll know how hard it is to do a job and expected to smile when someone has been mean to you for no good reason.
He needs a good kick up the backside. He’s not the first man to get engage and won’t be the last. And this all goes to the Cumberhards too. Stop making excuses.
New sequence to Benedict The Movie© coming later. It turns out Hiddles isn’t dead after all and is living in Nashville being a busker.
Has Martin and Amanda discovered hostage Sophie’s octopuses and will they tell her?
i don’t claim to be a pro but i’ve gotten off 15 hour flights and gotten home from 12 hour work days and not only smiled to people passing me by, but I wasn’t irritated or angry or resentful about people and circumstances. so i really doubt it’s that. it’s not like this is the first time this man has promoted a film FFS
Oh thank you, Ellen, for not killing him off in the movie! He would be a delightful busker! I’m so relieved. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
I heard Hiddles cowboy hat is filled to the brim with notes for his busking 🙉 however people are dropping a few messages too telling him to get out of hiding & join the Hollywood shill-bang and get impression revenge on benedict 😜
NOOOO. I love Hiddles in hiding. I am proud of our boy working the way he is now! Work, Hiddles, work, so that you could cram in The Night Manager at the beginning of 2015! Then you can take a couple of months off and get back to your pro shilling routine 😀 I am crossing my fingers for High Rise to hit a couple of European festivals, too, by the way.
I don’t know Hiddles is quite content in his new life as a NashVille Busker and he’s even married a local Girl by the name Jennifer Lawernce who herself fell foul of Benedicts take over. I think this Marrige puts Hiddles more at risk as he didn’t go or want to go down the Cloak and dagger route. Things aren’t looking too good for Sophie, she’s so far refused to go to any premiers or events because Benedict is still holding her captured against her will. Some people think that Benedict is in fact in love with the princess Keira but knows she’s out of his league
@Ellen, the Jennifer Lawrence marriage is a fake to hide his marriage to me.
@intro Outro, I’m crossing my fingers too. I’m hoping it will do Sundance and/or Cannes.
Also hoping he gets some theatre work in next year too. Something in early fall, between his triumphant return to SDCC as the undisputed reigning God/King of Hall H and Crimson Peak promotion in mid-October, or late fall heading into holiday season. Any recent rumblings from Branagh about staging Much Ado About Nothing?
Lilac are you planning secret babyhiddles too? Behing the j-law marriage-sham? Because I heard that goop-princess is on the war path & may split up the sham marriage cause she wants Hiddles for her sham-marriage. Goop thinks that Hiddles will provide the optimum in click-bait with aristocracy now she’s been forced out if Belsize park crowd. However, you may be in luck cause put Sophie’s head down the toilet & may also make a pitch for benny. Benny’s moods are closer to dimwit Chris Martin & benny can sing yellow in full misery while drawing to relax. 😛
@’p’enny, GOOP is not welcome to share my husband. Either of my husbands. As for secret little ones; due to chemo damage, we’re looking into surrogacy. Would you like to volunteer to be secret surrogate?
Benedict killed Goop off not because she stood in his way but because she’s irritating. Hiddles doesn’t like hiding j-law but the real reason he’s busking in Nashville is to hide from his other wife Liliac and I have a feeling he might have a third wife somewhere too. He’s one of those Mormons you know.
Sophie is currently got a Toilet seat permanently stick to her head now and Benedict won’t help her get it off because she still won’t co-operate with his media world wide take over bid.
Just when you couldn’t think things could get any worse Kanye turns up
Funny thing is even when the schedule has been grueling before, he always says “lucky to be here, I love it, I’m very happy to have all this”, never has he been so surly and unhappy. Bigger than just being tired, FFS. I’m going with a surprise pregnancy and “right thing to do” engagement. And now he knows that’s not really the right thing to do, and he’s having some heartburn over it. Just saying.
I can’t buy it, sorry…he’s been saying for years that he wants to be a father…he’d be over the moon, happy, beaming, even if it was a surprise pregnancy. He wouldn’t look like this, IMO.
I agree on that Aly. Whatever about the relationship unless she was a total loon who he thought would be a nightmare to co parent with (im talking restrict access etc.), he’d be thrilled at a baby being on the way.
I don’t think he’d be so thrilled if she was nothing more than a FWB and now he feels stuck, trapped, embarrassed, any number of things. Would be very convenient for her as she seems to have been very lightly employed for some years now.
Bingo Alice, I don’t think this is what he had in mind when he thought of being married and having children. Gone horribly wrong and I think he maybe duped himself into thinking he was in love and now’s the time. His self imposed deadline for having children probably is going to kick his ass in not a nice way. Most of the time you have to wait for the right person, if you force it you’re going to get something you might not be happy with.
Even when he got off the fight in Japan last year, you could tell he was (as my grandma would say) dog-ass tired but he managed to smile, be cordial if not polite, engage fans and reporters, and still not hiss and spit. Yeah it was a PR set up at the airport but so are a LOT of these events he’s at (esp of late), and the flight to Japan was way longer than the one to LA.
Top 5 favorite moments I have for B lol. I loved him playing with the fans.
Funny, I thought the story from these awards would be wasted Johnny depp stumbling around and slopping up his little speech.
I understand thereto be a post on that later!
The video made me laugh SO much!
Did he nearly throw up in his mouth at the end??
I think he used profanity and they killed his mike.
What was going on with Johnny Depp? Why didn’t someone stop him before he got to the stage?
Comment was made on stage that he was sick and on medication, but still came because it was important, hope that’s trued. Looked like he was having trouble reading the prompter too.
What about Jennifer Lopez. She thought that giggling her way through her spot was acceptable. Idiot.
The important question is: who did he bendy to at HFA?
Ps: I am rooting for eddie and Keaton (who was brilliant in bird man).
I am DYING to see Birdman! Let’s go, Keaton!
Alonso!!!!! I didn’t recognize you for a second. You changed your photo! Birdman was fun, whiplash was great too. This is a really good year for films.
They managed to give just about every film which has had an Oscar buzz an award. Great way to get the stars to turn out for a bit more publicity as the award season approaches . I have read several articles that say they are very suspect. They were started by a man who’s expertise is PR .They are very vague about who votes and the Los Angeles Times suggests that the voting committee is actual Carlos de Abreu and possibly his wife.
Apparently Look no further than a couple years ago when Quentin Tarantino was given the award for Best Screenplay for Django Unchained and said, “It’s kind of strange to get an award while you’re still in the editing room for a movie… Now when my editor wants to cut down a long section of dialogue I can say, ‘You want to take a line out of my award-winning screenplay?'”
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-hollywood-film-awards-cbs-20141114-column.html
Sounds even worse than the Oscars
@icerose, I read a somewhat similar analysis on Deadline. They were not as straightforward but the message did get across.
and as long as the so called committee remains anonymous it could just as easily be Weinstein or any one with sufficient means to help Carlos to make the awards appear more prestigious than they are. There is just so much room for payoffs it seems unbelievable.
Exactly. This award seems to be the intro to the nominees of the award season.
It’s exactly that, I think:)
the point is nobody knows who decides who will be introduced as possible nominees at these awards and what are they getting out of it. We do know Carlos who stared them is the key player so probably him and maybe a few hand chosen helpers to sit on the committee Oh a producer to televise the awards would be wonderful if he does we can nominate the actors in his film .We could even put him on our anonymous committee.
The golden globes are little else..a handful of foreign press writers who routinely reward those big in eur or who will give them an interview. In the past the payola was routine. It only became ‘important’ when networks wanted an easy to shoot show with celebs. It’s like an extension of lifestyles of the rich and famous,
so Benedict giving an interview to the head guy at HFPA means he’s probably a lock for a nomination.
yep…he can work the press and the rooms with journalists and sag members:)
That is pretty much how most of award season is though, just pr for the next award. There are only a key few that actually matter.
The not televised ones and the SAGs…
@icerose – I watched 5 minutes of the show and could tell right away it was a set up, even before I did a quick Google search and found the articles about it. I think the LA Times has it right – the main criteria for winning is that you agree to show up and accept the award, especially now that it’s televised. It was immediately obvious the acceptance speeches were written well ahead (those I saw anyway – too bad I missed Depp’s).
The other thing that made my eyes roll was that if there weren’t enough awards to hand out to those they wanted to attend, they seemingly made some up. Eddie Redmayne wins the “Breakthrough” award so Benedict can win “Hollywood Actor”. They made sure to cover all the Oscar-contender bases and gave a “Career Achievement” award to Michael Keaton and an “Ensemble” award to the Foxcatcher fellas.
I thought the older guys were handsome – Michael Keaton and Steve Carrell. Also, what happened to Foxcatcher and Bird Man? Since I’m not a big movie buff I am taking cues from all of you as to what to see but those movies got not love. I don’t want to waste my very hard earned dough for a bad movie.
@moodgirl – I hear you. I haven’t seen either Birdman or Foxcatcher but I’m leaning toward seeing Birdman in the theatre just because it sounds so interesting visually and the cast is full of my favorites. Foxcatcher’s story is pretty bleak- it’s not exactly the feel-good movie of the year. I think it’s going on my “maybe when it comes to Net-flix/On-Demand” list, mainly because Steve Carrell looks like he hit his performance out of the park.
I don’t think any movie that has Oscar buzz could be called “bad”, but the issue (I find) with movies that are Oscar contenders is that they aren’t exactly geared toward the average popcorn-munching, blockbuster-loving movie goer (which I’ll proudly claim to be) – there is usually something about them that challenges the viewer. That’s not a bad thing, I enjoy being challenged – if I know ahead of time that’s what I’m in for. The Academy and other industry insiders reward people that push the envelope, creatively or technically, and sometimes that backfires when it comes to generating popular appeal or box office.
I recommend Birdman, moodgirl. Keaton is great and Norton imo, upstages him in his supporting role.
@Dara, I recommend Birdman as well. Great performance all around. Keaton is very good, the rest of the cast is very strong, including Zach G, and Norton practically devours the scenery, both in the “play within the play” and the film itself.
That hit me as son as I saw the list s I scooted around the internet to see what I could find out about the wards and it was not good..
Giving Eddie a breakthrough award was a bit of a joke considering he has had several high profile films already and has a better filmography that Benedict It was easy to palm Keaton of with some kind of honorary award AND fox catcher ensemble.The only ones that did not get in there were small budget indie films who have not the clout or finance to arrange some kind of pay off. Those that can get a nice little pre Oscar buzz and we know Oscar is all about media buzz
– Benedict Cumberbatch wins ‘Hollywood Actor Award at the HFAs: yay?
– *YAAAWN*
I couldn’t sleep last nite, so I decided to watch the first Sherlock episode. I haven’t seen it in at least 2 years.Once again, I was amazed by the show, Martin Freeman’s John Watson, and most of all B.C.’s interpretation of Holmes. When that body bag is unzipped, you can see his strange face peering in, and then the whipping commences. This man is an amazing talent. So he’s campaigning for a well-deserved Oscar. So what? He got engaged to someone he apparently has known for a long time and fell in love with. So what? According to some of you, it’s for PR purposes. So what? Even if that’s the case (which I doubt), it’s an arrangement between consenting parties. B.C. is one of the most interesting actors I have ever seen, and his work should be recognized and rewarded. As for Sophie, believe it or not, I have never met her or seen them together with my own eyes, so I can’t even speculate how “real” or fake their relationship might be. Lastly, no matter who he ends up with, it was NEVER going to any of us. Good luck during awards season Ben. Your work speaks for itself.
This man is an amazing talent. So he’s campaigning for a well-deserved Oscar. So what?
This I fully agree with.
I’m all for a big campaign. I hope he crushes the other actors into the ground.
Well lets shut down the comments section of every celeb site then. I agree as an actor his work is fantastic, I’m side eyeing some of his behaviour recently, as it contradicts a lot of stuff hes said. I never wanted to meet him or marry him but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to comment on someone who is working the PR angle..he wants the awards so hes doing it.
I just wish he’d stop acting like hes above it and an insufferable grump. Personal life aside this is a career high for him. He’s getting best reviews of his career for film and is in very serious contention for major awards and recognition. Cheer up for fecks sake!!
Because we love him for who he his and his talent. We had more faith in his integrity and ethics. we thought his talent ALONE is capable of winning him an oscar. He did not need to get into the mess he is IN right now. He is way better thn that. Time will prove our faith. WE LOVE HIM
@Lucifer: unfortunately talent alone is not enough, or else there are actors and directors who wouldn’t have gotten awards.
I expected all of this, I didn’t expect him to look like he’s looking right now. This is what surprised me…that’s what worries me.
to begin with, the possible reasons behind this was the talking point
YOU DON’T KNOW HIM. Jfc, you don’t love him because you don’t know him at all. This fangirl angst is crazy.
Oh shush. They clearly don’t mean they love him personally or are *in* love with him, it’s just a fan love.
@Gail….oh, honey…
@geemoney @sooth @aly
Thank u. Ppl cn take the love word out of context so easily. FYI i m a married woman. My fangirl days are long gone
@geemoney, I think you are jumping the gun here. No marriage has happened and we don’t know if one will either.
Even the most healthiest relationships can’t stand this level of stress. And by the looks of things, this doesn’t seem like a healthy situation for the guy.
Naive comment of the day. Oscar winners NEVER win on merit alone.
Whew! For a second there -when I saw the airport pic, I thought he was wearing his Sherlock deerstalker hat.
Are Firth Models available for the masses? I can’t say I would mind doing a Firth Model myself.
Don’t know about Firth Models, but I gave Colin himself the afternoon and tomorrow off from his Butler duties. He worked so very hard this week. Would you like to entertain him for the remainder of the weekend?
Yeah..’butler’ Colin bringing me my diet Pepsi and leftover pizza for lunch..ahhh
yes please.
Damn … He just works the hell out of a suit.
Some of these comments putting down people for questioning things are amusing. What is it hurting you for people to speculate? It’s their time and if they want to do it, so be it. People are acting like all the speculation is a crime when for many (hopefully most) of it is just out of entertainment.
Calm down.
We have been invaded by posters ftom IMDB or whatever. They want to bring their perceived high brow correctness over here. I wish they would go back to their own neighborhood.
Not everyone on imdb is buying the WILWIPT, but get shouted down for voicing any concerns. Shouted down by the same people who mocked SH and denied her as the sgf all the way from the FO through the LFF.
Imdb is just the worst place ever. Scarily obsessed and devoted. Ironic that the people putting a question mark over all this are considered the crazy ones. .. By the inhabitants of IMDB, no doubt.
IMDb is the Stepford Wives of the BC fandom.
Anyone NOT questioning things is deluded or blind. Something is very much NQR with BC, personality changes in a matter of weeks are not normal, nor is uncharacteristic and frankly alarming impulsive behavior.
Question away, I’m with you.
YES, OhHey. He’s super ambitious, dealt with all this stuff before, and at a high point right now. Stress, tiredness, image change etc. none of that explains why he’s so odd.
@Sandi: yep. IJDGI
Oddly, the same people claiming those of us questioning or in denial or whatever would be silent or supportive if we were in the “OMG HOW HAPPY AND PERF!” brigade.
Did anyone catch the red carpet interview with Mo Rocca mentioning BC playing Dr. Strange. BC practically hissed “no, check your notes” twice and was clearly annoyed to say the least. I recall him responding to similar questions in an affable way with some humor. This was AWKWARD! He seems to have lost his joy. My son worked in Hollywood for a few years and called it a soul sucking experience.
As recently as this month, he’d joke about it and tease it but that was like watching train wreck.
Uhm…could it be that now he’s in serious talks and can’t say a word about it? The interview where he gave that cheeky answer was before the news that he’s in negotiations for the role came out.
@aly
If that were the case, he could still be more gracious about it.
“Oh, I better not say” would be a LOT better (and PR friendly!) than hissing like a gorn at an interviewer.
I haven’t seen the interview, but from the gif it looked like he was being cheeky about it.
@Sooth: indeed.
Yes, MissMary and Sooth, whatever BS he has had to endure from interviewers he always managed to be gracious and kinder to the people who are just doing their jobs, negotiations or no. This was one of the qualities I admired most about his public persona. I have heard it said that when you go out to LA and are relatively new to the so called game, someone, somehow is going to screw you over, even people close to you. Maybe this is his way of thickening the skin
He was surly and looked like he just wanted to get away. It’s like watching a stranger.
Wasn’t it at TIFF when he was asked about Doctor Strange and he made that cheeky response “Let the rumor mill run!”? That man was not on display last night
That was the best facial expression in the history of him being on this earth when he said “let the rumour mill run”
https://33.media.tumblr.com/a88839636b572b6ac50d1f2c748df231/tumblr_nbkstzMfwD1qir88ko1_500.gif
I mentioned this on another thread, but I’ll say it again here in expanded form–what if the Unhappy BendyBot is because Marvel went toe to toe with Harvey and lost? Or just decided there were too many demands on BC’s time between Harvey and Moffett, and gave up on the negotiations for Dr. Strange when they decided they couldn’t make it work.
This would explain his surliness on the subject, as well.
Didn’t he REALLY want this role? That could be at least a part of his general down attitude.
Could be.
My first though after last night’s interview however was that he’s still in negotiations, but trying to keep it under wraps as not to over shadow TIG opening. Hence the angry reply to get the reporter to drop the subject.
But I really don’t know… He seems pissy just about every single thing people ask him about. Except his folks…
@Ingrid: yeah, that’s been my first thought too.
I have the theory that there are parts of the promotion that actually embarass him, like yesterday’s award, or the Harper Bazaar’s thing. Like, “alright, I will do your promo tour, but couldn’t we avoid the complete dog and pony show?”
IDK, I just don’t get it…*sighs*
What was in Harper’s Bizarre?
Wait, it was Flaunt magazine, not Harper’s Bazaar…*brainfart* he looked definitely not at ease or impressed by the whole thing, like yesterday
@moodgirl. He was named man of the year in Harper’s UK. Keira wrote a nice essay about their friendship – said he was always there for her in her dark times. I hope she’s returning that support now.
^What Alice said. It is telling he smiles with her, he smiles when talking about his parents, and that moment at the HFA when Keira mentioned him and he realized the camera was on him.
But not ever when talking about his supposed beloved.
TBH i thought he had anxiety disorder and its just becoming worse due to pressure so we re seeing it.
I know i shouldnt armchair diagnose but it isnt normal to worry yourself physically sick over the possibility of something -like he gave himself a headache over the neutron thing before they told him it was fake. and he started dropping weight earlier and faster than usual, a lot of his clothes are baggy. should have not tried a campaign but hey i know how it is to push your own limits
That Mo Rocca interview was disturbing.
