Lots of Benedict Cumberbatch news today. Well, I’m using the word “news” loosely. First, let’s talk about the Cumber Collective and how we really need to get our bums in gear. Time Magazine is doing fan-polling for their annual “Most Influential” list. As of yesterday, Justin Bieber was the #1 most influential entertainer. NOOO. Benedict’s fandom has made an impact, of course, because he’s at #6 (just under Beyonce!). I’m fine with Beyonce on the list, and I’m okay with Rihanna too. But we must subvert the Bieber and the Gaga. Vote early and vote often – go here to vote. You have until April 22. Make it count, people.
As for yesterday’s mega-story about Benedict’s “secret” girlfriend, well thank you for responding with such ferocity to my naked click-bait attempt. Showbiz Spy did a follow-up and I’m pretty sure we’re being trolled:
BRITISH movie Benedict Cumberbatch was this week said to be “furious” that details of his secret girlfriend leaked online. Earlier this week, Showbiz Spy reported that the Sherlock star has been romancing a mystery woman for the past few months, and is desperate to keep it under wraps.
“Benedict has a girlfriend,” said one insider. “He’s keeping it very hush-hush. But it’s safe to say he’s smitten! He’s been seeing the lady in question for the past few months. She isn’t in the public eye, and has quite a serious career, so is keen to remain anonymous for as long as possible.”
When Cumberbatch saw news had leaked online, and that his friends were speaking to the press about his private life – he wasn’t happy.
“Ben knows people are interested in his personal life,” a source said. “And he’s happy to discuss certain aspects of it with the media. But he was furious when he found out that someone from his inner circle had been gossiping to the press. He thinks he knows who it was, and is trying to plug the leaks!”
Please. No half-decent leaker or gossiper would leak the details about Benedict’s “secret girlfriend” without, I don’t know, NAMING THE SECRET GIRLFRIEND. It’s all speculation, of course, and I don’t even believe that someone close to Benedict would go to an outlet like Showbiz Spy (no disrespect, Showbiz Spy). If one of Benedict’s posh friends wanted to gossip about his love life, they would go to The Telegraph or The Guardian. Don’t be gauche!
There’s also a rumor going around that Benedict has been approached about playing Ian Fleming in a possible bio-pic about the writer who created James Bond. This bio-pic has been in the works for years, and wasn’t there JUST a recent miniseries with Dominic Cooper as Fleming? I watched a little bit on BBC America, that’s why I’m asking. Benedict would be very interesting as Fleming, as Fleming actually had a fascinating life and there’s a lot of “stuff” there to work with. My fear? That Benedict is going to get stuck in a rut of only doing bio-pics. He’s played Assange, Alan Turing, he’s scheduled to play Percy Fawcett. It’s too much.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I think this is hijinks and tomfoolery. I cry Shennanigans.
A lot of tomfoolery… The fact that not even the Daily Fail published anything about this story speaks volumes to me…..
They want more clickys. I’m sure they got into the tens yesterday :p
There is huge controversy in the Social Justice Warrior (aka snowflakes in disguise. I’m all for social justice but these people are spreading much more hate than love) area because at one point, BC had more votes than Laverne Cox. They took the opportunity to bring forth that cut up Chelsea Manning article that the magazine eventually apologized for. It pisses me off that people don’t do research. LC will make it on the list and she is much higher now. They both will and LC will be higher because she is groundbreaking right now.
Yeah, Felice, they rarely research tbh. But they’re smaller in number than you’d think. BC has since moved up a spot or two and Katy Perry is now 1. Laverne is 2 but an Indian politician is catching up to her. ‘No’ votes don’t count at all, but again, they don’t read.
The Time poll is just for fun and press attention. The staff editors still decide all the names on the list. The actual problem I have with it is that the poll results are all combined; they don’t separate by category. In that case, the winner of most influential should NOT be Cox or Cumberbatch but one of the other people listed who are actually shaping global politics, such as Putin, Arvind Kejriwal or Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
thanks for the explanation -I could not understand why most of the people on it were suppose to be influential. In the end I hit the yes button for Meryl Streep because I do think she has some influence in the film world, her track record for choosing films of merit is pretty good and she has won many many awards. The second was the Russian punk band because they went to prison highlighting some of the restrictions of freedom the Russians live under. I think Alan Cummings was on the list as well so if he was I would have checked him as well. I have great admiration for not only his innovative work but because he has always been openly gay and outspoken in the area of gay rights.
You’re welcome, icerose! I forgot about the Pussy Riot band members. Arvind Kejriwal is now 1, which is a sign people have some sense at least. He’s been jailed, threatened and had pay withheld for months for his involvement in anti-corruption groups in India.
He is a brilliant actor, and Fleming would be a great fit, but I agree-too many bio-pics. I’d love to see another side of him (oh, yesssssss). Maybe in a comedy, as I know he is very funny. Most Americans only know him as A Serious Bristish Actor, love to see him in something funny.
It seems like he’s jonesing hard for an action role. There was Blood Mountain, which is sadly no more, that was to be some serious action type stuff, and this Lost City of Z which will likely include some action sequences… I wonder if his agent has been told to troll for some highly physical roles
Kri: Watch Starter for 10 then. It’s hilarious. You get young James McAvoy and young Batch. Both are hysterical.
Never thought I’d say this, but I’m getting kind of Cumberbatched-out! Too much speculation and rumor masquerading as news.
He’s not really thread worthy. Meaning he doesn’t do anything. He’s nice enough with no scandals. If a select few didn’t find him at all attractive there would be no BC thread here at all.
I only clicked this because BC and “Furious” seemed too far fetched. My immediate though was he slurped his tea a little louder than normal and slammed the tea cup on the saucer to show annoyance, but no real confrontation.
The thought of this has me in stitches!
lol… slurped his tea… humm… I think in private he’s probably more “steamy” than that… I mean, who on earth is always, always calm?? Ok, I know he’s brit and Brits don’t like fuss…. (doesn’t suit their poshness…don’t intend to offend the brits)…. but I’m sure he looses his temper from time to time….
LOL, that was great, FLORC! I really like the guy but it seems like we have just been inundated with non-news about him lately. I’m just feeling a bit overloaded. And “secret girlfriend” stuff always annoys me because it’s just so much random speculation.
@Nighty, he does. I’ve read snarky and bitchy interviews he gave in the past. So much fun.
@jammypants , I love snarky and bitchy… where do I find those interviews from the past???? Just for a few laughs…. 🙂
haha maybe not snarky and bitchy here, but it’s a gentle way of telling the crazies to mellow a bit http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s129/sherlock/news/a536255/benedict-cumberbatch-on-sherlock-fans-they-dont-prepare-you-for-that.html#~oBPm8xIFPyUh1q
I need to find the actual snarky ones but I’m so lazy today! my apologies :p
FLORC that was brilliant 😀
As much as I like him, I just may join you in a Cumberbreak. I’m worried we may be getting close to “BC Walking Down the Street” stories.
i’ve said this many times, but it’s really only celebitchy that reports all these non-stories about cumby. other gossip blogs barely mention him. i love him so i’ll take any story, but if you want a break from him there are other places on the internet. or you don’t have to click on the stories.
I think we’re all aware of that, blended.
Yikes – I always thought if I was uninvited from clicking on a post, it would be for saying something much more offensive. And since I’m suddenly feeling onery, I’m going to disagree with you.
Celebitchy has usually been, at least as far as BC is concerned, one of the places that posts stories with some substance – a quote, a project announcement, a photo spread, etc. That’s why I come here, less fluff. (Well, the threads can be really amazing/informative/funny too!) There are many other blogs that post “Famous person walking down the street” stuff , purely pap photo “stories.” I don’t go to those places, because that just doesn’t interest me. The point I was trying to make above is that I’m not interested in super gossipy rumors & wild speculation stories. If you are, great! Enjoy! But, I’m going to continue to click/comment/profess my Cumberlove/analyze/bitch/not click/not comment/take a break in whatever manner I feel like at the moment.
I don’t mind click bait or nonsense gossip. It’s all grist to the mill of silly conversations about silly men who we’d probably despise if we ever actually met them!
Here is my snarky point of the day. All these British actors (I’m mostly looking at the Horny Helmet here, but they’re interchangeable, right?) moan on and on about being posh and typecast by that dreadful BBC into period/posh roles so that’s why they’ve had to escape to the wonders of Hollywood… where they proceed to get cast in period/posh roles. Why don’t they just say WE WANT TO BE FILM STARS!
What’s your opinion of Victorian!JorneyHelmet? I think he’s loving the paycheck but hating that costume. But then loving that paycheck again…..
You know why – because they’re artists and deep and shit! They’re totally above that peasant money thing!
@ Miss J – I would kick him out of bed any time he has dark hair (including as Loki)!
I looked at some of those pictures that were posted yesterday and was just too full of snark for all that “I’m proud of my work with the BBC but it’s time for a change”. Yeah, right. Crimson Peak looks like your usual Sunday night BBC TV period drama. So, no change there, then, Hiddles. But y’know. It might be cool. Woman in White did ok on the big screen for the little Radcliffe, right?
@ Kelly – yes, indeedy.
ETA – I’m sure the Woman in Black slip was Freudian somehow. So I’m leaving it in.
I’m pretty sure it has more to do with working with Del Toro.
It’s a horror film, a far cry from BBC period drama it is supposedly getting an 18 rating.
Heck I wouldn’t turn down a period drama if I get to work with Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Del Toro. Just sayin. Part of me feels like he also took this on because it’s an opportunity to do something different. It’s rated R, it’s gory and graphic, it’s violent, it’s sexy. I don’t think he’s done something like this. It so happens that it is a period drama. Del Toro’s done many different genres and different time periods. Guess Hiddles happened to land on a period piece and this may be his only chance to work with Del Toro (who knows this might give him more opportunities to work with him). Charlie Hunnam played a very modern character in Pacific Rim and now he’s in Victorian garb.
I think it’s ok to be a theatre actor, a television actor AND and movie star. Nothing wrong with wanting to be all of those. The problem is that both Cumberbatch and Hiddleston are still climbing that career ladder and not yet on solid ground.
@jimmypants, i agree.
I am not sure any Brit actor ever get’s on solid acting ground in films. I think of Hugh Grant, he was the big thing after Four Weddings and he’s had a string of films, and disappeared after Bridget Jones. Colin Firth, who I think of has Benedict’s predecessor worked really hard, even appeared in films, but it wasn’t till Pride and Prejudice did Hollywood take notice, then he a did a strong of bad movies and it wasn’t till Bridget Jones that people became interested again. Then people began to note his acting skills for Single Man and King’s Speech, but Brit actors really struggle for consistency. Ewan McGregor for me is the only one, who keeps churning out one good film a year without fail with a quality consistency and difference. [we will ignore star wars]
[yes, we ignore everything Star Wars ep.1-3]
Tom seems to be very influenced by directors and Del Toro has made some great off the wall supernatural thrillers so unlikely to b complaining about the costume. I am really intrigued to see how it turns out as I prefer this type of film to things like Pacific Rim,
I do think for all the complaints re typecasting both BC and TW tend to get cast in period stuff or as villains both here and abroad with a few exceptions but ultimately they need to keep themselves out there so take the best of what is being offered
I don’t get Cumberbatch at all but to be fair, i don’t think he looks for posh roles. Hollywood always typecasts actors and he is proven himself to be great in posh roles. Most directors wouldn’t risk it by casting him as a… fighter or something. I hope he gets to do something different than smart, posh guy. I think he is a good actor.
Silly is a good word for it. For all of it. Ugh.
Some of that moaning is done because if they are perceived to be ‘actively’ courting Hollywood, the press back home (and some so called fans) would eviscerate them. So its a tight line they have to walk. Wanting to work in good Hollywood films, while saying all the right things so there’s no backlash.
As for the story above, its all click-bait. Benedict is photographed too much to keep anything secret for long. Notice how the people who printed the story has come back with how he’s annoyed. Meanwhile, Benedict is probably oblivious to the entire thing.
As has been mentioned on the other BC thread… pure b.s. In reality, if this was a leak or something serious, his PR would be all over this ish. In the past, Karon hasn’t hesitated to issue a statement, even if it’s just “We have no comment.” It’s likely baiting for a comment, really… get fans riled up and harassing his PR or him at cons and out in public, they issue a statement and the site gets a story with *gasp* actual real life quotes and not bits of a rehashed Time article and fanfic.
Exactly.
But the suggestion of popcorn sounds equally good.
Popcorn makes any event an occasion.
TRUE!
Especially since I’ve gone to popping it on the stove with *real* butter.
Bye y’all! I’m gonna make some some popcorn.
😀
Don’t forget Hawking. It is a great movie.
I’m popping some popcorn! Let it roll all you tarty cumberbitches out there!
Miss J … popcorns… what a lovely idea… May I join you? I’ll bring some drink of your choice… cocktails? Tea? Lemonade??
AND STILL NO VICTORIAN SEXY POE HIDDLES POST, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
p.s. damn he looks good in that second pic! and what’s wrong with playing important influential people??
We don’t have those Hiddleston photos, they’re exclusives. I’m including them in today’s links though.
Ah, I see. Thank you!!!!!!!!
Exclusive to who? Just Jared? [confused]
Right, exclusive to whom? (Who the hell is Torrilla?)
Ah so I’m guessing that’s why there was no post about those Toronto pics last week.
Good question!
Who’s torrilla? I thought it was only a silly tumblr account!
I once read that torrilla is a female teacher from somewhere in Asia that just happens to be a Hiddles fan. But really, she has all the best news and photos first… I don’t know. Smells a bit like a PR connection. Or maybe it’s Hiddles’ own tumblr acccount lol.
Torilla is really Luke’s secret alter ego.
Tortilla is not a fan. It always has the best photos of Hiddles, and always has them first. Whoever is running this is full time PR. This “exclusive” bit is the tip off. If it was fan made, those photos would’ve been gleaned from elsewhere and not exclusive. Why wouldn’t Luke use Tumblr to his cluent’s advantage? It clearly works.
I personally don’t think torrilla the blog is anything but an obsessive fan’s blog, but I could be wrong as they do have the best and the latest on Hiddles. But whatever they post always comes from somewhere else – they just find it fast and in best quality. But it’s never something exclusive to the blog, it always originates somewhere else. As with these set shots, they didn’t originally appear on torrila.
But hey, if it is Luke or Tom, we finally know who his biggest crush is – Fernando Torres! Lol. Hey great taste.
But the copyright of those photos doesn’t belong to a blog – the beauty of tumblr is that anyone can post anything and no one can do shit about it. I can take the photos from Just Jared and post them on my blog and no copyright suit will follow because hey, it’s an anonymous fan blog. Celebitchy can’t do that unfortunately.
I like the idea of Luke kissing his Torres poster on the wall good night every night, lol.
No need for conspiracy theories here, Torrilla is a Chinese Hiddles fan who is just really “dedicated”. Aside from Tumblr, she also has a weibo account (China’s version of Twitter), which shows a lot more personality and normal ramblings. Her photos aren’t exclusive, she’s just really fast.
Ashdown is right, I guess it might seem strange if you have never dealt with Chinese fans, but they are really like this, for everything. Bless them.
And instead of making up conspiracy theories, be grateful, because she could just limit herself to post things to a Chinese board and good luck register in one of those (they are generally by invitation only) and you’d lose a good source of material and infos.
I’m getting tired of biopics in general. It’s the biggest way for an actor to showcase his ego in full glory vying for accolades, validation, and awards. It’s not always a bad thing, but when your resume shows you as every influential figure in the last century, one begs the question of how much must you do to finally get that ego under control? I feel that way about Leo. I’ve only come to appreciate Leo a tiny bit again because he’s taken on different roles like Gatsby and Calvin Candie….and then he decided to work with Scorcese and do an Oscar-bait biopic again -_-
Edit: ok not sure why my post showed up under this thread. It’s meant to address the biopic discussion of this post.
“but when your resume shows you as every influential figure in the last century, one begs the question of how much must you do to finally get that ego under control?”
hahahahahhaahaha, oh burn, you got a point there
still, I like biopics personally so maybe that’s why I’m not bothered so much
I’m right with you on biopics, @jammypants. I think Wolf of Wall Street was the first biopic that I actually enjoyed in years. I am also looking forward to Wishaw’s Freddie biopic because I love both Freddie AND Wishaw. However, a WWII-centred biopic? Rather no than yes from me – both because it’s a biopic and because it’s about WWII which imo is a period that has been examined extremely thoroughly in various works and is not particularly interesting to me anymore =(
This is my subjective perception of course, and it is not in any way meant to detract from the horrors of that war and from the experiences of its survivors.
@Intro: I agree with everything you said!
There are new photos of Victorian-Poe Hiddles!!
Ok, I normally think one shouldn’t cross certain lines… but this is just too good to pass up lol: http://24.media.tumblr.com/d91edafe4bd5a3b845e9094d35c83fef/tumblr_n43g3hnA4J1ttragko1_1280.jpg
*whistling innocently*
(And nope, I really don’t care if this CDAN site is reliable or if it’s just made up. It’s funny. And totally inappropriate. Sorry Hiddles!!)
Lol!!! Well, that’s about as far from a “blind item” as it gets!!! Anyone with eyes and an internet connection knows this about Tom! (And I think I actually remember seeing a pic of him getting out of a car with his pants unzipped at some fancy do. A little action in the car on the way over to take the edge off? Of course the other person in the car was Luke, so….😉)
We already know that, you’re late with that news CDAN.
(sorry, any decent uber-obsessive dragonfly knows that)
However it’s always nice to hear such stuff >:)
Of course Hiddles has Mjölnir in his pants, but CDAN is obviously referring to the Olivier Awards. I think it’s even funnier that he went commando (and supposedly for everyone to see) at such an event for serious theatre people.
Well if the blind is true, he always goes commando at black tie events, hahahahahha!
Man, he is bizarre 😀
Wonder what’s his issue with underwear?? Does he always want to be ready to move forward into action? How many women exactly try to snag him at every fancy posh event?? Or is he just really proud of his mjolnir down there?
Really, men are predictable, aren’t they…
Well, the way he usually sits would suggest the last explanation lol.
I know some of the best photos around and none have pooped up here. Some sites are running the photos of both him and Charlie H side by side in their Victorian costumes. Cannot get over how much Charlie has changed from the sweet young thing in Queer as Folk.
I’m still free of his charms despite everyone on here talking about the inevitability. He’s a lovely man and a great actor but I just don’t see the madness.
You know if someone gave me money for every “I still don’t see the appeal of whatshisface” that appears on every single Cumby post, I’d have the money for a permanent vacation trip round the world by now.
That makes two of us… oh please… a trip around the world would be lovely!!! 😀
Make that three!! 🙂
Oh Cumby, my fake BF, I grow weary of you and your fake GF news.;-).
I’d love to see BC in a different type of role, a comedy perhaps, as mentioned above.
Check out Broken News, he’s hilarious in that. Also, Cabin Pressure.
Yeah, broken news… oh the tomato flu…. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaZoGv7zOTU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz1PSrNNn70
They recorded the last Cabin Pressure EVER a few months ago. Probably going to be a Christmas special. Down to letter Z. Wonder where they’ll be going. Still there are 25 previous ones to adore and Radio 4 is repeating the last series at the mo.
As for the “gf”, I call it twaddle.
I love that checked suit. Is there an ID on it?? Genuinely curious, I think my husband would love it.
He’s too old for all this Teen Beat “Who is he dating?” What’s Ben’s favorite color?” “Are you and Ben a match? Take this quiz to see how much you have in common!” nonsense. Get a girlfriend, Cumberbatch. Then we can have the Millennial Meltdown on Tumblr and life will be less annoying, in general. I feel sorry for the guy being treated like a Disney Channel Teenage Hunkadoo. I don’t think he really likes it either, ultimately, even though he’s been a good sport through it all.
@eleanorrigby. Thank you for this! My co-worker wanted know why I suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. The part about Tumblr is priceless.
You’re welcome, @Gia 😉
Unfortunately, a lot of his fans are in the Teen Beat demographic so he (rather strangely, I agree) gets treated this way. It will die down eventually without him having to do anything. Must be such an odd sensation for him.
@raven, regarding your statement that a lot of his fans are teens.
that’s not true – internet fandom twists people’s perception of an actor’s fanbase. But, Benedict has been around on British TV for years and had a fanbase long before tumblr et al came into existence. Sherlock’s demographic is also mixed, it’s not just teenagers that watch that show.
Oh, no doubt. Even among his most devoted fans, you see people of all ages. But a lot of the most fervent fans (especially on the Internet) are young women so I’m not totally surprised there is a lot of speculation over who he dates, this and that about his private life, etc. Reminds one a bit of the Beatles thinking about him and Hiddleston trying to escape a crowd of fans outside the Donmar Theatre.
@raven When I heard he and Hiddleston had to run down the street from the Donmar to escape the screaming girls I totally thought of Help! Wonder if it happened it black and white, too?
@EleanorRigby
That all sounds very Beatles-y….
Ok, so talking about biopics and all…. What about Hiddles and Cumby doing a Beatles biopic? 😀 haha…
LOL, yes please!