In the past, I think it would have been a more light-hearted, or coy “Who me? Dr. Strange? I don’t know what you’re talking about” accompanied by a goofy grin or a wink.
This was more like, “Check your notes! Why do I have to work with such incompetent morons! I’m leaving!”
Whatever medication he’s on, it’s not working. Get a grip, mate.
‘get a grip’ is not a compassionate or appropriate response to someone you believe is mentally ill
I don’t really think he’s mentally ill. I do however think he’s got a terminal case of stick-up-the-butt also known as grumpy-bunny-itis.
Fortunately, Peaky Blinders Season 2 is on Netflix. Throws Benedict Cumberbatch craziness to the wind drives toward Cillian Murphy. Thank goodness!
Its SO good!!
It’s out! YES! YOU MADE MY DAY, LAETITIA!
Oh dear! HW must be angry with BC as there is no mentioning of him in People’s coverage of the event (I checked this afternoon). A few photos and write ups of KK and Eddie R! But nothing on HW’s Golden boy. Up your game or SH will be dragged out for the next event – heavily drugged if necessary.
Also little response on just jared’s articles on BC and the daily mail only gave BC one little paragraph and a few photos.
What a train crash!
There’s been a few (very snarky, rather angrily written) articles about BC overload that’ve come out in some UK papers so maybe he’s getting a bit of backlash from that?
But at the same time the telegraph ran an article yesterday about how BC is worth 11 million £ because he helped tourism with Sherlock. And one of those angrily written articles was a) click baiting b) reeked of bitterness 🙂
@aly: there’s a lot of “Oh god, THIS GUY?” again in some circles of media, esp in the UK from what I am given to understand. I thought the article was more that Sherlock filming boosted the economy with 11 millionish rather than just BC alone.
He was in the Hollywood Reporter, though…
And JJ, really?
Somehow, his cheekbones are less spectacular without the curls. I do not understand this!
Hello my lovelies.
What do you think the chances of SH being in NY already?Waiting for him?
She has connection’s there.
Think she’ll do the red carpet?Or a repeat of LFF?
My flower dress is bought and all steamed up. donno what to do with the hair. such bad shape n cut i v got.
–
octop-ssy
She may very well do the red carpet at NYC but I’m not going to be shocked if she doesn’t.
MissMary…. Would her delicate,noble beauty (barf) be up to the flight?…..
And if she’s up the duff,she may be even more delicate..(barf)
check out http://imgur.com/a/n6BGV#yTrZynU
Don’t they appear to be typical half working upper class crap? And flipping the bird is really classy for a grown woman. Get a job already.
I can’t believe he is into this type of light weight chick, I would expect someone a little more down to earth. She appears pretentious and immature even in photos. He really must be desperate to get engaged to her after five months. They both must be flighty.
Why is she always doing that ridiculous looking down pose for photos? And as for the ‘timeless beauty’ hashtag. Erm..yeah, sure.
@Moodgirl: A lot of us are going “wtf?” esp given his past (public) SOs and dates have been “substantial” in terms of either talent or personality (well…okay, two exceptions but those weren’t SOs and more…”special friends” *cough*). And seriously, is there not one legit casual pic in her arsenal? They look like the kind of pics arty high school seniors try to take so they look older or like they’re in a John Green novel.
@Kazlock: I’m sure her delicate, noble, beauty will be there if there’s enough parties to attend. *secures catty pants and tinfoil hat for conspiracy train ride*.
timeless beauty= beauty that did not have time to be beautiful. 😛
She hit the jackpot and he is rather naive and really desperate. It looks like a problem waiting to happen even from my living room.
@MissMary – KE had talent if you know what I mean 😉
@Moodgirl: *rim shot* (And there were some pretty popular rumors that said she was *professionally* talented for the right bidder, but I side more with she was just DTF if the guy had enough power or money to his name)
What does KE have to do with anything? I think it seemed fairly obvious that was nothing go on there anyway. She was quite openly engaged the whole time.
To put SH in Time magazine and compare her to Amal, after looking at these photos, someone was either drinking heavily or more likely it proves that a lot of influence changed hands to talk her up. Definitely a HUGE PROFESSIONAL PR job working in the background.
Huntress?……really?…….
@moodgirl. When are some of these photos going to make it to the DM, Time, People, etc., so that they can cut the Saint Sophie routine. I’m supprised that Amal has not yet sued them for slander for equating SH’s puffed up accomplishments with hers.
Well the last time it made the press it was because someone was tweeting the tabs on twitter. Someone should get busy 🙂
Doesn’t he look like he wants to cry in the second photo above. I say he’ll be in tears whether she is there or not.
What photo does he look like he wants to cry in?
The photo at the top of this page. He looks really sad.
Another question,in two parts.
Outside of the internet is anyone questioning
1)the enGAGment in general?
And
2)How bloody different he seems?I was going to say miserable, but it’s more I think
The change in him seems quite obvious to me,but other sites,pages seem unaware.
I can’t speak to the first part since I rarely discuss fanish interest with anyone In Real Life tm but the few folks I know in meatspace who are fans of his, albeit casual ones, have even remarked that he looks ill, angry, like he just got fired, like someone “pissed in his Cheerios,” and my personal favorite, “Like someone just gave him a turbo wedgie and he can’t pull it out.” All in comparison to previous pics and interviews they’d seen/read with BC.
@MissMary Ruben Nepales posted a pic on twitter of Benedict from the press stuff today. Ruben is the head of the Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes people).
https://twitter.com/nepalesruben/status/533713264513794048/photo/1
HW has him working the awards machine full throttle….and he looks miserable and is it just me or do his clothes not fit?
Yikes. And Londonphile has some posts up on her site from twitter that say he’s flying to NYC after he’s done with press in LA today. Tired!Batch will be even moreso, no matter the mood he’s in. I gotta admit-he did look a little amused in the pic from earlier today with Chris Hardwick up on the Nerdist tumblr but I’m not seeing it anywhere else.
@MissMary I agree. The Nerdist pic was a ray of hope (how can you not smile around Chris Hardwick…he’s awesome!)
I get to see Benedict tomorrow night at the 92Y event. It should be interesting.
He’s a nerd. How does he transform himself from that BC to the sexy BC we saw last night?
@Gracada: Oooooooooooh… I’m kinda jealous, lol! I’d love to hear about the movie first hand from the people involved!
I will give my reaction and insight.
I look forward to it, Gracada! I was lucky enough to see the movie a few days ago – you will love it.
I can only give my best friend’s example: she’s a fan, but doesn’t follow his career on the internet and she too sees how different he looks and wonders WTH is wrong with him.
I have a weird theory, maybe it´s true, maybe not: SH has been BC´s dreamwoman for a long time. Of course she wasn´t interested in him when they first met, because she was in a relationship with someone more famous than him. Later she would not care about him because her friends in NY were richer and more famous than he was. Then one day she realized she would not get younger, and her career was over (if there ever was one). She saw how successful her old friend had become. And he still fancied her, of course. So he got his chance and grabbed it with both hands….
I can’t see why she’d be his ‘dream woman’ tbh.
@Sooth
Me neither. I just saw saw pictures on Sleuthy’s whatever … god she irks me. What an absurd women.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/27/gambles-the-it-guy
so this is Sophie Hunter’s supposedly rather dishy ex/friend… who was in love with her/maybe not and together/maybe November 2013. Wow… what a difference a year makes. Go Sophie. She does describe her self as a model?
No, it says he was dating a model named Britany Nola. Not WILWIPT. Oh, Hollywood folks. They’re so confusing.
Britany Nola aka Playmate Of The Month November 2012
Allen Leech has tweeted.
“That awkward moment when you ask Benedict Cumberbatch to marry you, only to find out he just got engaged! #awkymomo ”
Well.. It’s just getting weirder..
Why is it only his TIG costars and James (who is being James) that are saying anything?
Interesting…it’s like this engagement is somehow connected to the movie….
oh…
wait…
Nah aly you’re crazy 😛
The Breakthrough Prize 2015 is on the Discovery Channel. BC is supposed to presenting.
The first face I saw is Eddie Redmayne. He is trying too hard.
Oh and I thought I was the only one who noticed this! I was going to say something days ago but it’s more obvious now isn’t it? But Kiera has said nothing right?
If this farce is for PR: I don’t find James Rhodes as a reliable (and psychologically strong enough person) to be trusted with a secret of that importance.
As for Leech: IDK? He is maybe the kind of a friend who reads page 57 of Times and the ad was for him. It could just because the picture is somewhat insinuating proposing gesture.
Loo Brealey said something but it was in response to a direct question regarding Sherlock/Molly shippers and nothing about “I’m so happy for them” or “Oh, we’re excited” or anything you’d expect a friend (allegedly a close friend) to say.
@Aly: *snort* *ahem* I’m sure there’s absolutely NOTHING PR related! Of course not! *cough cough cough gag*
And bless James Rhodes’ heart–he’s had a very difficult life and sometimes comes out like a really excited puppy since things have gotten so much better for him, and I don’t think he has filters. He’s very name-droppy and it’s not really cute at all.
No, Aiofe. She lit up a little when they were posing on the carpet and he flatly said thank you.
@MissMary
I absolutely love James and have spoken to him a few times from going to his shows and album launch. He is honestly a very great man. I knew about him before I knew B because I have friends who are also musicians. I just say James being James because he always tweets about his friends. He can be name-droppy lol maybe I just find it quirky at this point.
@aly – LOL!
@MissMary: I loved Loo non answer, that woman is smart:)
Mmm…IDK Ben’s friends radio silence can be viewed as respect for Ben’s privacy (insert all the #lolno of the case) or…idk…
Has Keira said something?
Ok ok, I’m not sure full radio silence can necessarily mean respect for privacy. It just seems a little too weird. Not even Zachary Quinto, Sarah Paulson, his agency, the TIG twitter, and other secondary friendships of his have said anything.
Not even his parents.
But, idk the guy. If he wanted the Times printing it for his friends, it would mean it was fair game for people to say something.
@Felice: I’m glad to hear he’s nice in person! He comes off as nice and funny on his twitter and I love his playing (oh my gods I was so glad to have some of his music on my computer when my kid was a baby not long ago–it was the ONLY thing to get him to sleep!) ALSO: I totally agree re the radio silence from friends and secondary “layers” of friends. Her family was ready to go with something for the press but nada from his? Or from anyone who knows him? Adam retweeted a link, then deleted it within five minutes. Since? Nothing.
@aly: IDK. These are the same people who make sex jokes about him, take the piss out of him, congratulate him, and even ask people to respect privacy, all on social media, all without hesitation. And his parents haven’t said anything and you know someone approached at least their reps for a statement. I’m sure we’ll hear how happy everyone is before the Oscars (maybe) but the further from the announcement it gets, the more clenched-teeth-smile “No, really, we’re so thrilled” it sounds. And I don’t think Keira has said anything. It IS possible he asked people to keep mum but… I don’t think so.
@MissMary: I don’t know, it’s weird…especially the silence coming from Ben’s parents. There was an article where it was stated that it was Ben’s mom who put up the ad, but then Ben said the contrary, that it was his idea “what I’d have done even if I wasn’t sort of famous”
Weirder and weirder
Tinfoil swan firmly in place, the silence from friends and family is bothering me.
Even if it’s a fake engagement, some of his family/friends would have been onboard if all is well. It will help his career and not harm anyone; PR would write/issue statements for them so it’s no real work on their end. I can’t see everyone being really against it even if they didn’t like the idea.
Unless something is off with him and they had serious concerns about adding more pressure to the mix.
Then, yes, I can see being dead-set against it and refusing to participate, but also being unsure about what to do (Ackland) or feeling like you need to try to support him for now (Rhodes).
MissMary, I can definitely see him asking people to keep mum. One small problem though: why’d her parents go straight to the tabloids? They’d have been among the first to be asked to stay quiet yes?
You’d think they’d be among the top of the list.
I can’t see Wanda and Timothy being on board with a fake engagement, for any reason whatsoever. As for SH’s parents, well they are divorced so it’s really only her mother in Edinburgh. And they may not have trusted her at all and therefore told her nothing. Considering how quickly she blabbed, that was probably a good idea…..
If he is so in love why on earth would he ask family and friends not to speak of it? Isn’t that why he claimed he put the announcement in the paper anyway? Her family can comment and pose for the media but his family and friends are banned from even congratulating him? Even his parents, who would be the first people to comment? Again, this makes zero sense. Why announce a wedding to the public that no one talks about? It wouldn’t be odd if he had kept his mouth shut and every agreed to keep it under wraps. Geesh.
@ GG. On some level I agree that Wanda and Timothy wouldn’t be down for a fake engagement. HOWEVER. This is not real life. This is Hollywood. Millions of dollars are at stake. Livelihoods and a dream all three of them (Wanda, Timothy and Ben) have given their lives to. What would you do for a million dollars? (in potential future earnings). What would you do for your dream? If everyone who you truly loved knew what was true, could you live with telling the world a temporary lie? If it wasn’t illegal. Wasn’t immoral. Would hurt no one, either physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually? If entire industries (fashion, film, media, internet) were 100% supportive of you and your lie? Were in fact geared towards protecting, encouraging and rewarding this lie. Would you do it? People break up everyday. Feelings change. So, who’s to say what’s real. *hollywood wink* I could hardly believe it of him. And I won’t judge him either way. BUT. Something is not adding up. And I refuse to believe what vested interests say when my eyes and my intuition say different. So yes. I have a tinfoil hat specially fitted in magenta. I vote fake. WILWIPT is an octopus loving friend who gets to wear an Oscar dress and can keep a secret. I shall reserve the right to be wrong. But I 100% believe that Wanda and Tim would/could go for Hollywood BS during Oscar season. They are pros. And no shade here. Not from me. JMO. YMMV.
MAYBE THEY JUST DON’T LIKE HER.
@Smara: Yesssssssssssssssssssss all of what you said, all of it! And I’ll take a tinfoil hat in a nice, sparkley purple, please.
Simon and Amanda tweeted some very snarky jokes back and forth re: BC and engagements, then suddenly said, Let’s go to text.
@smara yes. Yes even normal parents would do that. They would agree to an fake engagemnet to be published but they r not directly commenting on it. Not on record at least. so there is plausible deniability. Again they left the country just nt to cmnt on the mess. Again that suggests thr heart is not in it. but they’re doing whatever NEEDS to be done to win thr baby coming 40 years of happiness and achievement. I dnt know about u but i would definitely do that for my baby
Have his parents ever given any official statements in the past? I don’t think so, so I’m not surprised by their silence.
‘Official statement’ is far too grand a term. Of course they wouldn’t’ have ever had a reason to do that. But the press would’ve approached them to see of they had anything to say. It’s worth far more to hear from them rather than SH’s loquacious relatives.
Love Allen, but is he really going through last night’s photos himself? Interesting…
Nothing to do with the movie… no no…
Wasn’t it right after the Met Ball that he went to lunch with Dakota Johnson?
Yep, the day after. TBF, she had a friend with her and the friend was conveniently cropped out of most of the pap photos.
I’m going to guess that was HW. I don’t *think* he typically gets papped in NYC. Not back then anyways. And the friend getting cropped out…it’s just too convenient.
The big question for me at this point is whether BC is the type that would settle into a fake marriage and have kids with that person purely for the benefit of their career/PR.
Well Dakota is playing the main character of the film adaption of (unfortunately) one of the bestselling books of all time so maybe she was more likely to get papped. Who knows. I have a cerulean tin foil hat but sometimes I wonder how much HW would get involved with B so early in that campaign.
It really sucks. I looked at those pics for this article and he is so smoking. I really hope he perks up a little later down the road.
It just may be a marriage of convenience.
I’d like to say no because, no matter how bad he wants that award and recognition and maybe some meaty new roles to solidify him as a leading man SeriousActor… I don’t think he’d not only sacrifice his happiness but that of a child (if the marriage/union is not a happy one). After the award is won, HW doesn’t give a flip what you do. As long as you’re in his stable, though, you are *his* and will dance to his tune. So that’s why I keep saying this relationship will dissolve after the awards season is over (or sooner if he’s not nominated) and if he ever “gets under” HW again, we’ll see a new ladylove on his arm, or there will be a big brouhaha about something to keep eyes on him that’s all PR arranged.
nominations have a serious doubt IMO. would they nominate Turing over hawking? i mean hawking is more famous and one of USA’s own
Hawking is British.
Stephen Hawking is British.
Is it me or has he gotten very thin of late?
Not just you.. He has definitely lost quite a lot of weight recently…
To play Sherlock in January.
He lost quite a bit of weight, starting right after SDCC. I’ve heard it’s for Sherlock…he’s never started that early though.
Maybe that’s why he’s cranky? Hunger pangs. Low blood sugar.
Colin Firth took most of a year off campaigning for that oscar. he said so himself. THATS the main reason he won and because he should have won previously for A Single man. He got the sympathy (he was robbed) vote.
Redmayne’s speech at the awards was toe curling. It went on and on and on….. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Colin Firth took 8 months off. (at least we know how long a campaign actually lasts)
God, what a mess..
And Benedict is not getting 8 months to a year off…..I’m nervous for him if it takes that much of a toll based on how he is now….
Benedict already took 8 months off! he didn’t film anything till this summer.
Colin’s campaigning for the King’s Speech was a lot of film festivals and presentations about the difficulties of funding the film. He worked hard to get the production struggle and promoting independent film makers. Benedict is campaigning hard [while tramping on his fans and being miserable] about Turing and his battles, and Eddy is campaigning hard about Stephen Hawking and playing on the sentimentality and the heart of his story, and not the physics.
However, all this aside, and all the key messages are worth while. Attacking Eddy’s for being boring, is not helpful and derogatory.
The Oscars, though, are coming a joke, like the Emmy’s and Bafta’s it’s all a popularity ‘look at me, look at me, look at me,’ and butt-kissing exercise thats beneath a lot of british actors who normally far more modest than the hollywood big-bore’s to be forced into.
that’s the thing about redmayne. great actor, no personality. i could never crush on him because i like personality.
@betsy: your need to validate Cumberbatch by putting down actors who are in real or perceived competition to him – particularly in the light of so much criticism directed at him here – is quite toe-curling, too.
Just been on EB.
Someone’s posted that Cumberbuddy person(fan page?),hinted that she was invited to the wedding as part of a band that would include James Rhodes….
Wtf?Have I missed them setting the date?
You really need to stop believing posts with no backup. There was a screen grab saying she wasn’t. If she is, I’m moving to Jupiter.
But on the other hand, if they gave her that impression and the engagement really is a PR ploy, that is a really sick joke lol.
Felice have you come across any info that makes you think there actually is a wedding set? Someone on EB said something but with no proof.
I have no clue. My birthday is coming up though and if it’s on that day I will laugh so hard.
I really don’t know about any posts about a date and I doubt he will say anything. I will guess he will say after it happens and I bet it’s just going to be 10 people.
I only saw a screencap that made no mention of a wedding but an invitation to some unknown event.
Also, think about it: if she was such a trusted fan she’d be invited to his wedding, why would she tweet about it, even privately? Cause that sure became public very quickly.
Lord Kaz, you are gullible. Please don’t take offense to this, but you believe everything really easily.
I saw screencaps of tweets between CB and Naomi, nothing about an invitation per se. I’d sooner believe that the Beatles were getting back together to play the wedding than believe that CB was playing it. (Actually, I don’t believe there is going to be a wedding at all!)
I saw the same as you.
senyorita will get invited for sure
1.) I just looked on her page and on her fan site twitter and personal twitter–didn’t see anything like what you’re talking about. Though I do have some things blacklisted so I may just be missing it.
2.) I sincerely doubt she’s invited to any private affair to do with BC in any way, shape, or form. She’s a fan, running a fan site, and that’d be insane. Not only would it be crossing so many lines, it’d be flat weird.
it was supposedly a private conversation. someone capped it, but what the invitation was for is unclear as the phone’s header cut it off. And I agree on #2
She’s also tweeted (under the CB handle) that he wore the tie they gave him (with her organizing it) to show that he still loves his fans. ??? Even posted a picture of the tie being wrapped up and the card they sent. Uh huh
Kaz, EB is not reliable…
Just came across the greatest nickname for Hunter: Sodious. (A wordplay based off some old quote of hers about not wanting to appear in public with her old artsy fartsy boyfriend because “they look like an odious couple”. Goodness what an insufferable, posturing git.)
I can’t believe her friends and ex call her Huntress. I declare to be called Feline now because of that lol
Maybe they called her Huntress because she was tracking big game …
**rimshot**
OMFL!! Or, considering the page, perhaps it should be OMFBC….
But this is a MUST WATCH!
Conan skit where Andy Richter NAILS a HOST of the Tumblr/Twitter Cumberhard reactions to The Engagement.
I nearly peed my pants. DO NOT have any beverages near your mouth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnGluxwdeN0&feature=youtu.be&list=UUi7GJNg51C3jgmYTUwqoUXA
Lol
Isn’t it JUST!!!????!!!
The best part was when he laid on him and wrapped his arms around. Awesome.
they say past behaviour predicts future behaviour so i am looking at other potential weinstein involved relationships.
There is Cooper and this girl named Suki Waterhouse, a british model. towards the end of a thread on Just Jared on the 2013 WH Correspondents dinner, the possibility of a PR stunt is mentioned, and one person says Weinstein spent the evening introducing Waterhouse to industry people.
(They are still together btw)
“Dont know whether suki is starring in it.But this explains the whole harvey-suki-bradley thing.Harvey definitely pitching suki.”
“I think you answered your own question JC. A model (or actress) at the top of her career doesn’t need a famous boyfriend to get her media attention. She can get it on her own merit. Suki can’t. She NEEDS a famous guy to attach her name to. She’s done it before. Her previous boyfriend Miles Kane is no superstar, but he received more media attention than Suki ever did. When more famous (and useful) Bradley came along, Miles was dumped.”
Now Harvey is saying that Rita Ora is so beautiful; I guess she is next on the PR train. Or whatever train he is running. I can easily see him putting out all the crap for SH, it fits the situation perfectly.
I knew about the Bradley Cooper thing….oh God his fans called it. (I used to be a fan of his until it got too much…there were staged pap PDA sessions….I tried not to throw up). Suki got a major part in the Divergent sequel.
Because of knowing what happened with Bradley, I smelt the HW thing a mile away.
BTW – Rita is friends with Suki…
Wasn’t there an attempt to hook Cooper up with JLaw? Or was that legit just them being close friends and maybe flirtty?
I wanted them together so much.
I loved when he made a comment at the Golden Globes that he was too old for her and then started dating someone younger than JLaw.
Honestly, I would love to see Benedict with Jennifer….I want to see them work together or present an award together.
I don’t understand the fascination with Cooper, he doesn’t have much to offer but a rather large ego. But do you remember when he was hanging out with the woman from Star Trek? Zoe Zaldana. They were supposed to be a couple but he couldn’t even look at her. I remember even back then how uncomfortable he looked and how totally FAKE it was. After a month they moved to other people and he looked happy again. It was so obvious it was a PR job. Sound familiar?
well if you believe lainey’s blinds, bradley cooper likes dudes.
I’m telling you guys, this is major pr push to get rid of his crazy fanbase and be seen as a serious actor. In every interview I’ve seen in the past week, anytime anyone deigns to mention something even remotely related to his fans the ice daggers come out. The “I can’t believe you’re asking me these inane questions, I’m a serious actor” tone. Even during that fun little interview with Keira when the penguins thing comes up you can see the mood switch ever so slightly. IT dips into, “oh *** they’re bringing up some weird fan thing again”.
And this wouldn’t be an issue if he hadn’t done so much fan baiting, especially in the past year. He’s desperately trying to reach middle America. The trouble with that is, he is not classically good looking or classically charming to pull that off. Now, a lot of us think he is handsome and charming, but not in a middle America sort of way. He’s quirky looking and charming in that stuffy posh Brit way.
He’s shooting himself in the foot and it’s really frustrating. You are not middle America, Ben. You are not Brad Pitt/Chris Evans. You don’t ooze classical charisma. You need your niche audience. Because if they go away and you don’t reach middle America, you are in for a world of hurt. Most people know not to bite the hand that feeds them. Even Hiddles knew to just step away and stop the fan baiting without outright being rude to fans. RDJ doesn’t make fun of the crazies. All celebs have a small crazy fanbase.
One of the things that made me most crazy was that cringeworthy interview where they were telling him the tweets from fans. It wasn’t cringeworthy because of the questions, it was because of his response. Do you really think some girl wants to get hit by 12 buses because you got engaged? NO! It was an effing joke. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
I mentioned it before but I’m legit wondering if the beeb and Sherlock showrunners are tearing their hair out because he’s skating close to alienating the fans that made Sherlock so popular.
I don’t think they are. The Christmas special and season 4 are too far away to cause concern
I’d like to buy that but It’s really not just fans, it’s everything. He looks like he wants to crawl out of his own skin no matter what the topic or event is.
I’ve actually considered another possibility that explains his behaviour, but I’ll hold onto it for now.
You can’t do that, Claire. Spill it.
yeah if he was supposed to alienate fans hed never done fan service this year. oscar campaigns start months in advance. plus doesnt explain why he looks like his pet just died
id guess hes supposed to be serious, cant do it, and some topics are just more stuff he cant answer or isnt supposed to entertain so he gets frustrated fast b/c hes a walking ball of stress for some unknown reason rn.
You know what this ongoing episode reminds me of? Someone coming into adulthood and finding everything was not as he had imagined. Time will tell how it will all pan out. I just hope this – whatever he is doing – is worth it and hopefully things don’t escalate too far down the rabbit hole that he can’t return.
@ sighs: yes to what you said, in particular ‘don’t bite the hands that feed you’. It’s basic work ethics and common decency. For a seemingly reasonable person, he’s pulling some very dump moves. You can step away without coming across unappreciative and entitled. He needs to suck it up and be a big boy fast.
i agree with you, Sighs. but i like to add, Unfortunately, for Benedict, he’s struggling to swing PR strategies half way through this year. Karon launched him on the Tom-train of Titivating cult-dom, stoking up the fan base, pushing Sherlock on an international love drum, and giving him some equal status next to Martin Freeman during the big Hobbit tour. His Reddit, MTV, and Seasme street screamed ‘love me i’m funny and adorable’ and now he want to seriousness it up for Oscar campaign. Karon and HW strategies are pulling him apart. In some ways, Hiddles has the same problem, he also had a dig at his fan base during Coriolanus with the interview about, ‘not always wanted to take selfies, and talking them off the ledge sometimes.” the fan base over-reacted, like some fans are over Benedict’s comments, although Benedict has been a lot less subtle in his comments ;-p
both of them are juggling serious roles and the powerful cult crowd, and i am wondering Harvey W has a clue about this particular powerful and influential group of fans. [i’m a part of that group] We have long memories and long discussions on the internet. HW needs to a bit more respectful.
That’s just it, Ben doesn’t know how to do subtle. Hiddles has never said anything along the lines of, I don’t need their support. When your most devoted tumblr people are saying, ” hey, is he telling us to eff off?”, you might have a problem. And yes, you’re very right about fans with long memories.
He has already starting damage control:he wore a tie on Friday that his fans, including cumberbuddy, had bought him last Christmas. And in the one word-association interview he linked “fans” to lovely or something like that. His PR are aware what’s going on and are responding. I wonder what will be next?
It’s like watching a chess match.
@Silly goose: The word-association game thing was something he did at TIFF although of course they could have decided to release it now for reasons of PR. And there is the Tumblr thing he is doing today for Penguins of Madagascar. (Although tbh I would not be surprised if it is some PR person behind the keyboard; I don’t see how the man’s schedule would allow him to fit it in!)
Fans were wrong to overreact with TH when he said that. He said “No selfies all the time guys, I’m tired sometimes”
What BC is basically saying is “I don’t need your support” or maybe I’m not sure.
What Hiddles said about selfies and his extreme fans was not offensive in the least. Tom’s comments were just expressing that he’s not always in the mood for selfies and when acknowledging the crazies, he was still respectful in how he described them.
See, here’s the thing about the ‘florals’. They could see that he was busy, in the middle of an interview, and instead of just giving it a pass and giving the man his privacy, they lurched into his conversation and made it about themselves instead of showing respect for someone who was clearly not ‘on duty’, i.e. in a private conversation. I don’t know how he does it, fans at an event is one thing, the screaming and shoving things in his face, I am so impressed with how gracious he is. These mature women should have known better than to interrupt someone in a private moment (in public, but still private business) and expect a warm response. They’re not entitled to his time, and really shouldn’t have asked in the first place. JMO, he does not have to be available to the public 24/7, no doubt this is part of his recent mood.
@ohhey
It’s the same for everyone in the public eye, though. He’s not unusual in that sense and I can’t see how he can be looking this grumpy due to the attention. That would be so churlish and indeed childish.
Also, I’m sorry, but the very public engagement announcement sorta renounced his right to be pissyabout personal questions. You make a huge declaration about your private life, whether that be in hello or the times, then you are inviting the public in.
*OhHey*
I get where you coming from and agree with your points, but I look at it more from the angle that this type of fan behavior is normal for anyone in the public eye. Many celebs deal with this every day and are gracious about it. DanRad is still sweet with his fans after 10 years of it, even when approached in a public loo. These type of interruptions come with getting paid large sums of money, the daily ego strokes, the freebies, exclusive invitations, punching above their weight, etc. Would he have muttered under his breath or refused to take a picture with the floral 5 years ago? I doubt it; he would have been flattered to be recognized.
I recall that she was wanting to do something for her daughter, who was a fan. She may have a person more driven by emotion than logic and wasn’t thinking about the intrusion into his personal space. She was probably just excited to see him in the flesh and wanted to do something to make her kid’s day. Many people are like that and don’t consider all aspects of a situation, they have tunnel vision.
I have no problem with him saying no, but I would have preferred for him to say he was not able to right then, but would be happy to after he was finished. Something like that would have set an appropriate boundary without coming across like he hates being recognized in public and wishes everyone would leave him the hell alone.
I’m confident that if no one noticed him in public and all the Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts dedicated to him were shut down, his ego would take a massive beating and he’d be depressed as hell. He wants the fame, but only when it suits his purposes and that’s what makes him seem to me like a whiny, spoiled child who needs to grow up and deal with his fame in a mature manner.
They are definitely trying to reach the middle ground (People readers) with this. Celebrity engagements, marriages, babies and break-ups are always big news. Even I read news about these things even if I don’t know /care about the celebrity in question. It’s free PR and they need a Box Office success.
Announcing engagement in the middle of an Oscar campaign is a *huge risk* and I don’t think BC would himself take that risk. Which is why I don’t think the GAGment is real. It’s too well planned and orchestrated.
But the fan pissiness. If this is PR, BC is most likely feeling unbelievably guilty. He’s lying to his fans, who in return make scrapbooks (barf) to congratulate him. Imagine yourself in that situation: you would most likely say “I don’t need your support, stop it”, wouldn’t you?
And Harvey’s interested in BC career and fans and success stops at Feb 22, 2015.
(Deleted, didn’t mean to answer to myself)
And Benedict knows perfectly well that in the longterm he cannot afford to piss off his fanbase, no matter what his personal feelings really are. He knows that HW is forcing him to commit career suicide
I’ll say what I have previously said: the doom and gloom about his career suicide is unwarranted. So far the only thing that has caused some eyebrow raising is the televised awards, and no one blamed the actors who got the awards as much as the studios and cbs. The press is loving how intelligent and thoughtful Ben is. Even on dl regarding his answer about dr, Strange, people there blamed the journalist, not him.
I’m the first one saying that there’s something off with Ben right now, but there’s no doom and gloom.
The “press” loving how thoughtful he is and people actually going to the theater to watch his movie are 2 completely different things.
All I’m saying is for longevity, it is never a good idea to alienate fans. The press will cover whoever is the it person of the moment.
Ian Sandwell
@ian_sandwell
The Imitation Game has cracked the UK box office. Set for an estimated £2.5m bow, having taken £1.8m in first two days.
https://twitter.com/ian_sandwell/status/533984196151480320
Maggie: yay!!!
@Maggie: yeeeah 😀 read that as well..
Just for us non native english speakers: when they talked about the 2.5m.. did they mean that it was set to take that overall?
@Pinky -It means that the movie made £1.8 m on Friday and Saturday combined. So they think the entire opening weekend including Sunday will be at £2.5 m.
By comparison, The King’s Speech (the most successful independent British film ever) was £3.5m opening weekend in UK which was an unbelievably good. Slumdog Millionaire was £2m. So these are good numbers.
@ Pinky
That 1.8 is for the first 2 days and the 2.5 estimate was for the whole weekend so the numbers are very good.
@Ingrid – “Announcing an engagement in the middle of an Oscar campaign is a huge risk and I don’t think BC himself would take that risk…”
I agree, I in no way see him doing this and that is one reason why I’m so skeptical about the whole thing.
Interstellar did well over 4,millon last week last week so he has not broken any records yet as Teenage Mutant turtles.
Turner took a million last weekend and 900,000 million in first week
Gone Girl took 3 million
The live broadcast of Billy Elliot took 2 million
The live broadcast of Coriolanus took £796,000, and that is an even harder sale
Lucy took 3 million
the inbetweneers took 12 million transformers 12,000,000
So yes pretty good but considering the TV advert campaign no that brilliant
BTW, it will be interesting to see how he will pull himself together for the talk shows next week. Looking forward to Daily show, Jon always makes interesting and funny interviews without any of this crap. Kelly will bring up the engagement, don’t knot about whether Fallon will. His interviews are always PR friendly, so it will be quite telling.
@sighs, well being lovable, open and dorky didn’t help TEF, where were his fans?
I think the problem with TEF where not only that some of fans weren’t really.. attracted to the movie.. but mostly that the movie didn’t attract enough “normal” people.
It’s always harder to see something that has just happened, then something that was 50 years ago. It’s easier for people to go like “Oh my god how could someone else do that back then..” instead of having to think about what WE do every single day.
I don’t know if that even makes sense but yeah..
That was just bad source material. If he didn’t have a fan base at all it would’ve been even worse. Only crazy interwebs dudes are interested in Julian Assange.
TIG looks like a good movie. I’m not dogging him or his talent, I’m just questioning his pr strategy.
yeah Pinky…plus a) it was not a good movie b) Assange is a polarizing person. Mostly I think it boils down to the fact that the movie was just not that good.
http://eggsbenedish.tumblr.com/post/102729724592/dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun#notes
AhshaahaaAHAHAHA. Wow, this picture. Someone else pointed out that they were mirroring each other at the FO and I agree. They looked away, they leaned in, they looked at each other and of course they crossed arms and touched (their own) faces like it was a synchronized swimming routine.
I can believe them as a couple. I can also see why he’d be drawn to someone like her (rubs shoulders with lots of well to do people yet noone knew who she was. Clearly, she can keep her mouth shut about who she knows).
But I don’t know…something still has me going “huh?”. I’m not even going to attempt to make sense of it anymore. Harvey’s doing this, his friends are doing that, she’s been wearing Harry potter’s invisibility cloak since everything was announced. His parents, her parents, Karon doing/not doing/ possibly being advised on her job, Emily being MIA, that Gambles musician, his deadpan face in photos combined with the odd smiling one where it does seem he is enjoying himself. Pregnancy, pr stunts/relationships, oscar campaigning, a mind numbing amount of interviews (new and old but newly released).
Dear god. The more I try to figure this out the more I feel like I’ll be the one needing meds.
I love reading everything you ladies put out (both for and against) but I’m throwing in the towel. I will still gossip about them being weird and still read everything but for right now, until I see them either at an event or in pap/fan photos (somehow I feel those would be more telling) I’m parking my toosh firmly on the fence. Regardless of how this turns out, my opinion of him has changed. I still like him though.
I don’t know what that photo is meant to say, but,..anyway.
As for ‘mirroring’, I didn’t really see any evidence of that. If you’re trying to talk to someone, you do both lean in to listen. That’s not mirroring. And I never saw them look at each other once. No eye contact whatsoever in any of those FO pics.
And the arms folded pic..well I wouldn’t really call that mirroring either. Just arms folded and both happened to be touching their own faces at that moment.
I don’t really see it either…
In terms of body language – think of uncomfortable situations – a lot of people cross their arms in those (to “shut” the situation out and keep it from getting closer)… for me it just screams them being uncomfortable with each other.
And I honestly think her not talking about who she knows… maybe nobody knows her because she hasn’t actually achieved anything?
The more I look at his past girlfriends, who seemed down to earth and genuinely nice… the less I get why he would be drawn to her. I mean… compare her to Olivia!
Mirroring? Like this? LOL
http://lightdalliance.tumblr.com/post/102542174235
@gg
I think I just died laughing 😀
Eons ago, in graduate school, I took a body language course. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think arms crossed means withdrawal or discomfort. Plus, they look bored sh1tle$$ with each other and this was supposedly the beginning of the great love.