@Isadora There was talk of him being attached to a Brian Epstein biopic at one point (playing Epstein, obviously) but it seems to have fallen by the wayside with no funding.
He’s like the Tiger Beat heartthrob for women around his age. I find it refreshing haha. Only obsession is scary at any age.
I feel like this we’ve seen this again and again with Brit actors…Hugh Grant, Jude Law, Gerard Butler, and the list goes on. Must be something in the water. I think Benedict’s career will stand the test of time and only get better from here, but he won’t be the Stud of the Week forever. Which is probably quite a relief for him.
It’s just a phase as with all actors. Once he grows out of his youthful looks, people can stop getting so distracted and go back to following his career as an actor and not a celebrity. He’s one of the few actors I hate to see get dragged into the world of celebrity. For others I don’t mind as much.
One is never too old for Teen Beat!!!
Really? A whole new thread was warranted?
Yeah, too many comments on the last one.
“Secret girlfriend” threads always generate a ton of comments. That one on Hiddleston a while back did the same thing.
Plus the last Cumberbatch thread (and this one) became kind of a combined thread about him and Hiddleston. The dragonflies need a platform too. At this point Kaiser could probably just write “Cumby, Hiddles, go” as headline and nothing else and people would discuss.
I don’t mind. 😀
“Cumby, Hiddles, go” daily discussions, oh yes please
Good idea @isadora…. just Cumby, Hiddles, go would suffice,…
I think Benny should just get a girlfriend, show her off, and and kiss her in public so everyone can stfu about his romantic life and break out of their stupor over him. Then everyone can go back to enjoying him as an ACTOR. I’m genuinely sick of reading about his private life. I really really like him, but this is too much.
IA @jammypants. Even though he’s been around a long time most people know him from the past couple of years and that’s great, but it skews his fandom very adolescent. I think once he does find someone some of the teenage gestalt that surrounds this almost 40 year old will die down. For what it’s worth, I think he’s super-dreamy and a total hunk and I’d totally hang posters of him all over my wall but my kids might be insulted if I took their pictures down. :p
Bless you, @eleanorrigby, for managing 8.3 seconds. I hit the stop button with lightning speed as soon as he started dancing! For some reason, I can watch gifs of said goofiness, but absolutely could not endure it together with the screaming! He’s a sport for indulging them (well, a sport or an idiot…jury’s still out.)
Well, dang…this is obviously directed at a comment below. Dastardly disorganized phone posting. .
I agree with you although I think we may be in the minority. Speculation about the private lives of celebs is what most people really enjoy, which is perfectly fine. And I suspect that even if Benny had a girlfriend and went very public with her, it would still not put a damper on gossip about his private life.
I love gossip…I’m here, right? What I find annoying is I tried to watch his Q&A from the Con in Australia and I had to stop it after 8.3 seconds because of all the hysterical screaming from the girls in the audience. Maybe I’m just old (“GET OFF MY LAWN!”) but I’m trying to watch a 37 year old guy and instead I feel like I’m watching my niece’s 1D videos.
EleanorRigby, I tried to watch it too, gave up… They can be really annoying, the teenagers, and I guess he’s also getting tired of all of it…. Were we like them when in our teens??? I sure hope not… God….
lol @EleanorRigby! I was very tempted to watch, but it’s easier to read reports of his Con appearance. Bullet points for moi!
I cringed when I watched the Jimmy Kimmel clip of him reading R Kelly, I just wanted the audience to shut up.
@Janeite, I see your point. Maybe it’s the hysteria around him that’s offputting. Like, I don’t mind speculation about other celebs, but with him, it’s grating. Maybe because most celebs are utterly useless. He has a real and proper career with real skill and talent.
I don’t know. Yes, the screaming is annoying and stupid, but they are teenager fans. I guess we did that too… at some point… or maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. I’m probably in grandma mode by now and sometimes I think it’s just nice that people are passionate about something. And with something I mean good, talented actors. It could be worse. They could be Justin Bieber fans or something. Instead they are now exposed to Cumberbatch and get their vocabulary expanded. With a bit of luck he’s not only the flavour of the month but they grow up to really appreciate his skill and talent even when he’s not fresh faced with ginger curls anymore.
When I was a young teenager I saw Sean Bean as 006 in Goldeneye and totally had the hots for him. And now? I still dig him.
Plus we must not forget that they are audience too, with money and time. They are the reason why stupid gossip rumors of secret girlfriends circulate, yes. But they are also one of the reasons why he got a role in Star Wars (because casting him and Chris Pine is clearly targeted to get a young and possibly female audience into the cinemas), why magazines put him on their cover, why film producers feel confident that he can pull a movie financially.
It is certainly not okay when crazy, obsessed fans tweet what he’s doing in his own home. And it is certainly annoying for him (and maybe for us) to have his “relationship” status all over the press. But teenage fans (even overly excited ones) as a whole aren’t the problem because I guess the sophisticated, laid-back, totally adult crowd alone isn’t going to make him a Hollywood star. We saw what a teenage fandom can do in the case of Robert Pattinson who gets now the chance to make movies with really good filmmakers whereas before Twilight he thought about quitting acting altogether because nobody would cast him.
@Isadora:
I think you’re making a very good point here. On the one hand – yes, hysteric teenage fans are extremely annoying most of all because they profane things they so vociferously adore. But on the other hand – we scorn these shallow fangirls, and jaded theatre-goers who have had access to the cream of British theatre for years scorn Hiddles or Cumby for not being *serious* theatre actors and selling themselves out in commercial films.
It’s the same kind of attitude.
P.S. Damn, but those fangirls really ARE embarrassing ;D
Oh Isadora, you did not just confuse Star Trek with Star Wars, some people would kill you for that 😛
(Also Sean Bean is effing Sean Bean, he just gets better with age. Of course you still like him, heck I’d be his fifth wife in a heartbeat!)
Yes yes, the screaming is insane, but I remember being 18 and going to a U2 concert and screaming my lungs out, together with ridiculous dancing and hysterical hugging of everyone around me because “Bono & the Edge stood right in front of me, like, right in front of, omg, OMG” cue incoherent screaming.
Yep that was me and I’m totally not ashamed of it and if I could go back in time, I’d do it all over again. I was so happy at that moment, I can’t remember the last time I was that blissfully ignorantly alive and joyous. So let them scream, you only get to be that age and that lucky to meet your obsession once.
@jimmpypants. RE ‘Enjoy him as an actor?
oh yes, I think this is all Benny wants, too, but he has flirted and stoked his fan-base this year, like Hiddles did in 2012/3. And he will pull the plug on it, too, once he’s had enough.
As soon as Sherlock finishes, his comic-con fan base will wilt away. Because there will be always be another – go -to actor. Unless, he gets other cult roles which tap into this market, he will float away like other really really good Brit actors and the fans -like me who appreciate him as an actor will enjoy him in quality indy films, he is Colin Firth’s natural successor [to me]. But that fan-fire will dull – especially if he can’t break the grown-up serious biopics. There is no other fan base in the world like that of cult-dom – but they need to be fed, constantly.
Once the crazy has settled down, and i don’t think he has the patience for it, like Hiddles. But, Benedict will say feck off to his fans soon, and I think he will get attached publicly to a girl. He won’t play games -I give him till he turns 40 and he will scream at us all enough.
I think about David Tennant, who through a similar fan-hysteria thing, not as big, but social networking wasn’t as big then, as now. But, he still waited till Dr Who stuff died down before he settled and married – and he still keeps that marriage well out of the papers, never seen pics of his kids or her.
Good post and echoes a lot of what I think as well.
David Tennant is a good example of an actor who has handled his career, his public image, and his private life very well. He still has legions of fans but he’s much more under the radar in terms of news about him other than his work.
I have to say I agree with your post completely, Penny.
David Tennant happy birthday, 43 today!! he is brilliant, he shined bright for me so long ago in Casanova. He is still really youthful.
Tennant always had his RSC work to underpin the Who hysteria and he is now appearing in some pretty interesting TV productions. Some of the Who fans have stayed with him whilst others have moved on. The same is true of Daniel Radcliffe who is making his way as an actor of merit. Tom and Benny have enough critical acclaim behind them as well to survive the end of Loki and Sherlock and like Colin Firth will go on to do some brilliant work. In the end the film star /sci fi success matters little if they are not getting the roles that inspire them which at least stage and TV work can offer them if Hollywood fails to live up to their expectations .To be honest sometimes I think being a big international star ruins careers from an artistic perspective. As for private lives of celebs it always attracts attention until it becomes mundane
@janeite. Agreed. People love to gossip about celebs private lives. If Ben goes public with a gf then people will wonder if he’s getting married or if they’ll have kids and on it would go. It’s the nature of the beast that is fame. I do think if Ben gets a GF/wife, his teenybopper fringe may dissipate somewhat.
I think part of the attraction is that he still seems attainable to people. Single (allegedly), has previously said all the right things about wanting a family and the kind of woman he looks for…it makes people think “oh gosh, I have a chance, he wants a girl like me!”
No…he doesn’t. He’ll do what they all do and fuck/date/marry/divorce someone wealthy and exceedingly beautiful and have some kids and that’ll be it. He’ll no longer look or feel attainable. And maybe the hysteria will calm down.
Eh, I do think he does want a wife/family. We learn from our parents and his seem like they have a good marriage, so it’s not surprising he wants the same thing. But they were also older when they had him, which has downsides he probably wanted to avoid. I just think he kinda gave up because he wants a career more.
I’m not interested in him physically at all but you’re probably right about some of his fans. He’s been pretty dehumanized.
I don’t know, a lot of the women his contemporaries have dated and married were “achievably” pretty, if even that. Olivia and Anna certainly fit the bill. I also don’t think he would care how wealthy his wife is, especially since he has plenty of his own money. And I do think he was sincere about wanting a family since he’s been saying it for almost a decade in interviews now. Water seeks its own level, so I am sure he will choose someone who’s a good match for him. But weepy, stalky fangirls should probably not apply.
J, I think that fantasy of his perceived availability is definitely part of what makes him attractive to some of his fan base. It’s certainly not realistic but I think it accounts for at least some of the interest in whether or not he is dating anyone.
@Katie, I agree about the dehumanization. He’s a commodity now. His fans consume him. People need to know his next move ALL the damn time. They live off every word he utters or the people he’s seen with or are friends with. It’s obsession. Sure, he has money, success, and fame but I still don’t envy his lifestyle.
“He’ll do what they all do and fuck/date/marry/divorce someone wealthy and exceedingly beautiful and have some kids and that’ll be it.”
LOL, this is probably the most realistic thing I’ve read on this site!