Absolutely…
@Alice – I have a bad habit of crossing my arms and have been told that it means “Go away, I don’t want to be bothered.” I do it when I am fed up and have lost my patience or when I am really bored. It really works when I want to end a conversation I am non longer interested in. I never realized how obvious it is.
Also, if you watch “Judge Judy”, she hates people to cross their arms in court and will tell them to stop. She considers it to be disrespectful to her.
crossed arms means withdrwl or lack of confidence. You’re right
Or – He’s uncomfortable. But she’s all about him. So, she mirrors him. Lots of guys choose a girl, not because of who she is, but because she worships him and he’s a major sucker for an ego stroke. Wouldn’t be a stretch with BC, I think. All famous dudes are probably used to being pursued by women for the wrong reasons. But it may have even affected BC more than others because it may have driven home all the inferiority he felt when he was still that awkward, lanky kid.
I wish he could find his Keira.
i posted this photo. never reached. that smile literally scared my lil niece.
do you have the link to the interview where he hisses at the reporter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBgz9Du_azI
No hissing detected.
yep. Also, can I say that the journalist asking a question even though it was in his notes not to, on a red carpet is a bit of a dick? That’s IMO
Just so you know, Maggie. People didn’t literally mean he ‘hissed’. Things still creepy over on IMDB?
And journos will always push their luck and sneak questions in they’re not supposed to. That’s just how it’s done. Laugh it off, move on. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter.
He was very Stepford Wife in that interview in general even before the question. I’ve never seen him look into the camera like that before.
thank u for the link
I didn’t think that one was bad at all, really. He was actually pretty civil.
It wasn’t bad and he was civil, but he was just so…. nothing?
#jawseyes
(Credits Lindy)
What all this Benny and Sophie scenario has taught me is that a hidden relationship doesn’t bring happiness, I neither one trusts each other given his job and the fact that the relationship was secret can cause one party to take advantage of that fact to cause infidelity.
If god forbid someone he loved was sick then a happy thing like his engagement would even bring a little happiness in him when brought up even if it was a small smile or short loving comment to Sophie. I’m not getting that with Benny which leads me to believe that it’s his relationship that is causing him unhappiness.
But here’s the thing: it wasn’t REALLY hidden. It was unknown to the general public because THEY DON’T CARE (he’s not Brad Pitt), but she was well known among the fans for a few months. Whether you want to believe it’s because the fans followed his every move or because his PR planted those stories in the tabloids is up to you to decide.
If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t have worried about infidelity as much as whether he was dating me because Weinstein wanted him to find a serious gf before the Oscars. Ditto for proposing.
There are other celebrities couples who truly hid their relationship until it was serious or they were married, and no one was the wiser before it was announced. Why? They sincerely wanted their privacy. If these two had wanted their privacy, she wouldn’t have trotted out just before him at the London premiere after those stories about her being his gf had hit the press a couple weeks prior, and they wouldn’t have gone to a paparazzi hot spot a week or two later. The most cynical part of me wonders if they did this to stretch out the tabloid chatter and gain more interest than if they had just come out like a typical celeb couple.
If they also really didn’t care what the tabloids or fans said, they would have just gone together at that London premiere considering the story was already out there. Same with the other times they were spotted together after.
The major theme in all this is their behaviour both prior and post engagement has been effing pointless. I just can’t tell if it’s because both or one of them has an inflated sense of the attention given them, or if it’s some kind of PR orchestration.
And never mind that the first time they were really seen together was at the freaking French Open, in front of the world’s press. (nevermind the Hay Fest, which only the hardcore fans knew about) Then basically nothing until August, and only then did the cloak-and-dagger crap start.
@gg -Yes. And at French Open both of them looked like they were waiting at a dentist office for a root canal, not future spouses on their first (or some early number) date.
If I was on a date with a cute boy (or a man-child in this case) who could potentially be my future husband, I couldn’t help smiling. Yes, there were photographers there, but you would have at least some sort of mona lisa smile if you were there with the love of your life.
I think the FO was a photo op.
Claire the thing about it is that they made an effort not to be seen. Like it’s been said millions of times, if they just went to stuff together and didn’t care about the cameras, it would’ve not raised eyebrows.
@felice
I don’t think they did make an effort not to be seen though. If she didn’t want to be seen, she wouldn’t have been seen at the LFF and she was seen in a big way.
Okay, tinfoil hats on, folks? Everyone got their ticket for the conspiracy train? Because I’m about to get all conspiracy theory on y’all again, lol… Let’s say the “PR process” started back around February. He “tests out” some ladies, wanting to see if they’d play the game. No dice. HW says “eff this. This is my brother in law’s friend, whom you know, and she moves in these circles, you’ve met, she’s going to be your plus one, Make it work.” So the “oh, we’re secretly dating” narrative starts. Try to make it look like they’re being on the DL (arriving separately to a *known* pap hot spot, for example), have her attend an event or two but not the more intimate after parties–see and be seen, connect the names. hW is still not pleased because fans aren’t ‘getting it’ and BC’s rep isn’t what he wants it to be. Up the game. BC tells a few people no, he’s single (people who’d have no reason to lie about the conversation, people who don’t know one another to compare notes, etc) and this is not what HW wants or it’s just an eff up n BC’s part. A few more “sightings” and roll out the enGAGment. HW wants his golden boy to have the middle america fan base, wants those box office numbers for the movie’s run in the States, and you can only get that with the solid People-reader numbers coming out. Which they won’t do (usually) if they think the movie starts a teeny bopper favorite, or if they think it’s “one of those foreign films” or an “arty movie.” No offense to my fellow states-siders, but based on things I’ve read about movie promos and wanting to get “the numbers,” the mentality is “will it play in Peoria?”
So, if we’re still riding this theory track (maybe…) BC’s in a PR relationship thanks to HW who is not above lying, manipulation, and threats to get his way, his friends and family might be shocked or just keeping their mouths closed so they don’t ruin anything, we have “weird behavior” because they wanted to build a narrative in a very short period of time and it’s not a “grand romance”, and after oscars or sooner if there’s no nomination, “We regret to announce our going separate ways, yada yada yada”.
Or they’re in love, just show it weird, and are the next Newman and Woodward. But with an octopus.
I bring up infidelity because if A relationship is single it would be a Perfect cover for one or both parties to cheat on the other. Nobody knows about a what the goings on in a relationship if it is kept secret so word wouldn’t get back to the other. Trust then plays the other big part.
@MissMarry
When did he say that he wasn’t in a hurry (about the marriage and family) anymore? Wasn’t it just a little before he started testing potential gf for the campaign?
@Lola: He said it a few times last year, mentioning how he was tired of people trotting that out when he’d said it years ago and things change. And he’s repeated it in some form or another once or twice this year.
MissMary, would he not be more attractive if people were still lusting over this single handsome actor? I don’t get how throwing a fiancee into the mix is going to make him more box office friendly. I wouldn’t give a toss about the actor being married if his work was good and his performance was stellar, as this is, by all accounts. I guess that makes me a “non-stan”? Thank you. I Hope So. I just don’t get why HW would make this engagement the centerpiece of his campaign. And I can’t for the life of me think BC would go along with such messing in his personal life.
I think he used to say in every interview that he was broody and wanted children, and then people wouldn’t shut up about it, so then he found it a good thing to say “I am no longer broody about children, I realize I have to find the right person, I can’t just impregnate anyone”. I think we’ll find the flaws in that statement fairly soon, IYAM.
@OhHey: Stans are the ones frothing at the mouth and posting “OMG SHE IS SO PERF” and doing photo manips of “cumberbabies”. Nothing you’ve done on here so no, I don’t think you’re a stan. You have your theories, I have mine, lol. He said the kids thing often early on (even saying he’d love to “meet the mother of his children” while he was still with OP so…wth not cool, dude). Last year or so, he started saying he’d decided he could wait on kids, his career was taking precedence, and he’d be glad when people stopped bringing up things he said years ago and wondering what was “wrong with him” for being single or not having kids yet (welcome to what women go through all the time, man).
Now, the fiancee. If HW wants to make this movie “sell” to middle america, to the a movie viewing public that tends to skew conservative, he wants a leading man that is “accessible” but not a “teeny bopper favorite” and not someone who could be seen as gay by ignorant people who think “omg, he’s a single actor without a steady woman in his life! GAY!”, someone he can sell as basicially Colin Firth-lite. And like I said upthread, it can also be sold as “well, we want Turing’s story to have gravitas and none of those crazed “OMG TURING AND SHERLOCK SHIPPER!” fans because, while it’s not a ‘voting consideration,’ it does make things look skeevy for the movie in a lot of potential viewer’s eyes if the first thing they see when they look it up is a pic of Turing and Sherlock kissing or fanfic about Turing meeting BC. Are most viewers stateside like that, making judgments based on fans, etc? Not as far as I know. But a lot are. So position your leading man, who has been openly single for a while, as a stable Colin Firth sort (or try to). Give him some new talking points in interviews other than “so you have Cumberbitches lol” refocus his image as serious, settled, and not interested in the “ardent” fanbase’s approval.
But YMMV.
Ah, MissMary, I do see your point now, and given the recent turn in the elections (hello, ignorant Americans voting against your own interests…) I can see why he wants to appeal to the people who are clearly too stupid to see that he is an ACTOR, not gay, even though he plays a gay man and did an interview in a GAY magazine (you’ve no idea how many people have said “but he must be gay, he was in OUT magazine!”), and this “fiancee” debacle might appeal to “conservatives”, but since most of them are anti gay and probably won’t be walking across the street to see a movie about a perscuted gay character but instead insisting that he deserved what he got, I think his efforts might be wasted. Maybe the Westboro Baptist Church will protest the premiere!! There’s some publicity for you!
I was being sarcastic about the ‘stan’, I am so not a stan. I should stay away from tumblr (except I’m stocking up on Hiddles pics as Coreolanus, hello, my beefy friend), every time I see some comments about how perfect she is I can feel tentacles creeping out my nostrils. I’m sure that’s all in my imagination.
Oh and another thing, regarding your last comment: he does crack a smile when his father is mentioned and when he is Keira. Those are two constants here. So he’s not completely miserable.
Exactly. He acts perfectly fine with Keira. Which tells me the entire thing is a poorly constructed act.
He can’t even force a smile here
http://deareje.tumblr.com/post/102762426796/new-tab-for-highres-benedict-cumberbatch-leaving
@gg – Yeah, I laughed at those. His lips are smiling, his eyes are saying “I will kill you”
(was *someone* told to smile more?)
I loved the radio interview with the two of them!
(And the reporter slipping up and saying “I am here with Keira and Benedict Cumberbatch” oh how I wish…)
He seems much more at easy around her.. weird that he clamps up so much more when it comes to his engagement… and his future for that matter *sarcasm out*
gg, to be fair other actors coming out from the same place weren’t smiling either (Ethan Hawke, Eddie Redmayne)…but yeah…
Did he borrow his jacket from a ten year old?
WTF…schizo, much?
Kevin McCarthy @KevinMcCarthyTV 13m13 minutes ago
lol just had a great interview with Benedict Cumberbatch – He absolutely loves his fans – Talked about his struggle with saying penguin lol
Pictures from yesterday’s press thing:
http://londonphile.tumblr.com/post/102786613921/look-at-this-spec-cutie
He smiles…
Cute.
Such a sweet smile. In pictures 2 and three, he looks like himself as he was in “Hawking” (minus the wrinkles 10 years on).
He’s promoting Penguins of Madagascar today–lots of kids, parents, younger fans. Gotta keep spinning!
*dory voice* just keep spinning, spinning, spinning.
Maybe he’s veeeeerrry verrrrrrry sloooooowly starting to realize his mistake. People have been reading things……keep it going, guys!
What Sooth says.
I still don’t get where this pregnancy thing is coming from tbh.
@Aly: EB started it and it’s spreading because the stans are going to other sites. And some people think it’s the only logical way he’d have proposed to her.
MissMary: meh, not sold on the idea tbqh
@Aly: Me either.
The day job…bbc is showing war horse with bendy and hiddles of course, bendy is a bit ” I’m a posh English officer dontchaknow”, hiddles is so natural and the look on his face as he realises the charge will be fatal for him …I am having to have a gin and tonic or two to recover…
I still say… his “hate” on the fans is not because he doesn’t like them… I think we scare him a bit sometimes and he can’t really understand fandom as such. (Admitted he was never a fan of something) … But I still think he appreciates us.
I think the turn around has more to do with trying to sell him as a “serious” actor. I am guessing that if you let him talk… he will probably be quite happy to tell you that he likes his fans.
Can I say something? He has made the grand total of two not so nice comments vs *years* of being gracious and kind and approachable with fans, even in his own time. To say that he suddenly loathes us all isn’t a bit unfair?
Don’t get me wrong, he did put his foot in it, I didn’t like the “the only support I need is bla bla bla”, but on balance is not that big of a deal. Now, if he keeps saying things like these it’s another story…
He’s exactly right, in his life, all he needs is the support of the ones he loves (although I don’t think she is ‘the one’), he does not need the fans poking their noses into his life, it’s none of their business. Some ‘fans’ seem to have a problem with the boundary between ‘fan of his work’ and ‘fan and involved in his life’. Actors need an audience, and as good as he is, he will always have one that appreciates his work. “Fans” that put up tumblr pages saying to his fiancee “Welcome to the family” (GAG) don’t seem to get that THEY ARE NOT HIS FAMILY.
I am a fan of his work, and it distresses me no end to see the change in his personality in a short few weeks. Something is definitely NQR, it’s glaringly obvious. Do I think he gives a shit that I care? Hell no. And I’m OK with that. I just hope he sorts himself out so that he can be happy in his life and his work again.
That’s the disconnect though. He has had years of being very gracious to fans. That’s why the turnaround is so jarring. I feel like it’s a pr strategy. And the only reason he’s starting to turn it back around is because of the rumbling on sites like this.
@OhHey – YES! To everything.
Although I’m on the conspiracy train myself and not hopping out anytime soon, here’s a though.
If this is actually real relationship, this whole thing might be coming from jealousy issues from her part (again, I don’t know her, so IDK). She might have put her foot down and said “It’s me or them” and he gave in. The result: the engagement, the fan comments and one very unhappy engaged man. If this is the case, it won’t last long, this enGAGment.
But I still doubt this is the grand romance but PR, too much weirdness..
She really has a warped grasp on dating a public figure if she makes him choose her or the fans.
No offence, Ingrid but no way. I’m not denying that something’s up but her giving an ultimatum between her and the ‘fans’? Sorry, but lol. No way 😀
Ingrid I said that from the start, that this hurried announcement was likely to be one or both things, an unplanned pregnancy, and/or her insistence that if she was going to accompany him to events, she wanted some stature and not just ‘the current [and pregnant] girlfriend’. That’s my feeling, I do think he seems to be in shock and rattled by something deeply personal, that’s how I read it anyway. I have an uncanny gut knack for reading things, faces, moods, actions, people, and usually the only time I’m wrong is when I don’t listen to what my gut is telling me. First time I saw her photos at the FO, instant dislike. Nothing to base that on except my gut. I see him with someone more warm, funny, and less enamored of random seafood.
He’s snarked some in the past about fans but not to the extent he has recently. Coupling that with his sourpuss and his attitude in interviews and this (I’ll say it) PR move relationship, it’s making a lot of fans think well maybe he’s trying to shake off segments of fandom or change his image. I don’t think he *hates* his fans but either by his choice or a PR dictum, he’s attempting to change his image and shake off the more “ardent fan favorite” image.
@Sooth – To me, the whole relationship is “Sorry, but lol. No way”, but in the name of objectivity, I’m trying to entertain the though that it’s real and in that context trying explain his pissy attitude. But I agree, the jealousy theory has quite a lot of holes.
@MissMary – Great minds think alike. I agree and I’m sticking with it. Imagine what a clusterf’ck the meme-fandom would have become at the time of the Oscars without the engagement. The hype of his performance would have been dismissed by Oscar voters as “fan hype”. Now they see respectable, engaged actor. Plus the news got a lot of free press for him. “The right kind of press”
OhHey: my thoughts precisely.
@Ingrid: Part of me also wonders if, IF this is a PR move, it was sold to him as “don’t you want Turing’s story to be taken seriously and not treated like Sherlock is treated by fans?” Don’t get me wrong–I really don’t think he hates his fans, no matter how annoying some of them can be, but I think he’d agree to an “image overhaul” if it meant a.) an Oscar possibly and b.) getting a story he was/is so passionate about taken seriously and not treated like “Oh, it’s sherlock in WW2”.
@OhHey: Yes to “Something is definitely NQR, it’s glaringly obvious.”
I get what **sighs** is saying, but a new PR strategy doesn’t fully account for things like sitting at the Hollywood Awards audience and the camera catching him looking like he’s on the verge of panic. It’s weird.
“the camera catching him looking like he’s on the verge of panic. It’s weird.”
When was this during the ceremony, Sandi?
@MissMary – Yes, I agree with everything. And I’m 100% sure Harvey used TFE box office failure on him as well. “You cannot afford another BO failure. Your career will be over if you have another one”
Well, I am going to put this in here (and I know it is mean but) …
– when I saw the FO photos she reminded me of a baboon and I cannot unsee it. Other than that fragile timeless beauty is evident.
– I think she was a casual date and she managed to manipulate him into whatever unhealthy thing it is they have. Just think, the woman hasn’t worked seriously once in her life, doesn’t have a job, has completely pointless life and she needs a paycheck for the rest of her life. If it is a real relationship he is bending backwards to please her (maybe he has realized it is wrong but can’t do anything because of HW and her connections to him).
@MissMary & @Ingrid:
Not only that… he could have also thrown in that “Well you don’t want to have a BO failure like TFE again right? You want as many people to SEE the story as well don’t you?”
He seemed so passionate about the story to come out and be seen by as many people as possible and treated right…
How can anyone make demands of a person they have been dating for a couple of months? Most people have a hard time even strongly SUGGESTING things to their long term partner. It’s like demanding a ring just to make a quick trip to McDonald’s.
As my bf says, she must have some hellacious you know what to call the shots after three or four months of dating. Either that or BC is an awfully weak man. He is the one with steady employment and money. She would have to keep her mouth shut and enjoy her fifteen minutes.
Sorry, I really have a hard time buying the narrative of SH as the villain of the story.