@Kelly don’t forget the cheat on the person also… then divorce and marry a 20 year old when he hits his 50s…
According to IMDB, the source responsible for this story was also responsible for the tale of Benedict being involved in a brawl at his hotel in LA ( http://www.showbizspy.com/article/267700/benedict-cumberbatch-involved-in-brawl.html). Whether this makes the secret girlfriend story more or less credible is up to you.
It sounds like they’re writing their own fanfic…
I found a fairly recent article about Jennifer Lawrence written by the same guy. Even though it was complimentary towards her, it had no sources and read like fanfiction. So, I did a little searching on him and found some really not nice things (like racist comments he made on his website’s old forum) and a news article quoting him as refusing to take down Kate Middleton’s holiday nudes because “it got us millions of hits so it would be stupid not to” and “if we don’t, others will, so we might as well”. So you can draw your own conclusions from this, if you still want to believe anything he writes — about Benedict or otherwise.
The price of fame….sorry Cumby….
I see him and all I can think of is that creepy pedophile guy he played in Atonement who made the Choctini. I don’t think I can ever with him.
What has got a character he played in Atonement to do with Benedict, the real person??
Wellll I doubt if he’s had a secret girlfriend for months if he’s been snogging 22 year old blondes he meets at rugby matches. He was at 6 Nations in Feb I think:
http://hey-hiddle-diddleston.tumblr.com/post/83210896924
So I still think this is utter clickbait drivel until proven otherwise. But you never know. Looks like he’s still into young blondes though.
Is this the week of making up stories about Benedict? Not saying this is a lie or that he doesn’t do things like this, but there’s an awful lot of unsourced gossip going around these days. “My mum’s boyfriend’s daughter”, good lord.
That’s harmless LOL. But I doubt he would get away with it. There was a lot of pro and sneak shots of him at that rugby match, entering, being there and leaving.
He’s lucky this is the kind of ‘bad gossip’ he gets tbqh. I know everyone’s stuck on the ‘young blond’ thing, but Anna Jones was brunette and the other two rumored flings weren’t young, over 25.
He really is. Even the Mail couldn’t dredge up anything worse than “he wants to get married and he gets nervous sometimes!”
@ Raven
“He’s cheap, but sometimes buys coffees and gifts for the Sherlock staff!”
“He wasn’t good at schoolwork!”
That whole thing was hilarious. I was like, “Well, if this is the worst they could do, I’ve picked a good one!”
Oh, dear…they’re already screaming “spurious lies” over at IMDB. Squicky age difference notwithstanding, this is the most believable piece of gossip I’ve heard. Good looking guy chats up pretty girl, leave for a drink, have a snog, get number, say goodnight. Maybe call again, maybe not. NORMAL. Why so indignant????
As much as I raise an eyebrow at unsourced gossip, I’ll admit it seems fairly harmless. I went to the IMDB after your comment and they are yelling at the poster who shared it. Do they seriously believe the media and BC’s team are reading what they write there?
Yeah I thought it was pretty normal and believable, and possibly proves this Showbizspy stuff isn’t true. What’s so scandalous and shocking about it? IMDB are hilarious: ‘I don’t know whether the kissing bit is true or bogus as it goes against his dating principle of getting to know his partner.’ !!!! I mean really.
“My mom’s boyfriend’s daughter’s snogged Benedict!”
Who’s shagging who here in this sentence?? What??
Dear Lord, people these days. All over the place.
This week has been hilarious for Benny news, how fabulous. Now all we need is some blurry pictures: “My cousin’s girlfriend’s niece snapped an upside photo of Benedict’s tongue while they were making out”
I go away for a day and a half and now Benny’s gone and snogged a 22 yr old in front of loads of people while being in the midst of this new, on the down-low relationship w/ his non-famous GF. Get on wit yo bad self, Cumby!
He took his PR agent to the Oscars and she showed up with her t*ts out and so I assume she’s shameless enough to go around planting these stories to rile up the Cumberbitch Collective and so keep her client in the news. Smart lady!
LOL! I am guilty!! I actually noticed him because of her constant “appearances” with that dress at every single interview that day!! LMAO! Thought to myself, doesn’t he realize what is going on??!! I mean, he seems articulate enough / smart enough to realize….
6 nations was in Feb so why only announce this yesterday. Furthermore, if i was 22 and had snogged Cumbers, I’m sorry, but I would be singing from the rooftops! The media was very present in that VIP room he was in so surely someone would have seen something. Saying that, it does seem more plausible than the secret GF story.
Some of his fans over at IMDB need to actually get of their high horse. Some are attacking the girl who linked the Rugby snog post. Absolute nanny brigade.
I also think some of his younger fans need to realise, he isn’t the shy geek who stands in corners acting goofy not approaching ladies. I remember reading on data lounge, from someone who apparently knows him (hmm!!) that he is anything but shy with girls and is quite a flirt and has no hesitation in approaching. Probably more BS. Remember his friend as quoted in that GQ interview – ‘haha, this is a man we are taking about after all’ and that Cumbers is approaching an age where he will be looking for a long term partner but until he finds the right person, he is going to of course enjoy himself with ‘the cream of the crop coming his way’!
That quote was so random. Why did they ask someone else? Matthew Goode pretty much threw him under the bus.
I know!! 😂😂 ‘My good friend, CumberWumbers the sh**ger’ Matthew Goode, 2014.
I agree. I think the truth about him is probably something in between shy geek and casanova, as it is with many men. He said it’s harder to approach women these days, and I believe him, but I don’t think he’s sitting in the corner twiddling his thumbs. 😉
That quote from Goode is hilarious!! I had no idea they were friends, lol.
If you’re looking for non hysterical reaction to this sort of gossip then IMDB is not the place to go. The merest whisper of an idea that Benny may actually have a sex life results in sanctimony overload. Essay length posts on the vileness of those who would dare to mention the sainted one’s private life pour forth and of course the “nannies” just know all these rumours aren’t true anyway. Rough translation of all this faux concern for Benny’s privacy being “please don’t shatter my idealised fantasy of a man I actually know nearly nothing about.”
Yes! This is what I’m taking about!
‘Leave BC alone, respect his privacy, I’m
happy if he’s happy’ actually equates to I’m away to eat a whole domino’s pizza, look out my Alanis Morissette cassette and look through every gossip page and bite at the people who dare mention he may be into sex as you will not take my make believe boyfriend away from me.
Thankfully this appears to be his younger fans only. Good job we’re a little wiser and just a bunch of horn dogs over here who appreciate the Cumbers and stories about the Cumber Dong.
‘It’s like meeting the man of your dreams, and then his beeeeautiful wife… It’s like raaaaain…..’
Sorry ☺️
Actually on IMDB quite a few of the nannies are old enough to be his mum not to mention way too old to be behaving like a bunch of starstruck teenagers. I would kind of understand that behaviour in very young girls but in grown women it’s pathetic.
Isn’t it more fun to imagine him as a guy who’s into sex, anyway? I don’t get it.
I think it’s because they have such an idealised image of him as this utter paragon of virtue. The idea that he would be into casual sex is just unthinkable for them. I suspect they truly believe he is keeping himself chaste for “the one.” It’s the same when he says stupid or insulting things in interviews. They can’t accept that he is just a normal person who sometimes lets his irritation show or says stuff out loud that he might be better off keeping to himself. Oh no, the nannies insist, it’s the evil media making stuff up. For them Benny must always be beyond the standards of mere mortal men.
“I suspect they truly believe he is keeping himself chaste for “the one.””
THIS!!!
Do they actually believe he is a saint??? Oh my God, do they believe in Prince Charming, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny??? Or the Tooth Fairy???
He’s a guy, a normal guy and I do believe he has even more flaws than he lets show…
But ok… He’s famous, and lots of women are after him… He’d be a fool to just sit at a corner!!
And as for “Tommy”, he is a “bad boy”, pretty sure of that… I mean, he’s 33. handsome, famous, lol…
Ok just for fun who do we think this is? http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2014/04/blind-item-8_15.html?m=1
Most people think it’s either;
Loki
Sherlock
50 shades
Pacific rim.
Possibly Hiddles.
It is absolutely more fun to think Cumbers is into sex. Will just leave this here….
http://youtu.be/jX-U4GL6IX8
*runs and hides before the nannies come after me*
Oh, there’s a youtube vid where Cumby says he’s a damn good sh*g….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxJXHY92Ju4
quite interesting, may I add… 🙂
It’s got to be Hiddles! One can dream.
Hiddles…
I’m sure I read on datalounge (so it MUST be true) that TH did something similar when getting out of a limo at some premier. There were evidently pictures. It being datalounge tho, it quickly degenerated into a whole new level of speculation that I won’t repeat…
You mean this? It was from the BAFTAs last year:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/bfd1bfd1bd2099f90881e647ffb4b980/tumblr_miu183CTw31qeuzrdo2_1280.jpg
Interesting pic…lol… but it can have a totally innocent context…. ehehhehe
I never saw any of the pics so cheers. They made it sound a lot worse tbh. I almost feel disappointed now, lol.
It’s Hiddles alright
http://perezhilton.com/2013-05-28-tom-hiddleston-shows-off-big-penis-blue-suit-cannes#.U1QGB_mSzrE
Kelly, if that was the article that the lady from Elle showed him, no wonder he was totally embarrassed. There’s nothing like a bit of subtlety and that was nothing like subtle…
Make mine, true, but to be fair, Hiddles isn’t exactly subtle with his mjolnir either, is he >:)
True, true. Now I’m thinking of that Thor promo where he said he had mjolnir in his pants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG5Or9oCA5Q
Dear lord he really got into astounding detail on that boner description, I’m literally dying of awesomeness, laughter and embarrassment in equal measure:
“In fact you can’t leave the room cause your boner is so big that gravity is gonna weigh you down and you’ll fall over trying to cross the room. You’re gonna fall over. You’ll unbalance. Like, we’ll go back to being apes. It’s no longer possible to stand, the boner is so big.”
I mean what even!! His mind!!
Good to see what a double first from Cambridge and three years at RADA can produce. I did keep on thinking of the Buster Gonads character from Viz as well, so he may have creatively borrowed a bit from them when elaborating.
But yes, he took the concept and really ran with it.
Yes, Tom Hiddleston’s comments are funny, but my favorite part is watching Kenneth Branagh talk about Redwoods. Haha! The whole video is kind of hysterical.
IMdB can be hysterical but CB isn’t better.
Grown women believing any post published by teen on Tumblr or so-called insiders on datalounge inspire more pity than anything.
He’s neither a Don Juan or an Hermit, but believing he would snog a 22 years old blond whereas he’s surrounded by journalists or people who could tweet his pic at any time, is just ridiculous.