Yes, there are people who brainwash their s.o. into becoming someone completely different, but just to be fair about the woman: we know nothing about her personality. We can judge her artistic skills or lack of thereof, but how can we judge her as a person? She might be a harpy, a psycho … or a boring, pseudo artsy chick, or a saint…we. don’t. know. A few quotes from years ago are not sufficient data as far as I’m concerned.
I’m waiting until we know more of her to say, “God, what a waste of air…”
eta: I’m not stanning SH. I don’t give a hoot about her.
@MissMary – The young, silly and crazy fans would park themselves in front of the red carpet and scream, cry, pull each others hair and vomit. What could he do? They don’t want to give an Oscar to a teen idol with out of control fans.
@moodgirl: case in point Leonardo di Caprio and all the hearthtrobs actor who have been recognized later in their career only because they had tons of adoring fangirls.
@aly – From what I can see she appears to be a total waste of air. But that is coming from a person who has had to work like a dog to make it through life. Sorry to be judgemental.
@moodgirl: no, I get it…I don’t particularly like the lack of a career either (considered her fiance is very hardworking)
The DiCaprio thing… he did have a steady gf for a while anyway, a model who, as much as some folks eye roll the job, had a job and career. And he stopped doing fan baity articles and photospreads, focused on doing “serious adult actor man” movies (he’s always done more serious roles but he started really focusing on the meatier ones that may not be box office gold but got critical notice and put him in a “no longer a teen idol” territory). His PR and reps approached his re-imaging differently.
I don’t think SH is an “evil villain” in this scenario if it’s a PR thing but I dont think she’s an innocent bystander. Everyone involved knows the score and no one is going in blind, if that’s what this is.
@lola, I’m not going to touch the “baboon” comment, which I think would be very hurtful for her to read if she ever did read it (and I always try to keep that in mind when I’m joining in speculation about her, as unlikely as it would be), but I will say that I noticed her eyes are too close together, and maybe that’s why that particular animal came to mind for you. My mind then leapt to how far apart Benedict’s eyes are, something I generally find attractive, especially on him, because it makes the person look sweet and honest to me—like Brendan Fraser back in the day, who was the king of borderline-walleyed cuties. I am imagining that if they did have children, maybe the Cumberbabies would strike a happy medium between the two with the combined genes and turn out to be cute little things.
Which is not to say that I am buying this relationship hook, line, and sinker. There is too much weirdness surrounding it, especially the “hiding… hiding… then hiding in plain sight and denying … then BOOM, engaged soooo in love” sequence of events, followed by an upset and anxious-looking Cumby. I’m just talking as if everything is as normal as they are saying it is.
(This is meant as an add-on to my comment about their eyes, in case it gets put somewhere else in this string.)
@Lu
No, I know that the comment is immensely rude (even beyond that), I really shouldn’t have written that.
But the vibe that’s sort of coming from her is just so blah.
Well I always thought his interactions with fans were forced so not a surprise to me that he suddenly seems quite different. I just felt he tried very hard to take it on board but to often he looked awkward and uncomfortable. I think that he was unable to make the emotional connections that gave him the understanding to relate to fans.
@lola, Aw, just saw your response. Yeah, I hear you, though. I know it’s not my business and I feel wrong saying such things, but something about her made me dislike her on sight. And it’s not because she was his GF/now fiancee. She just doesn’t fit with him somehow, according to my feeling about it (inappropriate, ill-informed and unasked-for fan feelings). In fact, when the FO pictures came out in the summer, I assumed that the woman next to him was a stranger sharing his box—that he was there by himself to watch the tennis. So I didn’t even notice her. I actually focused more on the blonde woman behind him. Anyway, the more I’ve learned about her artistic background, the more I’ve come to feel that this looks like a mismatch. I mean, she previously lived with two hipster artist types and palled around with more of the same, and she comes off as pretentious and self-serious and kind of jaded; and gosh, it just doesn’t seem as though that’s the sort of person he’s ever gone for in the past. Apparently the boys go crazy for her, though, and clearly he is no exception.
aannd there I go, my turn to be rude about her. 🙁 I guess I feel a little invested in his happiness, and it’s really none of my business. I keep reminding myself, but when you grow long-distance affection for an actor based on their work and their interaction with the public, it’s hard to re-draw that line when the rules shift. I need to learn my place!
I’ve seen no evidence boys go crazy for her other than that emotionally parasitic musician saying he loves her.
Seriously, is she funny or a contortionist? There was that one guy on his “cousin’s” twitter that said he had a crush on her.
@claire, Point taken. I was going by the two LTRs and the tweet. I assumed there was more than was in evidence, I guess.
@Sooth:
This is literally what I would use for ‘internally screaming’:
https://38.media.tumblr.com/76c99e8bdbf0573761650c3fb554718e/tumblr_nf38dwhCW41ta3fh6o2_500.gif
damage control
Because somebody up there somewhere in the comments (or was it in the last post?) asked what the outsiders think of this engagement, I thought I share this little anecdote:
My best friend has never in all the years I’ve known her been interested in gossip. She’s quite.. let’s say Sherlock like – and generally disregards that sort of stuff immediately.
She is a Sherlock fan though and knows about me being a fan of Benedicts and she likes his work as well, so she has seen him in interviews over the years.
Today I got a text from her, with a link to a gif set with Benedict’s reaction to Keiras speech. It said “Why is them being in a relationship more plausible than him being in a relationship with his actual fiancee?”
Of course I had ranted at her a few times because of the engagement but she was always quite… political.. And now she told me that his behaviour in the last few interviews made her wonder and she started looking the engagement up a bit… and she’s completely on the conspiracy train as well.
I asked her about her opinion then, since I was actually really really surprised that she had even looked into this… And she says he seems completely drained (more emotionally than physically – so she ruled out him being exhausted because of his schedule) and unhappy – she thinks the hurry of the engagement is completely out of character and just generally that theres something off about it.
So .. it’s not only us 😛
I had a conversation with a family member who’s been ill for weeks (better now) and hasn’t been keeping up on any gossip. I told her the bare outlines of the sequence of events in re: the Cumber-Hunter relationship, and she spontaneously voiced basically all of the popular “conspiracy” theories, wondering about the possibility of p.g. and saying “it’s a good way of staying in the public eye, though, isn’t it?” So I think it’s not just conspiracy fan-stans (if there are any; I don’t believe the skeptics, of which I am one, are any kookier than the “OMG Benophie <3 Welcome to the Cumberfamily!" people are). It's plain to see that appearances are weird to many people; it's all just a question of whether you're the sort of person who cares to analyze the weirdness and try to explain it or someone who doesn't care enough to register the oddness.
Many have provided examples of orchestrated relationships or relationships that were kept from the private eye. I would like to draw comparisons between Kevin Spacey and Benedict Cumberbatch. If you are unaware of Kevin Spacey, do some internet research.
For the longest time, Kevin Spacey went without visibly being in a relationship of any type. Speculation abound, they stated he was married to his work or some speculated that he was gay. Sound familiar? Kevin Spacey never commented on his relationship status or gay rumors until one day he did comment. He stated (paraphrased) “there is a public life and private life and everyone is entitled to a private life.” Sound familiar?
I think what many think is Benedict disgruntled, making slide comments about his fanbase etc. I think is Benedict trying to grow up and be an adult. When I read his Big Issue comments, my first thought was that this is a man trying to grow-up and re-focus his life. In the past he has commented on his relationships (OP), he has learned moving forward he should keep certain things private. In the past, he has been an open book and things have “come back to him in weird ways”, again he has learned that he needs to keep things private. In the past, he has catered to his fans, he has learned that left him without boundaries. I believe BC is learning from his past mistakes and trying to make some changes. I also believe that Sophie may be helping him “grow-up” hence the timing of all these changes.
I feel he believes he is growing, but based on comments here it appears people believe he is digressing into odd behavior. I believe he is trying to grow (privately, professional, what have you…) and trying to figure out the best way forward.
Just my two cents.
I don’t buy that, I’m afraid. Being in a serious relationship is something he’s done before and has been prepared for in his future for a long time. He was hardly a childish playboy. “Growing up” was not necessary, certainly not in the personality bypass sense which seems to have occurred.
From his bizarre and unnatural comments re her in recent interviews and the engagement announcement itself, I’d say privacy isn’t the priority.
I have to agree..
I wouldn’t call that growing up. I would call it being bitter. There is a difference if you have always done that or not (and Benedict was hardly a child when he talked about OP and about his fans – he was in his 30ties).
I never thought of Benedict as being immature. I know the fandom jokes about him being a manchild, but I think thats mostly down to the fact that he seems to be a bit of a dreamer… sometimes a bit naive and still having that child like wonder attitude. But I wouldn’t call that immature.
I think he’s both very young and very old at the same time… (if you listen to the BBC 4 (?) interview, his old teacher said that he felt like Benedict was already 48 when he met him – when his physical age was just 13). He’s been repeatedly called an old soul.
Besides that… all that cloak and dagger stuff that is going on because of Sophie? How is she helping him to grow up that way? I felt that was one of the most immature things he has ever done..
He’s always been very mature about his relationships. He’d discuss personal but not private things, even while with OP for ages and ages. He’d mention having a gf (Anna James) but not go into detail about her. He’d take his SOs to events both promo and not, and not make a big deal about it. This is he first time to public knowledge he’s acted cloak and dagger and frankly come off as rather immature, like a high schooler sneaking around.
Pinky: ita with you.
The cloak and dagger was meant to generate interest and let fans know that he was taken …to me it’s always been obvious…
@aly
Why would he want fans to know he was ‘taken’? That would be embarrasingly childish and just plain weird.
I wonder if part of his going more private is that with increased interest in him, it also meant increased interest (stalking, threats) in his partner and he wanted to spare them what might now be classed as hysteria every time he’s pictured with someone. That I could understand, when someone you’re dating starts getting death threats from loony fans, that’s disturbing to inflict that on someone just because you happen to date them.
@ohhey
Huh? There’s never been any sound whatsoever of anyone he’s dated receiving death threats or stalking. Where have you suddenly sprung that from? Some fans are loonies but that’s literal fiction.
I also don’t think there’s ‘hysteria’ when he’s pictured with someone. Yeah, there’s gossip and interest, but that is par for the course with anyone famous now.
Also, I don’t think he has been private with. The LFF, she was dropped right off in from of fans then had her own escort down the carpet and seemingly incapable of carrying her own umbrella. Also, his recent words in interviews regarding her in interviews aren’t private and of course the engagement annoucement itself. The most unprivate thing you could do, really.
There was talk of his and supposedly Sophie’s mail being scanned and published online because it had been stolen from where he (they) lived, there was someone looking up his address from getting his building plans from when he applied for permission to renovate, everyone was begging EB to put those up although I have not seen them. BTW I am not a regular reader but waddled on over there when people started talking about her and TownBycycle. People were stalking him and finding out where he lived from Google Street view, based on what they saw of his home/yard on the Ice Bucket Challenge Video, (again, read this on EB) and now that Google Street View has been scrubbed entirely from the internet. People BEGGING her to post his address just ‘so they can see’ where he lives, and then there’s the one from a few years ago when someone was live tweeting his movements inside his house by watching him through is windows. Freaky kind of stalking, yes? I’ve seen a few odd comments about wishing harm on the one who took him away from them, they’re loons, clearly but all it takes is one loon with a mission to turn something into a tragedy. Good grief, just look what happened to Diana (not comparing), people stalking her at her place of work, etc and it’s much easier to do that now (if one worked, it doesn’t seem one does, much). I’m just saying perhaps he wanted to spare someone that, at least as long as he could.
Where have I sprung that from? WTF kind of question is that? I read stuff online just like everyone else.
@OhHey
Going more “private?” Benedict announcing his engagement in an international publication is not going more private. Talking about his engagement is not going more private. That is going in the opposite direction. Had they acted like an actual couple (no cloak and dagger BS) No one would care. Their Engagement would not have been such a shock.
The whole mail thing was BS. Benedict’s mail does not even go to his house.
“WTF kind of question is that, I read stuff online”
Well, then there’s your problem. Seriously, your comments were quite intelligent and I agreed with them but I think you’ve veered off on some crazy course now and done a 360 degree turn, you really have.
1. Sophie’s mail was not stolen. Of course not. Some weirdo just took his address and put it on an envelope and did the same with hers and put in on an envelope and posted it on tumblr to reinforce the idea that the were together (this was pre the engagement) Was likely someone like Senyorita or something.
Seriously, think about it. Where on earth do you think that mail came from? A dastardly postman or someone broke in an stole his mail so they could put a pic of it on tumblr? C’mon..just think.
2. His renovations were years ago and that info came about back then. A fan having his address wasn’t a recent thing.
3. The ‘live tweeting his movements’ gets bandied around a lot and overdramatised. I was on twitter at the time and saw the whole thing. It was just a nosey neighbour who happened to say they ‘oh you’ll never guess who I can see out of my window!’ And mentioned a couple of innocuous things he was doing. Now, OBVIOUSLY that was still really weird and not ok, but the typical Internet telephone has turned it into a fan hiding in his bushes and purposely finding him to report to twitter. It was nothing remotely like that.
4. You are comparing her to Diana and all i can say to that is WTAF? I mean..really. W.T.A.F?
Honestly, sometimes people go crazy with fantasy,drama and hyperbole and construct all the fictional scenarios that have no basis in evidence.
The point I was making is that nutjobs with no boundaries and no real sense of reality could very easily make a loved one’s life miserable, so perhaps if he was trying to keep it on the DL for that reason, it’s plausible. The mail thing didn’t really happen? Good. No saying that it couldn’t though, if people are obsessed and nosy enough to find out where he lives from his ice bucket video, they’ll do just about anything. The live tweeting explanation I heard was directly from the horse’s mouth in an article, so whether it was a threat or not it was disturbing to him to know you are being spied on and your movements are being posted on line.
If you took a moment to read my post carefully, you would see that I put in parentheses “NOT COMPARING”. As in I am not comparing SH to Diana. Jesus H, really? That’s worse than the Amal comparison. The point, again, was to say that in the more increased age of public information and lack of privacy, nutjob nanny fans could make a potential GF/Fiancee’s life a nightmare, stalking is easy and people who are obsessed with celebrities don’t seem to have boundaries in the manners department.
What Sooth just said… and the people “begging” for the address were on EB. I didn’t see anyone on tumblr or twitter begging, or any fan sites. I DID see even casual fans being disturbed by that behavior and by the faked mail. The narrative of “oh, poor Sophie being attacked” is coming out of a small subset of ardent fans who want BC to be the “knight in shining armor” they’ve fantasized about and not a real human being with his own motives, desires, and personality.
I read the interviews where he talked about the tweeting too and yes,of course he found it creepy but it was no where near the fan hiding in his bushes nonsense scenario that the ever bullshitting Internet turned it into.
Of course I read that you said you weren’t comparing her to Diana, but I’m sorry, it just doesn’t negate the fact that is exactly what you did.
Sorry, but I have zero tolerance with constructing these insane and fictional dramatic scenarios along the lines of ‘omgz she could be stalked’. No she won’t be stalked. All that does is whip up unnecessary drama and crap and create the seeds of even more totally false stories which likely fly around gossip blogs and benefit nobody at all. There is no evidence whatsoever for any of these things happening. At all.
@Pinky – I agree. Hanging with SH has made him look immature and silly, not grown up. He is moving backwards.
The package was not fake, by the way. The Royal Mail tracking number on it was legit, and it was actually delivered.
@Froop:
as stupid as it sounds – doesn’t have to mean anything either..
I still HIGHLY doubt he get’s his mail send to his house..
you could have send it to somewhere close to him (I have friends who lived around the corner from his apartment) and then just stuck a new address on it…if you are determined to fake something like this.. there are ways.
There was a time this summer on Tumblr where people were screaming “GET HIS ADDRESS OFF MY DASHBOARD!” because apparently some twat had found and posted his home street address. I never saw it so it must have gotten scrubbed pretty quickly by the end of the day. People do stupid shit like that every day and have no bad feelings about it. No boundaries.
Once again, I was not comparing SH to Diana. I was making a comparison of the situation – of a [relatively] private person who suddenly becomes engaged to a very famous person and is besieged by press at her place of business and her home and by “fans” and whomever else thinks they’re entitled to some face time (because she’s one of the “family” now!!), whether they have ill intentions or not. Maybe it wouldn’t happen but the likelihood in the boundary-challenged fandom he has is pretty high that it would.
@Froop
How do you know that?
It was fake. How on earth would anyone have intercepted it? Think about it. Unless someone actually burgled his house and stole his mail that he’d received. It’s impossible.
How do I know? I checked the tracking number on the Royal Mail website. As did other people. It was delivered, like any other normal legit parcel. It was from Boots.
Ohhey
Now and again stupid and inappropriate things do happen to most people in the public eye like the address issue. In my experience, more is made of it by the people going’OMG’ repeatedly than the actually action itself. Just report to tumblr immediately and they deal with it swiftly. Done. Going on about it draws attention to it.
Princess Diana and Hunter could not be more different situations (I can’t believe I’m having to say this)
Firstly, how do you know that SH is a relatively private person? Secondly, BC emblazoning the engagement in a national paper does put scream privacy.
Thirdly, Charles is the next KING OF ENGLAND and Diana was his wife, THE PRINCESS OF WALES. Drawing the comparisons of the situation is totally batshit. I’m sorry, I don’t whether to laugh or cry.
And no, the likelihood that someone would find out where SH is working (wherever the hell that might be) just to introduce themselves is not high at all. You’re in pure fantasy land. By that reckoning then literally anything is possible.
I don’t like demonising of a ‘fandom’ based on pure fictional scenarios. Of course there are random crazies all over the place who are fans of all kinds of people on the public eye but second guessing what people could do based on nothing just serves to try and stoke bullshit rumours about things the are never happening. The world doesn’t need more of those.
@Froop
And the address was the same with exception of flat letter (is that correct)?
The parcel pic was fake. Once it had been ‘delivered’ how do people propose it could’ve been stolen?
The tracker sticker was old and the online tracker does not give the location, it just tells you the status of the delivery.
Oh FFS, Sooth, belabor a point much? I’m very sorry that you don’t seem to get my very simple point and analogy, but insist on making a mountain out of a molehill. BC deals with an INSANE amount of intrusion into his personal life. Unless it was someone of his caliber that he was marrying, who had dealt with it for years, they would not likely be prepared to deal with it. That’s the point I was making. As for stalking, it happens, twice recently celebs (i think it was Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves) woke up to find intruders in their houses, even with security. It happens, it could also be something like being spotted at the grocery store and followed home to find out where they live. Shit happens all the time. If it was his intention to at least delay some of that by being private, I don’t blame him. Doesn’t explain the rest of his behavior however.
No, @ohhey, you made a comparison that was ridiculous and insisted that it wasn’t a comparison.
Your point being that there are weirdos in the world. Yes there are and there always has been. Your point contains a hell of a lot of ‘OMG what ifs’ and I find that just pure hysteria based on nothing. He’s not a royal. Yes, he has weird fans but he has a life and that very likely doesn’t involve getting followed home from Sainsbury’s, so I wouldn’t worry about this imagined scenario too much.
Yes he has a lot of attention but neither you nor I could say it’s ‘INSANE’. I very much doubt it’s that level in his everyday life, so I wouldn’t worry about this imagined scenario too much.
i think the packages were real. some people who already knew his address confirmed it was the one on the envelopes. i think the theory is someone stole it from his recycling? either way, i think the weird part is that she was living in the flat below his. so they aren’t in the same flat, which seems odd for two people in a whirwind romance about to get engaged.
Just because the address was real, that doesn’t mean the package was.
And I also don’t think he’d be stupid enough to put a non shredded envelope in the recycling. In fact, none of us should be this stupid.
#shred
It’s not unreasonable to imagine someone taking it from the bins outside his house. It was delivered to his home address. He doesn’t have a private gate.
@froop
Like I say, I doubt v much he wouldn’t shred his correspondence with his name on, and that includes envelopes.
There was no proof at all it was delivered to his address. The tracker would only confirm it was delivered.. not specifically to where, as I said.
Also remember that Spacey had a brief, weird PR relationship with Helen Hunt during a campaign season and that faded fast. So he’s not or wasn’t above it.
no sign of octopussy in NYC. homeland security troubles? 😛
Maybe they needed her to get by with a reason.
Her octopus has her in a tight embrace and won’t let go, so she can’t leave London.
Plus, there has always been huge speculation about KS’s sexuality, way more than with Benedict.
being in a relationship automatically makes u responsible and happy at the same time. snarking at the fans is neither of them. OP was a rock to him. his attitude was diff. talking abt ur personal life does nt mean that u need to GROW UP. thr r things tht r private n some personal. If you’re in a good relationship this will sound familiar to u
@Lucifer
When did being in a relationship automatically make someone responsible and happy? There are marriages and families with irresponsible or unhappy partners. Your comment reads as though responsibility and relationships are mutually exclusive as if they have a baring on one another. The latter is not the case.
@Laetitia – Being in a relationship gives the appearance that one is stable. Tom Hanks vs. Leonardo DiCaprio. Family man vs. playboy followed by bimbos and hos..
bad relationship does not give you anything. All points and +ve sides u get only in being in a good relationshio. When i said relationship/i was trying to paint a good relationship;s picture
I meant more private with the relationship (assuming there ever was one) before the announcement, not being seen together and then the surprise public announcement to make an honest woman of her. Really people, how else are his family and friends going to find out without an advertisement on pg. 50sometihng of the Times?? The way he has behaved since, never once mentioning her name and talking about it through gritted teeth, is just beyond bizarre.
But they were seen together. They made sure they were seen together by making scenes at film festivals and restaurants. They did that, not the fans or media. They were in no way attempting to protect their privacy before the announcement. And people obsessed with their privacy would not put their engagement in the paper. Sorry, not buying it.
After coming off the phone with my best friend.. another interesting point maybe:
The reaction to the engagement was almost entirely positive (at least if you look at newspapers and the fans general reaction)… No death threats, no hysteria (in a negative way).
So why get so upset and look like talking about the engagement is the worst thing ever?
I would get that he’s angry and pissed if that had happened, and that would explain him looking so tense but fact is… it didn’t. So him wanting to keep it even more private can hardly be the reason..
Had he not opened his mouth he wouldn’t have a problem. It’s like shooting yourself in the foot and trying to sue someone else.
Yeah I know I know… but it’s like.. what is he grumpy about? That… some people anyway.. like her?
He is also pushing 38.
@M.A.F. – On EB the idea is he just wanted to get married and have kids. I’ll move over some of their theories tomorrow.
Benedict arrived in NYC with Karon. No signs of Sophie..
Big Issue North Preview: “What do other people need of me?” *eye roll*
Jesus, there was a wealth of fascinating comments in that interview, why do the big issue keep taking soundbites from that small paragraph as teaser headlines?
fanbait
I saw the photos: his fly is undone. Oops
Do you see anything interesting hanging out? LOL!!!
Like a baby squid?
Hahahaha hahahaha
Oh somebody stop me. It’s too easy.
Oh I’m so glad I’m not the only one who noticed that lol.
What pictures are these, at JFK? LOL at the baby squid…….
OMFG i m a blind person. i just looked up again after u guys said. Big LOL.
another proof how “stressed” he is. he forgetting to close his flyer
Maybe he was trying to relieve his stress 😉
that killed me 😀
@Linz He’s coming from LA. She’d be coming (if she were coming) from London. And let’s be real: NO one stateside would recognize her to pap her, and few would in the UK unless she’s with him.
Few in the UK would give a shit, Time and People in the states would wrap her in plastic.
The anticipation of her arrival is killing me. Really. It is. If she doesn’t appear now I won’t know what to say.
I’m sure, if she comes, Time and People will be on hand to help her into the car and carrying her bodily to the hotel to make sure their Amal-lite is unharmed and makes it to NYC on time.
The photographs I think they’re talking about are the DM photos from his NY airport arrival today. I don’t know if it’s undone, but you can see a button. He looks cute, despite the awful cap and sunglasses. He sure is committed to those.
they’re the real WILWIPT
Now, in the name of all that is good, who would announce their engagement only to not have the partner show up anywhere? It’s like announcing your engagement before your high school reunion and then showing up alone. He should have had her to agree to appear at the first few projects then she could stay home. Now he just looks like Steve Urkel.
http://rebloggy.com/post/benedict-cumberbatch-cumberbatch-news-saskia-s-posts-2014-french-open/88217680151
Regarding them never looking at each other at the french open. There’s a picture where they’re both looking at each other and a few others where you can see his old goofy grin.
I agree that something is very weird with all of this. I just can’t put my finger on what.
On a lighter note, Benedict in that grey jacket with the black pants will have a special place in my memory box. I think he actually looks really good there, if not a little unimpressed.
I’m already exhausted and the season has just began!!
“We’ve only just begun to live…..” The Carpenters
I’d say someone is JUST DONE. QA from Tumbler
Hey, I think you’re an amazing actor! Also, are there any similarities between you and the character you’re playing?
I have an English accent, I’m very good at hand-to-hand combat in close quarters, I have an occasional intolerance for cuteness – please don’t ramp that up this afternoon. It’s been a long week.
Seriously…. It’s almost hilarious..
Yeah -and most of the other answers seem to include a lot of “angry” sarcasm. Take a nap, Ben!
I don’t understand his answers. Literally.
It’s like that Two Ronnie’s sketch where they answer the previous question in every answer.
Full on bitchy snark….that stick is wedged well up inside there…..
When did people start recognizing you on the streets?
dreamworksanimation answered:
When my parents first took me out in the pram and they recognized me as my parents’ son. It was a heady moment. I’m still trying to get my little heady around it.
Bloody hell. Anyone would think he was on community service. Why can’t he just be natural?
Also, is ‘heady’ a typo? I sincerely hope so.
He literally stopped trying after the first answer.
Who is this man? I mean his reddit was beautiful; snarky but insightful. This is just… umm.. WTF?
Thing that bothered me most is that he’s starting to sound whiney now, even if it’s covered in sass. ‘I’d like to be a bird of prey…Nooooooo smartphones.’
I mean, I get it, getting shoved a phone in your face a lot wouldn’t be my idea of fun either, but I’m not trying to have his kind of career. I think he’d love to turn the clock back and have a career in a bygone era while not being distracted/annoyed by all the hindrances of modern technology. But that’s not possible BC. Smartphones aren’t going anywhere. If he thinks he’s got it bad he should go and talk with someone like Harry Styles who probably can’t walk two steps without people asking him for selfies. And he remains gracious about it and doesn’t whine. While he’s almost 20 years younger than him. I’m just saying…
Cate- this so much!!!
WOW this is reading like “someone is holding a figurative gun to my head for this”. Which is odd as it’s for Dreamworks and not TIG– HW has nada to do with the Dreamworks picture. Looking back on his Reddit AMA, it’s like two different people answering questions (maybe it is… maybe a PR shill did one and real!BC is doing the other).
Sounds like him doing it, anyone else would be nicer. He’s just come up with another gem about not doing favorites, wtf is he trying to say….
But he forgot to say he only has one favorite in his life, the WILWIPT. How could he forget her, esp sitting next to John Malkovich since he played an octopus and all?
And he just made a reference to keeping secrets, he’s kept a few professional ones so far (reference to Dr. Strange, I’m sure). But nothing about his personal secret. Oh quelle surprise…..
I saw that, lol. He didn’t do a good job with his “personal” one (if it was ever a secret) either–unless that also counts as a professional one *cough*. *makes sure tinfoil hat is still in place and ticket for the conspiracy train is firmly in hand*
@MissMary -LOL. Although he isn’t doing that much of a good job keeping this professional secret… you know… secret.
*tinhats and train tickets*
You know, those people “noticing” you on the street with their “smartphones” make it such that you don’t have to work in a perfumery for the rest of your life.
If it’s so horrible, then get out of the profession. I realize some people are a little nuts to him in the street. I get that. But if he’s such a precious snowflake and it’s such a burden to bear, then he needs to retire and become a banker or a construction worker. Something where no one gives a **** about him.
Ugh. I just can’t with him today.
I just don’t know why he’s bleating about this for a q&a on a dreamworks animation film? Course it must be a pain, but there’s a time and place to complain. And like you say, sighs..it’s just society and life now. It’s not ok, but that’s what it is.
And to make such a public announcement about his private life is not the best idea when he seems to hate the attention so much.
Darling Ben, they are smartphones, not guns. Things could be a lot worse.
Amen, Ingrid.
It’s Tumblr, he *could* have had a PR shill answer while Grumpy!Ben went off to take a nap. Jeez….
Wonder which would bother him more–the people who recognize him on the street, or the day when people stop?
One question that showed up in the comments was “Hey, can we see an engagement ring??” I bet that went over like a fart in church.
As carefully as Dreamworks has been vetting these questions all week, I’m not surprised folks are trying to “get in” on the comments for the fannish questions.
I can honestly understand his disdain for the silly questions, fans or not. During his QA with Kiera at LFF, he was pulling faces at “who is your best celebrity PAL” like it was the most distasteful thing he’d ever heard. It’s kind of a stupid question, I’m sure they don’t think of each other as celebrities, but friends, but that’s the mentality.
LOL -even Tumblers are noticing his pissy mood. Miracles do happen. (going by the #benedictcumberbatch tag)
@Ingrid: Wait for it. The stans are coming, lol, and will post on there all about “Omg how presh! He’s so sweet” etc.
“He didn’t even say goodbye!!” #manwhore”
ROFL – forgive his manners…..I’m sure he was brought up better than that.
Allow me to translate:
I’m tired
I’m working too much
I’m sick of this shit
I’m overexposed
I’m bothered by people taking photos of me all the time
I’m not getting any
The last one, LOL.
(and perfect summary OhHey)
LOL you got it, OhHey.
He’s handled all that before (well, IDK about 6 rofl). This started with Weinstein, so who knows what is going on behind the scenes, but I am telling you, it ain’t good.
I understand the annoyance for silly questions when its relating to IG given his passion for Turning but…this is for a movie about penguins where he plays an animated wolf ffs.
Lighten up.
His sarcasm is coming across as total bitchiness but watch all the loons going on about how funny he is
All this, yes. I was wondering about the “tone” esp since it’s a kid’s movie, this is for PR for said kid’s movie (Even though, yes, a lot of adults will see it) and he’s playing a cartoon character. If this was a Q&A about TIG or a serious movie, I could understand and even get behind some of the bitchy but ffs… And I’m already seeing some people go on about how funny he is and how his answers were “so adorable”. 0_o
Right, and now he’s risked pissing off a major studio.
Something is not right.
Most of the answers were fine. Some were problematic. He’s got a huge chip on his shoulder about the fame thing. Regretting that very public engagment announcement yet?
Well, some answers were kind of funny, IMO
He was…snarky, but I expected worse tbh
this Q&A was downright rude in my opinion. I hope his mother will slap him when he gets home. No, darling, you are not a poor victim!
But he must have had a good talking to because he is much more smiley in the photographs.
Dance little bear or Uncle Harvey will sell you to Spain as a bull!
I’m going to say I sympathize a little bit – we only see pap photos, when you see the pap video of them SCREAMING at him, and screaming the stupidest things, it’s really really obnoxious, I could not deal with that noise and that kind of obnoxious behavior every time I went somewhere. To be trailed by people taking your photo whether you want them to or not is awful, I’m a private person, I’d feel violated if someone did that to me in my private life. At work is one thing, on your own time, people don’t own you just because they like your work, they are not entitled to your time or your person. Just because the fans “made him rich” gives them no right to feel entitled to 100% of his life, he’s worked for it for what he’s got. Easier road than most, but still.
Then he needs to get out of the biz. End of. It will never get any easier.
“HE’S BACK!!!!!” Oh, for pete’s sake.
Am I crazy or was that the quickest Q&A ever? I just stopped in here to see if anything was going on and didn’t even realize the tumblr q&a had started until you mentioned it. I just checked it, read all the posts to catch up, refresh the page to see one new post and a thank you but that’s all we’ve got time for.
@ohhey yes! On point.
I think it was going to be short anyway (Wasn’t Malkovitch doing one at the same time for them?) but it did read very terse and quick.
He was also characteristically late, by about a half hour, I think.
@OhHey – At least that hasn’t changed. If he starts to be early for things, that’s when I *really* start worrying.
Ugh. I hate chronically late people. You’re just telling people that your time is more valuable than theirs.
I think the lateness might not he his fault, I think he is seriously overbooked, PR is just cramming him all day long. Don’t know where he was doing the QA, someone else was typing for him, but he was at the premiere within minutes after – it was either close or in the car or something. Seriously the guy must be nearly burned out.
Do y’all have a link to this Q &A?
http://dreamworksanimation.tumblr.com/
thank you for asking. I feel like we need another post (!) just to sort all this out.
I am assuming he answered all those questions in the car on the way to the conference? Because god knows he couldn’t have been there so quickly otherwise..
Besides that.. I just want to feed him… seriously… he looks so skinny at the moment.. Maybe thats why he didn’t want to answer the food question properly.. Because thinking about food would have made him hungry.
All I want is to sit him down somewhere and put a HUGE portion of something in front of him and get him to eat it..
Yes, I’m tired of hearing that’s for Sherlock. He’s almost at that weight already but filming is 2+ months away…
The site won’t let me link pictures, but he’s looking mighty fine at the premiere of penguins…#thereishope
Maybe Fallon will get him to play silly games or roll around on the floor like he did with Halle Berry…maybe that will lighten his mood.
Today’s comparison of actor behavior: Colin Farrell writes passionate, articulate letter supporting gay marriage to Irish newspaper. Benedict Cumberbatch gives bizarre answers in studio sponsored Q&A session for children’s movie.
Huh? Ben has been talking about Turing and civil rights for *months* (years , actually)….what kind of comparison is it? How can you compare two completely different things like that? *puzzled*
this is very unfair. ben is deeply passionate about gay rights and wants to make that the focus. he has mentioned it so many times in so many interviews. he has said how deeply touched he was by turing’s life and persecution. let’s not get it twisted.
Well, this will sound even harsher. Yes, he had verbally supported gay rights. Up until LFF, he was doing a good job about making Turing’s life the focus. But when you see his interviews now, is your mind going to movie, gay rights, or his odd behavior?
Harsh reality: the publicity game isn’t about what you have done up to this point. It is about what you are doing today. So, this is how he acted at one promotion today. What will he do at the Q&A tonight? Snarky? Robotic delivery of Turing support life Hollywood Film Awards? Or will he turn on the charm? Be genuine for the first time in two weeks?
BTW, Farrell is one of his competitors for Dr. Strange. If the rumor mill is to be believed.
oh please. he’s done his part for gay rights for a long time now, and he’s done it passionately. and frankly, even though he’s been pissy and miserable, it’s only the fandom who have noticed. everyone else will see a champion for gay rights. people going to see TIG aren’t gonna give a hoot about a PoM tumblr q and a.
Still an unfair comparison. He was working today, it’s like comparing apples to oranges.
At the award thing he could have babbled about whatever, but he made it all about Turing.
Good for Carrell for what he did, but it has ZERO relevance to Benedict today.
You can disagree with me. That’s cool. One comes across as genuine right now (granted, his family experiences in Ireland clearly shaping his drive to get people to register to vote for the election, and that makes it passionate.).
But I question everything about BC right now. I don’t think what we are witnessing is him being influenced by an octopus or being managed by PR. Maybe timing of enGAGment. I would like to think those things. But I suspect this is someone having serious issues with managing his fame. I think his interviews reflect an increasing level of discomfort with his fan base. I think he is overworked and not sure how, but suspect instability in his personal life. Whatever coping mechanism is, not good. And workload won’t get bettered, coupled with pressure of maintaining serious relationship and upcoming marriage. A very new relationship at that.
Which leads me to why I made comparison. Starting to side eye so much about BC and wonder what is sincere. Is it fair? Nope. Not fair of me to do at all. Tough. Doing it anyway.
He is clearly under consideration for Dr. Strange. And if the rigorous schedule is bad now, what will the Marvel marketing be like for him? I don’t think Strange is a good fit for a variety of reasons, but ability to handle marketing is part of that (smaller than how he would fit into schedule, but still a factor). The other actors in running? They have all voiced interests in appearing in major franchises. At least one had a huge stalker fan share. Didn’t hear about him lashing out at fans after promoting latest film. And Farrell-he fell pretty hard but never lashed out. Again, it is how you handle yourself.
So, his lashing out at fans after years of saying how much he loves them? Does that show how little he really appreciated them to begin with-only liked them when they weren’t voicing some criticism his way? Pretty shallow love of fans if so. How much of him is sincere? Because I think he is talented actor. But really shallow human being who supports popular causes of day without getting hands dirty.
Over and out! Not worth the clicks and hours of speculation.
Yeah, let’s agree to disagree here.
He was promoting Penglings of Madagascar, so one would think less snarky. But then I saw some of the questions and I would want to vomit too, maybe being tired he couldn’t think of good answers so just took the piss.