To be fair, it does say they ended up leaving together and (presumably then) kissed, but you can see niece Emily in the background of his pictures from the event. I guess he might have ditched her for his new friend!
How do you know what he is Freebunny? Nobody is saying the Tumblr gossip is true but then again the possibility that it might be isn’t really that remote is it? He chats to a girl, leaves the venue with her and kisses her. Why so impossible? He isn’t followed by photographers ALL the time. He must get to have some private moments.
I’ve no idea what he does with his private life but I do find the hysterical reaction to the possibility that his contact with women might occasionally go beyond pointing at them in fan photos quite ridiculous.
@Boredwithimbb
Nothing proves it’s true and nothing proves it’s false. But if you don’t have any proof it’s true why believe it? It’s Tumblr we’re talking about, not something reliable.
Tomorrow I can post on Tumblr that I’m his mysterious girlfriend or that he bangs my best friend and people will believe it?
I don’t think he’s a monk, but I’m not ready to believe any blind or any gossip published on Tumblr about him just because it’s “possible”.
I’m not saying I believe it. I wasn’t there so I’ve no idea whether its true or not. I’m just saying I don’t understand the immediate assumption that it must be a lie. The idea that he might kiss a girl is surely not that ludicrous.
As you say, nothing proves it’s true and nothing proves it’s false so why opt for actively accusing the girl of making it up rather than keeping an open mind?
Personally, I would find the notion that he does things like that far more realistic and normal for a guy in his position than the idea that he lives some sort of celibate existence.
Unsourced gossip is basically Schrodinger’s cat so I personally take it how it is unless it is something so illogical that you just can’t.
The poster on tumblr seems genuine. Sometimes its all too obvious when they are posting rubbish for attention on that site. The girl wasnt saying they were kissing at the event. She went off with him for a while. Good luck to him if he had a quick fumble after a few drinks. He’s not a hermit. I suspect its the girl being 22 that’s bothering some older fans. Ha!
Agreed @Betsy! Remember the owner of the tumble is 15, her friend (the kissee) is 22…the fifteen year old is the one who put on the internet!!! The 22 year old had no interest in posting her experience on the web. Cue the middle aged pearl-clutchers and judges, and you pretty much have a complete demographic analysis of Benedict’s fandom!!!! Lol!!! And for everyone one saying why believe it’s true…why not? Sounds totally reasonable to me. I think we don’t hear a lot from the women he’s hooking up with, because it’s mostly the ones on either side (younger and older) with the obsessive need for documentation. 😊
In all fairness, I wouldn’t actually say that a post titled “Guys, Guys, Guys! I know a BC kisser!” isn’t attention seeking, just like the post on her Tumblr “You never know, there might be a Benedict there next time I see her.”
To make it clear, I’m very close to the kisser’s age and can barely stand IMDb. I never thought he was a hermit or a monk and I do hope he is getting some as much as he wants. And I’m sure he does.
That said, we are talking about a Tumblr post by a 15 year old girl. A huge BC fan girl whose mum’s boyfriend’s daughter (!) was chatted up and kissed by BC during a heavily press-covered rugby game. And who told her the story the very second they met.
Plus, tweets and pro/sly photos were flying all over the place from the moment he came to the moment he left (with his niece and possibly other friends/family). And no one noticed he was, you know, making a move on a pretty young blond? Possible, but not very probable in my opinion.
But maybe it’s just my dislike for Tumblr bubbling up. Ever since being shown a blog by a woman who convinced herself that she is BC’s GF (and later fiancee), devoted the entire blog to their life together and posted sneaky photos by fans as her own private shots, I rarely believe anything I see there. The woman was such a nutter that she used to tweet his real-life friends thanking them for a lovely whatever after they posted pics with BC.
This. I’d think that if he’d been chatting up a woman at the heavily photographed game, someone other than a random internet poster would’ve said something.
That reminds me the girl who was posting here last year and pretended to have an affair with Hiddleston.
It was a mess and she was obviously lying but people chose to believe her like you chose to believe an attention seeking teen girl on Tumblr.
Wasn’t that the deeply platonic phone relationship where he told her all his problems, lol. Or was there another one too?
@Make mine a double
No it was the “I had an affair with him but I can’t say a lot to protect him but he’s not the gentleman he pretend he is….”
Think it’s the same one tbh. I seem to remember that after a while she changed her story and she’d never slept with him and it was all blah blah blah. She was called out on it, left, then re-appeared to try and stir some shit when Elle did their whole click-bait thing. Miss Thing?
News flash: man kisses girl who may or may not be his girlfriend.
Bigger Newsflash: man is just having casual sex with woman he doesn’t want a relationship with
I don’t buy that post. I believe more the “secret girlfriend” rumor than a “GUYS GUYS I KNOW A FRIEND OF A FRIEND WHO SAID SHE SNOGGED BENNY” post on tumblr, of all places…
A lot of people post a lot of shit on that social platform
it’s not that it can’t be true. it may very well be. i just think he’s more discrete than that. he was at a public event with lots of witnesses with cameras, and he’s hitting on a pretty young thing. he seems too careful about his image for that. but who knows.
Yeah I have no doubt he’s not hurting for companionship of any sort but I don’t think he’s trolling for young women in highly photographed venues and events then the only “report” of it is a random tumblr post.
I think that’s what put me off about the imdb post, that it doesn’t match ‘what he looks for.’ I’m pretty sure that people have standards for finding a long term partner that are quite different than if you just want a one time thing. It is weird though but celebrities are sneaky…..he did look quite delicious that day.
I just found this, and debated about posting it. What the hell, though, right? I thought others might find it interesting:
“When asked if he was aware of the widespread response to the initial screening of “The Empty Hearse” via social media, Benedict is quick to point out that he doesn’t maintain an online presence. Benedict noted that he has been tempted in the past however, whether it’s been to correct a review or misrepresentation, or to lend his support online to a certain need or charity, but he’s always drawn himself back from jumping down that rabbit hole.
“I get that it works for a lot of people…I’m just not one of those people.”
Where was he when the episode went to air, though? Watching it with his girlfriend at the time with Martin Freeman at Steven Moffatt and Sue Vertue’s house, naturally.”
The key phrase is “watching it with his girlfriend at the time”, of course. The Empty Hearse aired this year, yes? Clearly, if the reporter heard him right (this was at the Oz comic-con so I’m sure there were lots of screaming fans), he IS able to maintain a relationship without the wider world knowing about it. Do I believe he does, in fact, have a secret girlfriend? The article does say “at the time”, so I doubt the Showbiz Spy story. I just wanted to put out the idea that he’s most likely telling people he’s single when he isn’t, just to keep the fans at a distance. Not that I blame him.
Here’s the link: http://iris.theaureview.com/2014/04/07/10-things-we-learned-from-benedict-cumberbatch-at-oz-comic-con-adelaide/
I’ll include the link for others to read
I read somewhere else that wires got crossed there and he was referring to the screening of the very first episode which was screened in 2010, not The Empty Hearse. That would seem to make more sense given the rest of what he says.
I can put this one to bed. I heard audio of the panel that someone uploaded to Youtube, and he makes it clear he’s referring to to the series premiere with Moffatt and Vertue (who were on a ski holiday during this season’s premiere) and says he was with “Olivia, my girlfriend at the time”. So yes, definitely a misfire by the reporter.
There was a poster in IMDB who said that you could see the blond 22 year old in the pictures of Ben taken during the game…
I see some pictures where it looks like his blonde niece Emily is in the shot, but there may be others images elsewhere.
http://londonphile.tumblr.com/post/77494094159/thelaurawright-chatting-to-benedict
IMDB post is gone, but they were referring to the tall blonde in the black dress. She’s in the background with her face blurred in one pic, but you can see part of her profile off to the side in the group pic of B and Simon le bon. Poor dear. I hope she doesn’t miss out on a call back because of a fifteen year olds indiscretion on tumblr!!! Of course if *this* bit is true, the hacks at showbizspy best be heading back to the old drawing board!
are people just randomly choosing random blondes now?
God, if details like this leak online and people can identify blurred shadows of supposed one-time hook-ups in the background, then I don’t see much hope of him ever having a secret long-lasting relationship.
But good detective work folks, Sherlock would be proud, lol.
The “news” … that to me seems to be an attempt at fishing by the spy “site” was re-hashed by this site.
http://www.ibtimes.com/benedict-cumberbatch-has-new-girlfriend-sherlock-actor-reportedly-keeping-mystery-loves-1572664
Several sites repeated the Showbizspy story but none added anything new to it. So the mystery remains unsolved! . Personally I’m not sure there there will ever be a new girlfriend.
lol, my SO and I were just talking about that–we can both totally see him doing a Clooney and having a series of “special friends” but nothing actually serious.
I don’t know what to make of him really. I don’t buy the working too hard reason for there not being a girlfriend on the scene for years now. Plenty of people work as hard as he does and travel a lot with their jobs but still have relationships. It’s not even that I think he’s gay. I just find him kind of odd. Yeah, I know. I’m babbling. I find it difficult to explain what I mean. I’ll stop now.
I think he probably just isn’t prioritizing a relationship right now because of his schedule. His career’s in an amazing place, so it’s coming first and he’s striking while the iron is hot. As he should. He was in a relationship for a lonnnng time so I hope he’s having fun and relaxing while furthering his dreams. Everything will fall into place eventually.
I am pretty sure you all know more about this than I do, just recently started posting and viewing. But, if my sister (or brother) had comments like the one on this article about an ex GF, I do not know how many possible candidates would be deterred at being called… well, you can understand the underlining.
I did love the fact that the re-hashing was in the “International Business Times” … story about a GF that is not in the public eye, but is a professional – could she be in business?? That is why he is doing all of these events in that part of the world, could she be there for business (if there is a she to talk about) Although, imho, love how people make stuff up, or re create “news” to get hits on their pages…
Now, I don’t know the man. He seems like an “artsy type of guy” to me. I dated one ages ago, and it was not a good relationship to be in. Not saying that is his case, so don’t kill me. I do agree with Raven, I mean, any gig is a gig… you need to make a living and there are a lot of actors in this world.
“He seems like an “artsy type of guy” to me. I dated one ages ago, and it was not a good relationship to be in.”
THIS! It’s quite possible that BC is your typical “good if used in small amounts” kind of guy. Y’all know the type: a dream come true at first but stay a little longer and your life is quickly turning into a complete nightmare. Normally at that point your self preservation instinct – provided you possess it – grabs the wheel and steers you away to safety…
@CoffeeCat – He does give one the impression that he’d be difficult, even if he didn’t mean to be. A lot of pent up energy and nerves in that one.
From comments all over different interviews, he does give the impression he is very insecure in some aspects of his life (not talking about the ladies department)… He seems to be insecure in relation to work (afraid of not having one), money, and maybe a little obsessed about things overall and that might interfere with his personal life… The fact that supposedly Olivia ended up, and later on Anne, due to the fact that he kept postponning his personal life for any gig that would come along is not a good thing for any personal relationship… He also seems quite .. how should I put it… stressed about everything?? A person who maybe worries too much about the future and money and ends up being quite nerving???
I think he is more insecure than he leads on /shows about everything in general… He seems to be a good person, with a good heart but doesn’t know very well how to deal with his own feelings and insecurities, ending up undermining his relationships
Does this make sense?
@Nighty:
Oh it makes sense all right but I’m sure there is more to it than just some insecurities. Something IS wrong with the guy, I’m sure of it. After all, everyone has insecurities and flaws. Everyone! And yet people somehow manage to form a relationship, marry and have children. Neither Freeman nor Moffat is a knight in shining armor – yet both men have families.
Speaking of children… Anyone else remember the notorious line from one of BC’s early interviews, back in the days when he and Olivia were still together: “We both want children but not necessary with each other.” Excuuuuse me? Benny dear, so you’re basically saying that Olivia was there just to warm your bed at night till the posh and stunningly beautiful “mother of your children” comes along? Ewwww.
I agree about there being something “wrong.” I don’t know quite how to explain it either but I agree with what’s being said here. In fact I think that infamous Daily Mail article about his insecurities was a lot more on the money than many of his more blinkered fans are willing to admit.
He really said that? “not necessarily with each other”??? REALLY??? And she did’t dump him right away??? Still trying to process this piece of information… Be right back…
Oh, when I refer to insecurities, I mean not the normal ones we all have, but deep insecurities…
“His future looks tightly mapped, but he badly wants to be a father, saying he intends to take more control over his life next year to make space for a family, a plan I have never before heard from a man. He and Olivia split up for a few years, but have been back together for four, the past two sharing their bohemian idyll with its teeny kitchen and wonderful roof terrace — “my sanctuary” — where they drink wine and listen to the church bells and the swallows and swifts screeching over their heads. “I don’t know if we’ll get married. We both want children, but not necessarily right now, and not necessarily with each other. We’re great as we are for now.” Is there one role he dreams of, Hamlet, for instance? “Yes, but it’s been inflicted on audiences too much. There’s been Stephen Dillane’s, David Tennant’s, Jude Law’s, Ben Whishaw’s, Rory Kinnear’s now, Michael Sheen’s doing his as well. I mean, f***ing Jasper Carrott will be doing it next! It’s like there’s a queue. I think we’re just seeing people do their Hamlet, that’s where it goes wrong. I’m more interested in Edward II at the moment.”
This interview?
http://www.benedictcumberbatch.co.uk/interviews/the-sunday-times-the-fabulous-baker-street-boy/
@Nighty:
Yeah, he did say that. Here is the link: http://www.benedictcumberbatch.co.uk/interviews/the-sunday-times-the-fabulous-baker-street-boy/
The full quote: “We both want children, but not necessarily right now, and not necessarily with each other.”
Edit: ah, you found it already.
Yeah, I do remember that article from Daily Mail about his insecurities…
The last sentence is what I was stating:
“Real love, commitment and family won’t be so simple. However much he yearns for stability, Benedict Cumberbatch has a habit of sabotaging his own happiness.”
He is the type of person whose insecurities go beyond the normal insecurities of any person, I believe he is obsessive about them and about everything, destroying his own life …
The article link:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2383846/Sherlock-crippling-insecurities-mystery-Benedict-Cumberbatch-wife-despite-Britains-latest-superstar.html
Edit: Yeap @coffeecat, I found it, thanks 😀
Thank you for the links to the articles. About the quote of the ex GF, from what you have written, if they were together, broke up and got back together again – and he then did this interview – sure, it could be a possibility that even thought they were together deep down he (or both) knew, this was not the relationship for them. People grow old (mature), they grow apart, interest change. I think that happens to all of us. I know I learned the hard way not to get back with an ex, no matter how much pain I was feeling at the time. I know for some it is not the case. We are all different.
—
About the insecurities article, the author actually got his approval to write this? For me, the article does explain things about him. He is not a posh kid, he is a scholarship kid and unless you are placed in a similar situation I humbly do not think that a person is really going to get it. The best I can compare it with is when your parents are professionals, who’s professions are supposed to generate a lot of money, but you have an allowance, you see your parents working super hard for what they have, but the kids in school assume that you have to be super rich, which you are not … you know, like the saying … the grass is always greener. Plus, I don’t think it is odd he sabotages his own happiness -if that is indeed what he does-, know a LOT of men that do this in one way or another. I just still think he seems to be an artsy type of guy but a guy none the less, and for men to want to start a relationship to commit themselves to a woman, they need to feel they have set out their work agenda in full first. That, to me, describes any man, not just him.
@coffeecat. I do remember the “we want children but not necessarily with each other” remark. I thought it was bizarre at the time and wondered why the interviewer didn’t pursue it. I assumed it was indicative of a relationship in trouble. And they did break up not long afterwards.
Yes he definitely sends out mixed signals. One minute he’s turning up at bloody comic cons and other random events where literally thousands of photos get posted on Twitter and Tumblr and the next he’s getting his knickers in a knot about a photo of him just sitting in a room with a bunch if journalists being tweeted.
And what’s with him wearing that same blue shirt all the time. The guy is getting stranger by the day.
UGH…you and I are ON A WAVELENGTH, @Bored!!!! <3
I figure there’s just some information about Hamlet they don’t want spreading until they’re ready to announce officially, but maybe he just wants to have a conversation that doesn’t get repeated to the press. Which is admittedly kind of odd to do in a room full of journalist, especially if nothing new was said like somebody tweeted. The blue shirt thing IS really weird. Maybe he’s taking a page from Daniel Radcliffe’s book and wearing the same thing every day to devalue pap shots. Between this and the secrecy of the conference today, I wonder if he’s getting a little paranoid about his privacy.
I actually thought he was gay at one point, especially when he was spotted with Jesse Peyronel so many times over the Oscar period but when I think of his flippant comments in past comments, I think he likes his ladies.
I think he is definitely into casual hook ups especially if he is too busy for a relationship.
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I want Cumbers to take a break – he is doing so much PR (sports awards, F1, cons) and it’s all a little overkill. He is becoming so internet famous!
Exactly! This year he seems to be doing nothing other than PR events. I don’t think he’s actually done any acting since last year.
As for Jesse Peyronell. I’ve seen the pics but I’ve no idea who he is. Is he gay?
Everyone keeps saying he’s too focused on work for a relationship. Um…what work??? Before the indignant brigade fires back with all this PR and con stuff being work, I beg to differ, and we’ll just have to agree to disagree, but I find the whole thing to be a bit weird, as well.
Jesse is a writer/director/producer (@jessedir). No idea as to sexuality, although if I had to guess, I’d go with “not gay.” Probably a fun plus one for B during award’s season, because he had a similar posh/arts upbringing in England and elsewhere. The bigger question mark for me was B’s friend, Tertius Bune, who I would guess *is* gay based on his social media presence. They seem to have known each other for a very long time though, so that explains their closeness. And that’s it. No girlfriend of any note in sight!!!! Oh well…
I remember seeing on this site before on a previous BC post that Jesse was gay but I cant say if it’s true or not…
Exactly! I think he has The Lost City of Z but I’m not too sure what else this year. I don’t want to quite say selling out but he has been EVERYWHERE these last few months – the ones I listed above and then even NY fashion week. He doesn’t need to being doing any of this, his star has already rose.
Really? I’ve never heard anything about him (Jesse Peyronel). I assumed he was just one of Benny’s many old, posh, school friends. I guess BC could be gay I suppose. I just never thought he was.
As for the non stop PR jaunts, I’m mostly surprised more interesting acting work hasn’t come his way after all the hype of last year.
Someone on DL said they saw Jesse speak at some event and they didn’t get a gay vibe from him. But regardless of his orientation, I think it’s really likely that they’re just old friends like he and Tertius Bune are.
I give up!!! Tried to contribute to this conversation above, but posting on my phone is a nightmare. In essence, I’m with you @Bored…
Thanks platospopcorn. Great name by the way. Boy. This place is refreshing. It’s so nice to be able to have a proper sane conversation about BC without the nannies shrieking themselves into a frenzy anytime anybody says something that isn’t a variation of “Benny is God.” They just don’t seem to grasp that blind unquestioning devotion is not compulsory to qualify as a fan.
@Boredwithimbb or the rest of the ladies…
I am new at this, but I have read twice about these Benny Nannies (it’s that how you or they call themselves) … do you have any links you can share, would like to read their comments.
Thank you.
Just visit IMDB regularly. You’ll see what I mean. I would have linked the thread about the secret girlfriend story as an example, only one of the nannies got it deleted.
Workwise this year I think they did the recording for Cabin Pressure, he was supposed to do Blood Mountain around now but the funding dried up (or something), then Lost City of Z, then he’s filming Richard III for the BBC. Not sure if that was the super secret extra project or something else in the wings. He usually doesn’t work November and December, other than promos for The Hobbit 3. It just seems like longer because he worked so much in 2012. Martin Freeman has said not much chance of Sherlock 4 this year, partly because Martin’s career is starting to take off. I agree about the Cons, I was shocked when he did the first one because it seems so cheesy. But the money must have been good. That apartment rehab apparently cost a lot more than he was expecting (and poor thing doesn’t get to share it with the ex).
So just where would BC have gone off with this young blond? The men’s room? A broom closet? Locker room? lol….
Hope it wasn’t the broom closet. Look what happened to Boris Becker when he fumbled in one.
Well, if it was the broom closet, maybe in 9 months there’ll be a tiny Benedict running around… 😀
Will we see a headline on a tumblr post saying “OMG, WTF, @@!!!, My mum’s boyfriend’s daughter’s neighbour IS HAVING BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH’S BABY”? She told me so it must be true…
Patience, girl, patience! I bet any money ShowBiz Spy won’t disappoint us with the next installment in the series. Popcorn, anyone? 🙂
No wonder the poor dear consulted a psychotherapist…..
Too many insecurities??? And not enough a big broom closet????