He was rather heady with his answers….Ha! Something is on his mind…. 😉
He was looking lovely on the POM red carpet. Gorgeous hair which seems to grow freakishly fast!
Eh…bitchy or whatever, if Mam’selle tires of him, he can call me for a good time.
I love his snark and slight bitchiness, always have. This is different though. The question about is there anything you haven’t been asked, he could have joked hes done a million interviews recently so cant imagine. Instead you get
No
Nothing humerous there. You can just see his eye roll and sigh. Hes coming across as someone becoming thoroughly joyless considering hes going through a personal and career high it makes no f*cking sense at all.
Okay, so I’m seriously reaching here and may be going far too far down the conspiracy rabbit hole here, but it’s that kind of evening and I’m a bit wined up so…
What is this is all gearing up to an appearance on a red carpet with fiance in tow and a massive grin on his face? As in, he’s deliberately upping the pissy factor so that when she appears the contrast is even more marked? THEN the party line is about how much he missed her but now that she’s taken time out of her spectacular career and saving orphans and puppies to be with her man isn’t it romantic and look all you crazy fans, he’s 100% off the market and he doesn’t want your support, only hers just like he said. The idea of true love sells, after all.
For the record, I think he proposed for real (as in not PR), but not for live.
That said, if I were in charge of his PR, that’s how I’d be playing it right now. ‘Right mate, you’ve been shitting up and acting like someone shat in your cap, but keep that up and save the happy act until you’re with the woman you’re in love with and proposed to so we at least have a decent angle to work with’.
I thought about it as well…we’ll see
Really?
I considered this possibility as well…among the others…
No one is that dependent on the direct company of their spouse to show happiness. Not in this world anyway where there’s Skype. Or maybe he really is that needy.
Well, I can see him being that needy, but I was suggesting it was an act to convince the general public of the True Noble Delicate Love.
I’ll admit it’s not my most well thought out theory ever, but I’d rather think that he’s not quite as angry and depressed as he’s seeming.
I agree with this. the original post in this thread is way too complicated.
Lord, if that turned out to be it, then I’d really surmise that something had gone very wrong.
I’ll act pissy as hell because I’m not with this woman for a few days who I spent a great deal of the Summer without, just so I can do the happy act when I’m with her.
How on earth would that work as a good image for him?
I would probably laugh for two days if it happened…good Lord, what a mess…
It would be stupid, yes, but given what they’re working with at the moment…
It’s also important to remember that the people they’re trying to win over with whatever crap they’re pulling aren’t fans who know what he’s been doing over the summer – they’re the average Americans who will make up the numbers at the box office.
he is not gonna get an Oscar for his portrayal of loved-up fiancé! Not even a nomination. I hope he’ll up his game. The relationship might be real but the engagement is 100% PR in my eyes.
relationship might be real but the engagement is 100% PR in my eyes.
+1
He’s been doing the pissy sourpuss thing for a while now, long before the engagement and before he was “rumored” to be with SH. It started “showing” around the time of the Polish film fest when he was making some eye rolling and exasperated faces for the cameras during a PR “tour of the water ways” and people commented that he looked angry.
i’m actually wondering If he’s fed up with fame and the fans to the extent he proposed in the wake of those rumors senyorita started just to tell everyone to f— off.
What did you mean by “but not for live”?
Oops. Typo.
But not for love.
Ah, thanks. don’t know why that didn’t occur to me. i thought you meant “for life”!
Hes still not looking happy at Penguins premiere if you ask me. The smile never reaches his eyes.
yep. and his fans are not so important that theyre going to somehow ruin a career highpoint for him imo so…something else is wrong, wrong enough that id not be surprised if we found out before feb
Tumblr have something about him mentioning the enGAGment in red carpet interview.
The interviewer said Benedick said he was very happy about it.And something about fan reaction. Didn’t catch all of it because my Tumblr threw a wobbler and went off.
He’s looked as happy as my dog did when he had his knackers lobbed off!
This?
https://twitter.com/mikewilber/status/534129304423378944
Ugh indeed. Can we just stop with all his press now because irreparable damage is being done to my boner.
I love the comments in the twitter feed…. Oh my 🙂
OMG, I came here to post that. “F*ck you, cracker” ftw!!!
Wow, his ego is on full display. Sheesh. Someone needs to serve him a enormous piece of humble pie.
If anyone wasn’t pissed they are pissed now lol. That girl is my hero.
But hold on a sec…weren’t we all happy and supportive on Monday?
Protip: next time say: they’re supportive and we’re very happy (the plural, Ben, use ‘we’)
eeeeesh.. even twitter is spitting on him. wtf is his prob?
New crack theory:
Since he didn’t say that the FANS weren’t happy.. Maybe he meant the women in his life? Maybe his mum is unhappy about it?^^
UGH He said that despite women being sad about his engagement, he’s happy. That’s gross if he thinks that’s what’s going on.
So much wtf, so little time….:)
But missmary, be honest, don’t you want to get hit by 12 buses? I know I do. *cries into pillow til eyes are swollen shut* how will I ever go on???
Near, far…..my heart will go on…..
The scary thing is that someone actually said that. WTF?
**sighs** maybe just ten, lol. Turn around, bright eyes!
Once upon a time I was falling in love….now I’m only falling apart #incontrollablelaughter
The only question is which version of the song do we go with now when we post angsty “But I’m soooooooo happy for them! She’s sooooooooooooooo perf!” posts on tumblr? The original or the Dan Band version?
Always the original
Once upon a time there was light in my life….now there’s only love in the dark…
fckery at its best
He said that even though women are sad about his engagement, he’s actually very happy.
Really? He thinks every woman is sad about his engagement? Personally I’m laughing my butt off at that because I’ve never seen someone look so unhappy about an engagement but whatever. And I’m not unhappy. I just think it’s sort of a sham. And where is his fiancée anyway? Not around to “support” the man who only needs her support, I guess.
FWIW, I thought he sounded like a humorless d*ck in that chat.
Much as I love his acting, I’m tired of this snotty, not-funny-snarky, BC.
Do you expect him to admit that it’s a sham? I’m sorry but all the other stuff that happened prior to this has not left my mind. I still smell a huge PR ploy because of awards that he feels he is close to snatching. Anything else would be supernatural. The stars don’t add up like this.
This is man made. Example: The way he is behaving about the interviews, you don’t think he realized this would happen if he put his engagement announcement in the paper two days before leaving for the Land of Opportunity? There is a plan working in the background somewhere. He knows it or he wouldn’t be acting so damn looney. Something is up.
@Renee, MissMary –
The tweets match your feelings. I think people are sick of him. And I still think it is a PR job of massive proportions. Too many dots have been connected.
Yeah, but from a marketing/pr point of vie it doesn’t make sense. You don’t piss off the core fanbase right before the movie that can make your career opens, it’s nuts! Not a fanbase as volatile as this. It’s too much of a shot in the dark and these are professionals.
Granted, in my opinion, what he has said is stupid, but not a big deal, but I understand if other fans are pissed off.
Wtaf?
I still get the vibe he/his PR/HW’s people want to make sure he has “serious!actorman!” image and shake the “ardent” fanbase–the scrapbook-senders, the open letter writers, etc. So enGAGment, new public persona that’s not warm and goofy and snarky in a fun way… He’s not committing career suicide but he’s definitely shaking his fanbase around and people are not amused at perceived (or real?) insults and shade he’s throwing.
MissMarry: yeah…I agree with you.
He has been walking around like this since Poland and his anger is still escalating. I don’t get that anyone is amused at his behavior but rather few tweets visible indicated that they were unhappy with his attitude.
Or did the reporter ask him if he’s still happy despite women being said? It’s impossible to tell from that Tweet. Doesn’t look like a quote imo.
God help anyone who ramped up the cute. It’s been a long week, we got no time for that shit. *smackdown*
can anybody post the link of the whole QnA?
Surprised they actually got him to talk about it, no one else has, at least when he acted happy about it. Hmm…. And what a weird thing to say, maybe not, but I didn’t hear the guy talk, someone will post a video soon.
He has talked about it already. He’s talked about it to People and another one? What was it?
If this is how HappyBatch acts, personally I’d like him to go back to being the miserable, charming, smiley, joking guy he was before he got happy.
This happybatch makes me sad…….
Ok real talk, I’m watching Parks and Recreation right now and Ron just said “Don’t confuse drama with happiness” and it just spoke to me……wish Ron Swanson could talk to B about this.
OhHey: I’m curious to see the video
He’s giving the right soundbites to the right outlets (People, InStyle, E!). Sell to middle America, make sure opening weekend box office stateside is good, make sure numbers don’t suddenly drop off… And ffs, someone involved in TIG’s stateside promotions, put some ads on telly and before movies because I’ve seen almost jack. You’d think that’d be a first line promo tool.
I can’t find video of that anywhere, he’s supposed to be from MSNBC but can’t find anything on their site. Love to hear how the question was put to him.
I will throw my theory in the ring:
IMHO, he is behaving like a man who has been betrayed – by someone very close to him and in a love/relationship way. When did he behave like this before? When he was breaking up with Olivia. Supposedly, they had agreed to stay together (and perhaps get married) but then Olivia broke it off because she just couldn’t do a relationship with a man who was always away. He supposedly felt really betrayed by her for this.
I think that Benedict is feeling betrayed by SH. What if everyone was in on the PR aspect BUT BC? He thought that this relationship was real but only now, after all the PR put out about SH and the fact that he did not put out the wedding announcement (the ad missed one of his initials) does he realize he’s been duped. This would explain his anger at everything in general.
I think he put out the announcement but did not use all of his initials.
how is that even possible? forgetting ur own initials? o.O
I was also thinking the same with one exception: he was “informed” about the engagement post LFF with no way to back out. So he told his parents&friends put the ad in the paper … with a little detail that the engaged BTC actually does not exist.
makes sense. The initial thing is bugging me for last 12 days
So Una Stubbs made a comment, and I think it sheds a LOT of light on some of the WTF going on:
Her words were (almost verbatim): “I think he was just being cautious…he really wants to be a father. I think he needs to just find the right one.”
This solves a lot of the puzzle: he was probably looking at 2 years of solid work and thinking, “I’m not going to have time to develop a relationship soon, so i’m going to make a commitment to the one I have now in case nothing else comes along, so worst case scenario, at least there’s her”
Also, so loving the fact Una not so subtly said she doesn’t think Sodious is the right one for him. Remember, this is a close friend of his mother’s. We can safely say she’s saying something similar if not exactly what his mother is thinking.
Keep throwing that shade, ladies. Old lady luvvies FTW.
I’m thinking that might be a typo, wrong tense maybe? Perhaps meant to say he IS just being cautious?
I’m still cracking up over Sodious. And the radio silence from just about everyone else.
^ spread it, by all means.
I dunno, this sounds like a quote from Una before she realised he was with anyone. I can’t see her making a public comment that would call into question his choices.
Also I don’t know how close she is to Wanda. Probably not that close, I’d guess.
You are correct, Sooth. The interview was from the week before the news about the engagement broke, IIRC, so the Una quote was out of date when it was published. She was NOT commenting on Sophie’s suitability for BC, because she didn’t know about her.
ok thanks for the clarification. darn!
The week before…. So his mothers best friend and a colleague of his has no idea the week before he gets engaged? Lol
Tbf I’m not sure una is Wanda’s best friend. But reading that snippet has put me in a hellish mood before bed. “Highbrow and soooo nice”???!!! It’d be hilarious if it wasn’t so weird.
No way! I love Una…..Where was that ?
Found it – hmm. Sounds like she’s happy
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/londoners-diary-off-to-bed-now-newsnight-tells-sleepy-viewers-9841145.html
Will get a source as soon as I can 🙂
Sooth, doesn’t explain “he was being cautious” bit, but it’ll come out in the wash I suppose.
” Is the crown Amal Clooney earned by upstaging George about to be stolen?”
OMG wtf.
I’ve seen another source of that comment – a paper scan on EB (this one has been changed to fit the proposal).
HA! Oh gods I love Una Stubbs. Not only is she a friend (very close one!) of Wanda’s, she’s known Ben since he was a baby and will shade shade shade if it’s called for.
@Claire Una made those comments prior to the engagement. The real source mentions that in the article. Let me look for it. Note, the real source was printed in a paper.
this int with US was supposedly 1 week prior to the engagement and no talk about it. hella strange
I wonder if this is true
“‘Sherlock’ Update: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Titular Role In ‘Doctor Strange’ May Delay Premiere Of Season 4”
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/572880/20141116/sherlock-season-4-benedict-cumberbatch.htm#.VGlEvpjivIU
That’s been floated in a few outlets and there’s nothing to substantiate it, esp as Marvel hasn’t made an official announcement yet about who Dr Strange will be played by.
MissMary – Any thoughts?
lol about Dr Strange? Until this week or so, I was all for BC getting the role but if this is how he’s acting with promotion for TIG, I’d hate to see him in the Marvel promo mill. Granted, it’s not as dicey as working with HW but it’s intense and very structured.
ibtimes is a content farm, they’ll run anything that’s a shadow of a rumor
i wouldn’t believe anything unless it comes directly from marvel.
Click bait.
Since he was likely contractually obligated to Sherlock first I doubt anything else would be allowed to take precedence.
I think that what explains his anger is basically his “true self” showing up….
About the rest of conspiracies: it’s really his problem…. His choices, his problems… 😛
I agree it is his choices, his problems.
But no one is themselves during Oscar time. Not buying ‘being himself’ involves lifeless eyes, and if himself is misery, something still went wrong somewhere. He’s going to burn out.
Sandi I always enjoy your posts here. Remind me again your connections in the industry? I remember and look forward to your posts because of the numbered post you made many days ago about the potential PR aspects of this whole fiasco
@Claire, in a former life (kidding, I just switched career tracks) I worked for a management firm. Mid-level, not high list though. Got married, got out of it. Don’t miss it LOL.
I’ve seen this type of trainwreck before, it’s just not pretty. And if he can’t do all this promo, his people should be stepping in. I realize they’re not at the level of the Weinstein machine, but from here, it looks like they’re entirely useless.
Ha, yeah I imagine the pressure is intense. It is sad isn’t it? He is only human after all. I’ve been where he is before though not in the limelight. You can come out stronger if you can get through it.
I was thinking more along the lines of the engagement though. Can you tell me what your educated guess as to what’s going on considering your industry experience?
Oh, I totally feel rude, I missed your compliment above, thank you!
My opinion, with the courtesy massive grain of salt, is that the engagement is fake, meant to solidify him as a ‘family’ man for Oscar voters and a more serious actor while gaining some attention in the US press.
He shouldn’t have agreed to it and probably other elements of Harvey’s campaign because he can’t handle it all.
Ha no worries. Yeah I place more value on what you say because of your industry experience. (No shade on the other ladies of course!) How often did you see or at least see evidence of fake relationship-related type stuff when you were in the business?
Do you think he’ll carry on with it as far as marrying her or do you think it’ll simply dissipate and they’ll break it off at some point? (He is desperate for a family…)
Well *puffs chest* if you put it that way 🙂 Bear in mind, I’ve got zero inside track on this situation so I could be totally wrong.
I saw it plenty, although not usually so far as an engagement. Just dating stuff. Even outside of awards season, two people can use it to elevate their profiles.
I don’t think he’ll marry her. This house of cards he’s got going is too shaky.
Oh I know, but I prefer the opinion of someone who knows what it’s like from the inside than just speculation.
I wrote a lengthy post that’s near the bottom of this thread on what I think is happening based on what I observed: I think he is super pissed off at his female fans intruding on his personal life and getting back at them. It explains the nasty comments, and may even explain the engagement and how he announced it.
On EB the idea is he just wanted to get married and have kids. It still doesn’t explain their strange behavior or why he would put it in the paper.
There are photos over there where he looks like a zombie. In a gif everyone around him is clapping and he is just sitting there, lost to the skies. I will try and move it over but I am using a tablet. I’ll move over some of their theories tomorrow.
I do have one theory, thanks to EB: It’s not HW that is the problem but BC. HW is just trying to clean up this mess that BC has caused with this engagement and bad attitude.
BAHAHAHAAA oh wow thw comments on that twitter feed are pure gold.
I Wish they would read those ones out instead of the ones where girls want to get hit by buses.
Although to be fair maybe the only reason he thinks fans are sad is BECAUSE they’re only showing him the miserable tweets.
I have to say whatever angle they’re aiming for might be working because I am very eager to see Sodious show up with him somewhere. At this point they’ll be more eyes on them than if they just acted normally. Which means more exposure for him and TIG but also way more scrutiny. On the plus side she’s as good an actress as a rock so if this isn’t genuine it might be obvious. Might be.
Why is this guy so, so angry? Are his fans that bad? Someone tweeted that he just couldn’t say he was happy without hurling an insult at the fans.
He will probably marry, however, based on his behavior and the observation that he has been behaving poorly for months, I still say the announcement in the paper was BY DESIGN an effort to get the fangirls off his back and PR. He acts like he could choke someone and it is disturbing to watch. He is losing it.
“He acts like he could choke someone and it is disturbing to watch. He is losing it.”
yes i was just saying this below. its not just at fans!!
i get why theyre taking it personally, but if they look past themselves for like 5 mins, they can see hes over-angry at a bunch of stuff and miserable no matter what hes doing. like being mad at fans doesnt explain looking like he died inside at events with no fan focus
hes just going to snap, it’s like watching a car accident
can you give examples of where he looks/sounds angry when the fans aren’t the focus? i’d just like to see or read it because we’re concentrating on his comments on fans, esp when it comes to the engagement
I have rocks in my back yard that could probably pull better numbers at the box office than her.
Maybe they *need* more actresses who can play convincing corpses on Sherlock and they were running out of relatives?
Tumblr Q & A?
More like Grumblr Q & A……..
After reading the Tumblr Q&A its very apparent to me this man has bought into his own hype. Hook, line and sinker. Which in my mind explains his behaviour over the past, say 3 months. I believe he thinks he’s super famous (his ‘over-exposed’ comment? I don’t think he’s over-exposed, he’s just doing promo, for crying out loud) and his fans are all old, desperate single women.
Some interviews are better than others, but yeah, generally he just acts like this is all so beneath him. I had no idea he could come across as such a brat.