@Encumbered:
About the possible effects of being in that broom closet, you mean? *evil grin*
@CoffeeCat
The broom closet was too tiny, not enough room/space to move adequately to really show how good a lover he is…
*very, VERY naughty facial expression, semi-closed eyes, biting lower lip… *
Ahaha. So I’m not the only one obsessed with the broom closet thing. Do we have a new meme here? 😀
Lol.. maybe we do… 😀
@Nighty
Oh poor little Benny… *wipes eyes* No wonder he’s so broken. He needs to be taught the proper technique, I guess. I’m sure I saw a book titled “How to make love in confined spaces” somewhere…
@CoffeeCat Oh my.. what book is that??? I wanna read it… I’m a girl who likes to read about all sorts of things… You know… general culture is VERY important…
I think this would be the only time trigonometry could have any practical use…
lol…. @Make mine a double…. maybe geometry would be better… calculating the area and diameter and whatever of all tpes of surfaces not just triangles… 🙂
Today he was at the Guardian Newspaper Editorial weekly meeting:-
Hamlet Barbican Fans @HamletBrbcnFns · 8h
Lyndsey Turner and Benedict Cumberbatch will be at the @guardian editorial conference today to discuss Hamlet. #HamletBarbican #Hamlet2015
Apparently it was off record (which seems very odd to me) but here’s a photo
https://twitter.com/HamletBrbcnFns/status/458538842618740737/photo/1
I’m surprised he went the Guardian for an off the record chat since he’s had a few run-ins with them before. Someone on Twitter said there was no news about Hamlet so what else did they talk about? Especially since Lyndsey Turner was there.
Ugh. Being in that tight of a space with that many people staring at me and hanging on my every word would freak me the *uck out. And I have a theatre degree!
I thought the ‘off the record’ comment was odd too. Why go to a conference full of journalists and ask they do not mention he is there or print what he says. BC also specifically asked no photo’s go on Twitter.
I think he’s getting fed up with the constant survellience and people talking about his every move.
This is the thing that annoys me about BC – he plays to the fandom, promotes himself to death with all these PR events and then gets annoyed at press/gossip. That is just my opinion though and I still love him 🙂
Time he headed for the hills. This is too damn insane….
(Oh…and I’ve got hills he can come to….)
Well, Shiv, you wrote that post for me. I was so outdone with BC after this morning’s shenanigans, because I see this whole Guardian incident as a perfect example of why he seems to be caught in such a negative social media feedback loop (which he claims not to want). He does things to generate interest and PR, but then his obsessive need to control the message to suit him takes over — which then creates more interest, but not the kind he probably wants. He goes to cons and says “my private life is for me,” but then he’s sooooo cloak and dagger about it all that he creates mystery and inadvertently raises the stakes on the most trivial detail of his relationships and his whereabouts. On the flip side of the whole cloak and dagger routine, he then turns around and overshares or allows details of his travel itinerary to be publicized or, even worse, creates a false sense of intimacy and accessibility through his friends on Twitter and certain fan relationships, and when others try to access him on the same level, they get kiboshed in what seems to be an almost arbitrary fashion. I mean, reporters at the Guardian were being chastised for tweeting that he was there and having their pictures removed???? WHAT???? If you don’t want people to know where you are or see pictures of you, then DON’T GO!!!!!! Ugh. So outdone. I know some fans saw the writing on the wall with the Oscar photo-bombing “LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!” But today was the first day I’ve felt over it.
Sorry. Rant over.
Oh, and just because I’m on a roll…the final “DONE” of my being “DONE” today was reading those comments above on playing Hamlet. Jesus. What an ass.
Okay. Now, rant over. 😀
What was this morning’s shenanigans? I don’t Tumblr or Twitter, so I think I missed something.
I cooled on him so much after that Oscar photobomb. I know it was an in the moment thing, but it just made me shake my head. )But then, I’m a bit reserved and don’t care for attention seekers like that 🙂 )
I do so agree with you and Shiv, Platospopcorn. He is becoming tiresome with his yo yo behaviour when it comes to publicity. I do think he’s basically a decent bloke, just one who is possibly a little too thin skinned and naive for coping well with the level of fan and media attention he now attracts. In fact the more he tries to control the situation the worse he makes it.
Can I just say one more thing? I promise this is the last bit! Since I’m having such an anti-Benedict experience today, there’s one last thing I’ve been holding on to (repressing). So many of his fans think it’s so cute and adorable when he curses and just generally behaves like an adolescent, but even on the days when I’m most loved up with him, I hate his tendency to be really crude. I mean, he actually talked about “tea-bagging” the audience on the GN show. Yuck. I follow his friend, James Rhodes, on Twitter, and although I genuinely respect and admire him and his music, he also has a tendency to be really crude and inappropriate. I often wonder if that’s what a Twitter from Benedict would look like. If so, then THANK GOD he has had the good sense not to sign up. Of course, if he ever gets one, I’ll probably be one of the first to follow him, just for the train wreck it would no doubt be!!!!
There. That feels better. Good thing there are probably only 3 or 4 people still reading this thread!!! LOL!!!!
It was worse than that Platos, it was his girlfriend’s mother he was talking about “tea bagging”, not the audience. He was talking about when she went to see him in Frankenstein.
I think the crude humour is just his posh public school boy showing. They love that kind of humour. That and a good food fight and you have a posh boys ideal night out!
@Plato he does swear a lot, which is not good… I have to agree on that…
Jee, this thread is the thread to trash down poor Benny… lol
@nighty
“Jee, this thread is the thread to trash down poor Benny… lol”
Oh but thrashing down poor Benny is so much fun! It’s blind adoration that is boring. *smiles like a canary fed Cheshire cat*
@Platospopcorn and the rest of the ladies:
Reading your posts about the curse words he uses at interviews and about the photographer / bad influence and the photo bomb and now the friend Rhodes … do you think he imitates people in order to be liked? or acts like he would understand others would approve of in order to be liked?
—
The more I read, the more confused I am, I would think that with his parents being actors he would have – maybe- a better idea about fame, he would have someone to ask about certain things, granted, the age of technology and the interwebz is now not back then, but still.
@Lola
The poor guy became famous literally overnight – he simply didn’t have the skills to ride a mountain high wave of fame that hit him. Had it happened gradually over time, it would have been easier for him to adapt…
@CoffeeCat I know it’s fun, that’s why I’m also doing it… But I do like him a lot as an actor.. But he can’t help it, can he… He seems always so eager to please everyone and then doesn’t know how to control things..
@Lola … Basically what CoffeeCat said… He became famous overnight, he tried to please everyone, his fans, his coworkers, and it’s back fired on him… He doesn’t know how to handle this.. Despite having famous parents, they were never this famous.. it was different..
I think it’s many things mixed: became suddenly world wide famous, has a bad PR, he’s not the handsome guy that got many girls at school (his “beauty” is of a different sort) , all of the sudden he became the centre of attention (even women) , I doubt his parents know how to advise him, since the level of fame is totally different ( I had never seen his parents before knowing him)….
Even his temper being some sort of seesaw temper (ups and downs) probably gets worsened by the stress caused by all this attention… Simultaneously he wants the attention because of work related, but I think he’s too naive and doesn’t know where to draw the line….
@CoffeCat / @Nighty:
Thank you for the replies. Had no clue.
The more I read about celebrity, specially actors, I wonder if there is no course on Publicity and/or Publicists and/or dealing with careers at Drama Schools. With the interwebz you figure it could be a class requirement, to prepare your students for everything that might happen with their careers.
Maybe he needs to have a serious chat with his publicist. I am not certain doing these cons are the best things for him personally albeit he may have been convinced it was a good professional move. If I were him, I’d have been freaked out and a bit nauseated by the fan girl action at the Oz events. He was wise to refuse to not be a “performing monkey” but I wonder if he left there at the end of the day feeling like a piece of meat.
My guess is that doing the cons played into this idea of control — controlled environment, controlled message, controlled interactions etc., but as @Bored mentioned above (and below!), all those thousands of photos and interaction stories do NOTHING to quell the desire of the tens of thousands who didn’t get to go. And what do those fans have available to them??? THE INTERNET. Sorry, Benedict, but good luck trying to control the entire WORLD WIDE WEB.
Sorry for posting this twice. Intended it to be here but somehow it ended up way back up the thread. Still learning the ropes.
Anyway…..
Yes he definitely sends out mixed signals. One minute he’s turning up at bloody comic cons and other random events where literally thousands of photos get posted on Twitter and Tumblr and the next he’s getting his knickers in a knot about a photo of him just sitting in a room with a bunch of journalists being tweeted.
And what’s with him wearing that same blue shirt all the time. The guy is getting stranger by the day.
That blue shirt is for the public…his other shirts are for him 😉
Trying to read the nonverbal… 😉 …. but I can’t there are too many people in between him and the pictures perspective, so I guess the lady next to him is the director lady? Would like to know if their legs are touching, could it be her? the mystery lady? (we can speculate), maybe that is the reason why there were supposed to NOT post any pics from this event … And, what exactly is a off the record “interview”? The play is going to happen, everyone knows it already, and yeah! you can’t write that or anything else we say here, just in case we decide to change it before the play starts… ??
PS. He owns no other shirts or he owns 10 shirts that are same style shirt?
he is believed to be cheap.. or someone told him he looked terrific in that one and now he only wears it..
Well I will admit I am a bit of a pessimist. So I do hope you’re right. Either way I still maintain my view that trailing round comic cons is not the greatest of PR strategies!
It doesn’t look like their legs are touching but there are a lot of legs in the way. Forgive me for the speculation, but as a lesbian woman, I got a vibe that the director was one of my own. I watched the Oliviers and she mentioned that she hadn’t worn a dress since she was a child which only enhanced my suspicion. I know some straight women don’t like dresses, too, but just a feeling I get.
I don’t know anything about her. There was a post, don’t know if it was on this article or the original one, about speculations of them being a possible couple. Thank you for your reply and input.
The Guardian, apparently hold editorial meetings most mornings and sometimes have invited guests. Benedict and his Director happened to be the invited guests yesterday. Some of the Guardian staff tweeted abut him being there and it got a bit out of hand in the Twitter and fan world. So all the people there are staff and perhaps some outside journalists. The regular Editorial meetings keep all the staff up to speed with what is going on.
This Twitter explains some of it. https://twitter.com/indiansuburb
“This person on twitter https://twitter.com/indiansuburb seemed to have a good understanding of it and it basically boils down to nothing much at all. With Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations coming up it was a way to get staff interested in that, and apparently some of the guests at these meetings do request no photos etc and it makes a great deal of sense that they would request it be off the record as it was an informal talk and they wouldn’t want any of it being potentially used for press. So pretty simple and unfortunately not exciting.”
Pretty simple really! No manipulations, no press or PR shenanigans or paranoia on BC’s part just a meeting.
Yeah, after reading a bit about it and seeing the pics, I get the feeling he (and most likely his PR and representation) just didn’t want anything he said to be printed out of context. I mean, even saying “Oh, that’s so interesting” in regards to someone’s health just to be polite to someone would be spun out to “Benedict Cumberbatch finds toe fungus treatments fascinating! Secret foot fetish revealed!”