I believe the relationship with SH is real, he’s desperate to be married off, they’ll last a couple of years, then divorce. Which makes me sad. I like (liked?) him very much and wanted good things for him, but with him acting like such an entitled wanker, I don’t see how he’ll hold onto fans. 🙁
to be fair, the telegraph did a whole article claiming he’s overexposed, so i don’t blame him for feeling like maybe others are saying this too.
he is over exposed.
but anyway ego doesnt explain why hes so miserable and angry no matter what he is doing i guess is my point. id buy it if he was only like that in interviews or with certan topics but its like he cant enjoy anything at all
i do think some fans are overentitled though like i didnt realize that until all this
I think when he says over exposed, I think he probably means in his private life, that he can’t seem to do anything without being “observed”. Being an actor in front of an audience certainly says he’s not shy but maybe just hasn’t found the boundary where he cuts off access to his privacy enough. Trying to be empathetic, I would personally hate to live in a fishbowl like that, there is no way in hell I could even be half as polite.
See now I disagree. I think of other celebs, real celebs, who are truly all over the place, in magazines, in tabloids, all over the internet. I just don’t feel like what he’s done is ‘over-exposure’, just genuine hard-working promo. I will agree there are some fans with boundary issues, but the level of paranoia/ego I believe he’s displaying is a bit over the top for how ‘famous’ he really is.
I think that “over-exposed” might be an allusion to the two recent UK newspaper columns calling him just that. He might be doing a self-deprecating, “Hey, it’s me, you know, that ‘over-exposed’ guy” kind of thing.
@Lu, ^^^ THIS! The man does know what’s being said about him.
I think he does feel overexposed, he’s accused of being everywhere. Did you read the backlash after the rumors for Dr. Strange gained traction? Hell, I’m a fan, I cut him a lot of slack and I *do* think he is overexposed.
LOL!!
Wow, joy, way to throw your ‘women’ fans under the bus…
imo people overracted, you cant tell from the tweet if he said that or the reporter snuck in his own opinion, no quote marks
True. Like ‘OhHey’ I’m attempting to be empathetic. I mean, just days ago I believed he was genuinely happy and just tired/overworked.
*eyes the conspiracy train*
Everytime I see sodious, all I think of is that Phil Collins song, “sussudio.” I really love that song, btw.
Well, if benedict is trying to make himself look like a douchenozzle, he is doing a great job. And if this engagement is real, I actually feel sorry for sophie who would have to put up with that day in and out.
TRUE THAT
Seriously everytime I read sodious, i get that Phil Collins song “sussudio” stuck in my head. Not that it’s a bad thing, I like the song.
I think at this point Benedict should take a moment to remind himself that it’s just a freakin’ movie. He should go have a beer with Keira in the hotel, call his mum and Sophie (if that would help), and get some rest. And, for pete’s sake, take a break from thinking about himself. Maybe he should consider taking another “gap year” in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. I know I could use one; I’m worn out just reading about all this crap.
New theory: The comment in the tumblr q&a about “you tumblristas know I don’t do favorites” is interesting. Was it a reference to that “only one favorite” comment? Was he saying he knows tumblr is on to the game he’s playing? As if “I know you all know what’s really going on, but let’s keep it just between us. I’m trying to win an Oscar, here people!” Nutty idea I know, but that’s honestly what I thought when I read it.
you know, I was just going to call this out as being a bit nutty, but considering how much his fans seem to be getting to him i’m wondering if you’re actually not so off-base. That could be his way of saying, “Since I know you dissect every little thing I say about my private life, I’m going to make a circular reference to let you know I know how much you obsess over me.”
It’s a really horrible, almost malicious way to be talking to the people who adore him however obsessively some may be.
I said elsewhere I was wondering if he proposed as a way to lash out against the rumors that were started by senyorita a few weeks prior that he went to Edinburgh to propose, and that his friend Helen blamed on tumblr (I don’t think anyone other than senyorita and maybe one other nutter really thought that is why he went).
My wider theory is that his proposing is just a part of his larger breakdown and cracking under the pressure of him, and this would support that.
We’ve spoken of how he was happy at LFF and something must have happened between the proposal and then: maybe it was the Edinburgh article in the DM (thanks to senyorita) that did it.
The only other thing I can think of is he was referring to the favourite ‘heart’ function on tumblr.
It’s not like he’s the first celeb to have this kind of attention on him. I think the man needs to get some professional help because getting his head done in by a few lunatics – and it really is just a few with huge impact because of how persistent they are – isn’t how you’re supposed to be dealing with pressures of fame.
I really do wonder if the more extreme posters on EB and senyorita got to him. If so, EB needs to start moderating posts to weed out the ‘OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ……………’.
Of all the theories, this seems the most plausible I’ve thought of really.
Well, all I really meant was that the tumblr crowd watches him really closely. Let’s say the engagement is fake, who would pick up on that first? His hardcore fans. Let’s also say that he knows this and he’s saying “I know you’ve all figured it out, but just go with it for now. Keep it a secret for me. After I win, things will be back to normal.”
I think it is beyond the Oscar. I think something is really wrong.
I think it’s obvious at this point he is really pissed off at the attention given to his personal life.
@claire
Then why tell the world you’re engaged, then? He can’t make public statements then complain he has no privacy. He invited it in.
i think he’s reacting irrationally. we’re all saying something is wrong with him and i think this is it.
That would be utterly ridiculous, though if that’s what he’s doing. If he is suddenly so obsessed with being angry about his personal life then telling the world you’re engaged is surely the reverse of what you should do?
it sounds ridiculous because people do strange things when they’re not thinking rationally. he is not right in the head at the moment and he needs sympathy, not ridicule.
I’m not ridiculing him? I’m saying it would be a ridiculous thing to do. There’s a difference. ‘Not right in the head’ may be putting it strongly, who knows what’s niggling him.
Sticking with the surprise pregnancy theory and having to do the right thing for appearances. He wasn’t ready to marry or marry HER, and now he’s between a rock and a hard place and everyone keeps asking him about it – because he’s announced it in the paper as gentlemen do. What ever’s up his arse is deeply personal, IMO. Haven’t seen last night’s interview except for a few seconds, he looked better though. Up late last night, up early for AM tv, he must be totally exhausted. Why he’s not sick yet is a miracle.
I do think it was a direct reference to his comment last week, first thing I thought of too. It’s not that far out there on it’s own, it’s really quite logical. I saw that fans (loons) even tweeted his friend Adam about his earlier comments. I mean, it’s not that far-fetched to think he might have heard about it trough for example Adam. Quite convinced the man hears/sees more than he lets on. But sometimes he does let on.
@Claire, I’m not sure if it was meant to be malicious though, he could have been joking as well, it’s a bit harder to tell these days and it’s still early here, so I may be dead wrong. But he could also have meant it as ‘Hey you guys, I don’t do favourites, I do still like you too, not just the woman I love, the woman I proposed too’ (hehe). *Shrugs*
@claire – I wonder if he called in his engagement announcement to the Times while in the same state he appears to be in today? Looking zombie-like and disconnected. To call it in the next day seemed almost desperate. Maybe the guy is just losing it and cracking under the pressure. Maybe this is why his family and friends are silent.
Since we think he has been acting strangley for months I assume the dating, proposal and annoucement would all fall under the same frenetic activity. You know, this may explain the weird behavior at LFF (red carpet) and at the restaurant where he left her in the car and kept walking. Or why he would agree to marry someone he has dated for less than five months.
@moodgirl, your first paragraph is exactly what i was thinking. it makes sense and it’s not conspiratorial. it makes more sense than a totally fake engagement, and it it makes more sense than “settling”. there is something wrong with him and he’s making strange, rash decisions he otherwise wouldn’t.
though he wasn’t weird on the LFF carpet was he? I do think his odd private/semi private behavior and his attitude he’s been exhibiting in public are connected definitely. i don’t think he is ‘turning it on’ when he’s become cross and upset in public.
He has made some pretty mean comments about a variety of people over the last two months. Most people did not seem to mind so much until he announced his engagement. If he is reading this website or a Tumblr site, he is screwed. That would mess with anyone’s mind. I doubt he does that.
I do remember seeing him roll his eyes when he was in Poland. He just looked like he was going to crack under the pressure of the female attention he was getting. I wonder, why does he keep driving himself to do all this work if it is making him sick? It will only make him worse.
I feel like I am watching a car wreck and I can’t look away. I want to, but curiosity drives me back to look. I don’t really think he is an a-hole. I think is playing a good one though. He is just overwrought and needs a break. Only he can decide to take a break. He is in charge. I hope he takes care of himself.
Wasn’t Sophie in Poland with him along with Sunny March?
I never saw that. Some people thought they saw her, but it wasn’t her.
No, that was proven as fan rumor. She was in another country entirely. People did try to say KB was there, too, but also, same situation. Not even in the country.
I just got home from the 92Y screening and Q&A. Now I am on board with the PR thing and all him being miserable. I think there is something wrong and I have had a bad vibe about SH since I saw her at the FO.
So I went WTF?! when he did the Q&A. It was the Benedict we love. Animated, happy, nervous, giving five minute answers, and when the moderator mentioned that there were fans there…..he looked at the audience and smiled.
Hell he told us he watched part of the movie with us. I thought I saw movement down front.
So he was happy and animated…so why are you onboard with the PR theory and him being miserable?
yeah the livestream from the Y was lousy but he seemed much more lively from what I saw, even though he mentioned being tired. We was certainly waffllng. So WTF has been going on??? It seems that any time he is allowed to talk about Turing (as opposed to being “over the moon” about his enGAGment) he lights up like a Christmas tree. Doesn’t that seems a bit….backwards?
I haven’t seen the 92Y yet so I cannot comment on that ( although I thought the event was sold out but the pictures show that half of the seats are empty, what’s up with that?)
And gg, I agree, this is so backwards, the whole thing.
To recap:
Things which make him smile:
-TIG
-Keira
-His parents
Things which make him pissy:
-The enGAGment
-Fiancee
-Everything silly / light
-Maybe his fans
-Everything else
God forbid someone asks him about Sherlock right now…
Also wondering about the onboard part…
So from the answer ” I have an English accent, I’m very good at hand-to-hand combat in close quarters, I have an occasional intolerance for cuteness – please don’t ramp that up this afternoon. It’s been a long week” we basically learn that he thinks the accent alone makes him sexy, he’s good in bed and please if the geeky virgins would be so kind as to NOT piss him off this afternoon because he’s tired….?
He is talking about his character in the movie, the wolf called Classified who is head of a spy agency to protect animals, a bumbling James Bond type character. As the wolf he doesn’t always tolerate the cute penguins or animals and it has been a long week so don’t get too cute.
Uh…no. That’s a joke right? I don’t get how some people think.
wut? The question was about what he has in common with his characters…or something like that.
But I agree with the not piss him off thing
2 cents: despite saying he doesnt go online he’s aware of the more zealous fans reporting on he and Sophies movements after james rhodes wedding and edinburgh which then got picked up by papers. However hes not seeing how he is at least partly responsible for that due to the whole weirdness and carry on of them. Catching them together became like a willy wonka golden ticket.
Its not the majority though so he needs to get over himself
Oh look… For once he doesn’t look like he wants to murder somebody in the interview
http://www.accesshollywood.com/benedict-cumberbatch-on-imitation-games-fans-and-engagement_video_2476237
Well, look at that. Non-pissy, sweet interview from Hollywood Awards. He is sweet and gracious and smiles. Oh, except for the engagement part *of course* because who would smile when talking about the happiest time of their lives? Crazy…
Access Hollywood:
http://www.accesshollywood.com/benedict-cumberbatch-on-imitation-games-fans-and-engagement_video_2476237
(I stand by my theory. The engagement is behind is pissy behavior. Real or fake)
I showed my sister the video and she was like ‘Did he just tense when she asked about the engagement?’ and ‘I expected him to talk about his engagement the way he talks about Turing and the movie’. She is finding it all very odd (and this from a non-BC fan/follower).
#JAWSEYES
He doesn’t answer the question about the engagement announcement and did he think it would get as much publicity, just the stock line of “its what I would have done if I wasn’t famous”
But you are dear, and you did it days before starting your press tour so stop tensing up when you’re asked about it on a red carpet. Smile ffs, anything else just looks weird.
Lindy – When the reporter asks him about the amount of enGAGment publicity, you can almost see him thinking “Yes, that was the whole point. But I cannot actually say that. How am I going to get myself out of this one?”
He actually needed time to think to come up with an appropriate answer to that.
Ingrid: I agree with you. I think the engagement is what is causing the problem. I’ve thought this for awhile but was hesitant to say that. Whatever his problem is, it’s centered around that. (At least that’s my theory for today!) I think he rushed into this thing, probably for PR or maybe, just maybe, SH herself is adding to the problem. Who knows? He appears to always get pissy and defensive when the subject of his engagement is brought up and then he proceeds to take out his displeasure on the fans.
Whatever it is, it is weird behavior that really makes no sense whatsoever. Because again, if he wanted privacy, he should’ve kept his mouth shut and he and SH shouldn’t have played those stupid games.
The thing is…if he had acted like a normal human being from the start or if he had stuck to a decision, no one would bat an eye.
I just want to see him happy again and without the stick up his (nice) ass…I don’t care about SH…
edsheerlocked asked:
What’s your favorite comfort food?
dreamworksanimation answered:
Delicious donations to charities that I care about
Really?
did he say that? LMAO
I think he has missed the point that the Q&A is aimed at his very younger fans for the Penguins film. I understand getting snarky, but I think he needs to be briefed that the questions are meant to be fun and he could come out with ‘pudding’ and been funny ‘cough’
that´s a nice interview. He seems to be o.k. again, let´s wait and see what comes next. Maybe he is just a moody and unbalanced guy who became a bit too much self-absorbed. Whatever, my interest in him is fading rapidly.
WOW!
have u all seen that of POM?
well now he begins to change from “I…” to “we” ? oh the timing, although still no names, but maybe we could expect it the next time? and hes been using more or less the same words every time the enGAGment is brought up, sounds like reciting some homework
Yes, talk about robotic. I think even Siri would do better job with the delivery
“to announce my marriage to the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. So, I’m a lucky man”
Dear god, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. As it seems, Ben did as well.
“”If I was living a life in obscurity I would have been equally happy to announce my marriage to the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. So, you know, I’m a lucky man. And it was a way of controlling it, and saying ‘this is happening’ and just letting the world know but in a quiet and sort of sober and traditional manner.”
Yeah, there’s nothing like it. It’s a crazy old love bomb to drop, and the amount of love that comes back to you, that was the thing that I, yeah that we’re both just sort of bowled over by. It’s wonderful.””
Letting the WORLD know in a quiet manner? Really?
I like how he goes from “I” to “we’re.”
@Ingrid i…i know this probably kinda mean, but when i read that incredible sentence, the scene in “in the meadow” just sort of popped in to my mind, and i really felt like throwing up…….
@Linz yes, I like that part too, guess hes still getting used to new lines?
I thought the announcement was for family that he couldn’t reach? Now it was to let the world know.
You can literally see the script changing. This whole thing is fascinating, I must say.
This is getting so wild. Maybe they will get married and I will just be like “Okay, you freak of nature. Love your work but okay….”
Maybe by January he will be able to say “Sophie.”
and smile, genuinely smile, while he’s talking about it.
No, we don’t get to hear him say “Sophie” till he gets an Oscar nom. He’s holding out on HW till the nom comes in.
Lindy, well…we know he needs a lot of takes to be pitch perfect:)
i m hopeful about the name.but doubtful about the smile 😀
@sighs in the past 2 weeks I hv been through “I still don’t get it, there’s no chemistry, but did see it coming ( more a BF, not a GAG though)” to ” WTFs going on” to ” what a show!” now. kinda expecting the next move? LOL and it just strikes me how the scenario fits the name! the Imitation Game!
GF not BF sorry, LOL
Now she’s been still not mentioned by name but called the most incredible woman he’s ever met. REALLLLLY?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5DfURvVP1E&app=desktop
He’s about to appear on GOOD MORNING AMERICA in right now.
Well, on GMA the engagement was brought up first. She congratulated him but he sort of …the word used above was robotic. He never lit up even when she made a joke about cumberbabies. It’s like he has no personality which is so different from the BC we all are familiar with. He next goes to Kelly and Michael at 9:00. We’ll see if he is a little happier.
I’m so embarrassed by so called journalists in this country – went RIGHT for the engagement question first – WHY? Why not just spend the time promoting work rather than gossiping about his private life? I’d be pissed too.
That jacket needs to go…that’s the only thing I can think about.
He may need that tight jacket before this is over.
That outfit reminds me of Elle Woods on her first day at Harvard with the smoking jacket.
@ohhey
They’re not gossiping about his private life. He announced the engagement two days before this press tour. If he was so concerned about just talking about the film and shielding his personal life, he’d have kept his mouth shut about it. He has no right to be pissed whatsoever.
Oh, poor BC… it’s not gonna be any better on Kelly and Michael.
He could have handled this engagement by either waiting to announce – obviously OR, if he felt the need to LET THE WORLD KNOW he could simply do a Kerry Washington and say he’s happy but doesn’t want to discuss it. Which would make not a bit of sense. He’s on Kelly and Michael now. They opened with the engagement of course. Since he’s an actor he announced it the paper which is the third explanation. So….
After much thought I feel that he announced his engagement for PR purposes. Sorry, I know most you do not agree but this doesn’t add up. If he wanted to be private be private, however, I see this as a calculated effort on his part to get publicity and for no other reason. Period. The timing is perfect for only one thing – marketing.
You can’t advertise your engagement and then be shitty and secretive when people ask about it. Then the upsell of SH is no coincidence. Concerted effort on BC’s part, probably not HW. SH isn’t around because it’s better for her to stay out of the picture for now becausw it raises the anticipation. I watched this morning and I NEVER watch early morning television. If he gets a nomination she will show up. PURE PR. No other explanation makes sense. Sorry.
He handled it well, better than before, but jesushchrist, we shall have to call her Sodious Who Shall Not Be Named. Why the hell can he not bring himself to say her name? At least he was nearly normal, not pissy, someone must have told him ‘questions are coming, pull your socks up and be pleasant’. Honestly..
welcome to the dark side, moodgirl, we have cookies ::::hands cookies:::::
Why poor BC? If he’d kept his mouth shut instead of announcing it to the world, nobody would be asking about her at all. She’d still be a obscure person who wrestles dead octupi.
all the OTT is so scripted. The most incredible woman i ve ever met..
TMIWIHEM it is now. WILWIPT is old. we ll come up with a new acronym every week. LOL this is funnier thn d ellenshow 😀
753 (754) comments? Oh you crazy Cumhards are the best thing to hit the internet since Al Gore. 😀
I think CB in parts love us for the traffic, in part would gladly annhilate us, with pain;)