@Maggie: Thank you for the explanation.
Sooo, do we think he will be attending the Met Ball in NYC this year? Since he’s down with Anna Wintour and all that 🙂
@Platospopcorn YES! I saw the shenanigans this morning and literally rolled my eyes! First time I have done it with BC (although I will admit I cringed at the photobomb)
I think Cumbersome confuses his fans. He shares a lot and plays up to the fandom and as a result the fans get on board, he then tries to take a step back but does it in a very standoffish manner. One minute he is comic con boy and then the next he is attempting to be like George Clooney and Brad Pitt i.e demands privacy and wants the press/fans to stop with the surveillance. Pick a side baby as you don’t see Clooney et al at comic cons, fashion events etc hence they get the privacy they command. This is why BC is more internet famous as opposed to famous famous in certain places.
So good to hear others feel the same as me about the photobomb. I thought it was totally cringeworthy. Needless to say the uber fans at IMDB thought it was a work of comic genius.
He really does need to make up his mind as to where he stands on the whole privacy issue. I mean this is a guy who actually turns up to events wearing clothes that have been sent to him by fans. It kind of undermines the whole my work and private life are totally separate message!
What was more cringeworthy to me was that one of his friends had apparently asked him to do the photobomb, and then when he did it, she tweeted all night about how it was her idea and he did it for her. She’s asked him to do her favours in the past too, like having him shout out to one of her friends during that Hobbit Twitter Q&A he did in December. A little embarrassing if you ask me, and makes me wonder why someone so private complies, but I guess he’s eager to please his friends and she really wants people to know she knows him.
Yes I know who you mean. She is intensely irritating. But it just serves to show how insecure and naive BC can be that he goes along with things like that. Wasn’t it Martin Freeman who said BC would be really easy to take advantage of? Seems he’s right. In fact BC could do worse than follow Martin Freeman’s example when it comes to dealing with fame. He manages to have a really successful career and family life and still remain pretty private. I know he doesn’t attract the level of “fangirling” BC does. But still, BC is the architect of a lot of his own problems with fans and the media.
@Raven what friend asked him to shout at her???
Sorry. I’m not Raven but I know the answer! It was Helen Rushbrook. Who should probably be re named Helen Have I mentioned I know Benedict Cumberbatch Rushbrook.
Helen R met Benedict after winning a competition attached to a tub of Haagen Dazs ice cream to have dinner with him a couple of years ago. That’s how they met and became best friends. Isn’t that strange? I always thought that was odd.
Oh sorry @Bored… the litte igirl… had never seen that before… 🙂
It’s weird the pics of her twitter and his messages to his fandom… so weird..
@Boredwithimdb
Oh dear. Please don’t tell me you’re still paying attention to what BC is saying. I mean, seriously, after all those years. The man clearly loves the sound of his own voice so he talks on and on and on and on. Hence his words are to be regarded as some kind of lovely background music and their meaning is irrelevant and should be ignored. 😀
IMHO, Helen needs to shut down all references to Benedict. Of course, that’s not going to happen, because she gets too much mileage (and no doubt personal satisfaction) out of her association. But I think her SuperDuperFanFriend status is part of the problem that I alluded to in my mega-rant from earlier. It’s this weird tendency that Benedict has to foster/encourage intimacy and accessibility that he then turns around and shuts down or refuses completely in random or arbitrary situations. The wearing clothes that fans send him and constantly acknowledging a select few of his more visible fans are additional pieces of that whole puzzle. The whole mess creates incredibly unrealistic expectations in the fans who are left *wanting* to be his “friend” and having to settle for obsessive ruminations on trivial details like where he is, who he’s dating, and that GD shirt!!!
(I’m side-eyeing all of us here, by the way, and judging myself most of all. :P)
I don’t want to be his friend. I just want him to do some bloody acting rather than turning up at various sad and cheesy PR gigs attended by thousands of mega fans and then moaning about his lack of privacy. The one thing he is really good at – acting- seems to be increasingly taking a poor second place to the stuff he is distinctly less good at – managing his media and fan interaction.
I should stop this, seriously, my head is spinning … too much information, all at once… So, there was a a Haagen Dazs ice cream contest to have dinner with him a couple of years ago?? Who thought of this?? Seriously?? OMG, yup, reality is stranger than fiction… LMAO!
Well said, @Bored. Sometimes I honestly think that becoming famous was the worst thing that could have happened to this truly gifted and enormously insightful actor. I think he’ll probably survive, but I doubt he’ll emerge entirely unscathed.
I think he did the Comic Con b/c he:
1. Got paid (probably more than I make in a year. haha).
2. Didn’t have anything else going on and got a free trip to Australia.
3. Like Plato said- wanted to interact with fans in a controlled environment. He could come in, take the 1000 photos, sign the 1000 autographs, do his hour long talk, then leave.
I don’t really see anything wrong with that if he had the time and no acting work lined up. It was a job for him.
Can someone in the UK tell me, does he get papped a lot for the tabloids? Like going to the supermarket or just walking down the street? Or do most of the photos come from fans?
@plato. I agree entirely. He is so talented that it’s a shame his acting is being overshadowed by his “celebrity.” On the other hand Sherlock, which is largely responsible for the Internet idol he’s become, has also opened up some wonderful acting opportunities for him so it’s a double edged sword. I hope he finds the right balance soon as he does seem to be struggling a bit right now. In a way it would be amazing if he wasn’t given the speed at which his public profile has risen..
He very, very rarely gets papped just walking down the street. Sometimes he gets photographed at airports but it’s mainly events. Like he got papped at a football match, Lady Gaga concert and Glastonbury music festival. He’s only been photographed a handful of times over the past few years going about his business, and that has mainly happened outside of the UK. I don’t think he gets followed by paps much.
I agree with all of your points about the conventions too. He gets paid a fortune, a free all expenses paid trip to Australia, first class travel, 5 star hotel, and full security. Three conventions have probably earned him as much money as several months of acting work. He’s not doing anything else at the moment and meeting fans in a controlled environment probably appeals to him. I think he’s also aware that making himself visible over the next year could help his probable Oscar campaign for the Alan Turing film.
Do forgive me for this analogy but all those Comic Cons look like a one-animal zoo to me. I mean, there is a caged animal and there are those who are happy to pay to gawk at it and take a picture with it and admire its every move. And just like in a real zoo, you’re not allowed to touch the animal.
Thanks, Froop. I don’t really follow this guy (just here) but I can’t really recall seeing or hearing about pap photos of him doing mundane things, like shopping. That would be terrible being followed like that. That probably mostly happens (or will happen) in LA.
But for publicized events or concerts, ehh, I guess he’s just got to accept that there’s going to be people there with cameras who are interested in him right now. Eventually the hype will die down.
As for the Oscar campaign, I think The Imitation Game will premiere at Toronto, and Harvey Weinstein will take it from there. I think he’s really going to push both BC and Keira Knightly for this film. I’m expecting a lot of publicity and promotion in the fall/winter.
A lotta of good points here, but also some that don’t quite make sense to me tbh.
It’s typical to have an actor with a big play coming to visit an ed meeting. He’d not want people to know since it’s informal and fans may disrupt the meeting–he’s not the focus. The Guardian doesn’t want a mess either, which is why the journos are not supposed to be Tweeting about the guests.
Not sure why he did the cons, but A-listers don’t have to do fan events/PR because they’re levels above BC. It’s not comparable and his talent alone is not enough, IMO: it’s laughable to think he’s above PR at this point.
Shiv, tbh, Brad Pitt and Clooney don’t get the privacy they want either. They’re both papped and gossiped to death.
Unpopular opinion probably, I don’t think BC has an issue with fans or press per se. What he doesn’t want is people crossing lines, which started happening without his help right after Sherlock.
I really, really don’t think it would have died down unless he became a hermit or Sherlock tanked, so he’s trying to learn how to handle it and sometimes mucks it up. His age is also a factor: he’s old enough to know it’s just empty hype that can help him get more work but not young enough to revel in it.
Oh wow, just thought i’d pop in and have a look around – and this post has grown out of all proportions lol. I love it!
I mostly agree with @Katie’s points here. I am not a BC fan, strictly speaking, but i see no problem with him doing all these PR events. He is very far from being an A-lister (i snort every time somebody calls him or Hiddles or Ejiofor or even Fassbender an A-lister) and if he has a break from acting work, why not do a couple of PR events? (And tbh, when i think that Pitt and Portman are A-listers, i am sincerely not sure whether Cumby or Hiddles will ever make it there – or if i actually *want* them there.)
I also agree that BC probably simply doesn’t know how to handle the situation, and given his character and age, i’d also suggest a good long talk with his publicist on a consistent strategy. They should either use Cumby’s naturally sharp tongue and those mood swings ppl have mentioned above to create a unique AND consistent Cumberbatch persona – including that persona’s attitude towards fans and privacy – or he should just learn to tame himself and always watch what he says and does. Or writes 😉
What upset me is the mention that Imitation Game might be Oscar bait AND BC might campaign for it. I already had my reservations about this biopic, and this kinda only aggravates them =(
Thanks, Intro Outro. I honestly don’t think he’d progress without some PR work at this point. He’s nowhere near A-list and isn’t even on what I’d consider solid ground yet. His age and his parents’ experiences (both had significant career declines) are likely at play here as well.
May I ask what your concerns with IG are? I know the ‘straight’ rumors have been thoroughly debunked, so I’m just curious. It was an excellent script.
Also, I’m obviously all for gossip, but not so sure about speculation regarding his mental state…this thread kind of went off the rails there imo.
Oh, i didn’t get this feeling that girls were questioning his mental state? I rather thought they were talking about changes in mood which do not necessarily mean smth is wrong with a person’s mental state, rather with his/her temperament.
Re: IG: i should have explained myself here i guess. I think that being “Oscar bait” or nominee means the respective film is high-quality and rather sophisticated. However, personally i find that the films that end up Oscar winners are those that play it safe regarding the political/historical/psychological/whichever issues they raise. In other words, i’d rather Dallas Buyers Club won than 12 Years a Slave because it raised not only uncomfortable but also *controversial* questions (I mean FDA’s power in USA, first of all). I hope i am making myself clear, and not sounding like Armond White lol. It’s just smth i feel very strongly. SO, consequently i really hope that IG will be more in an Oscar nominee than Oscar winner vein ;D
Thing is I’m not sure the empty hype is getting him more work. In fact I think much more of it is more likely to have precisely the opposite effect. In my opinion all this turning up to the opening of an envelope and going to tacky gigs where he prostitutes himself out for autographs and photos is more likely to damage rather than enhance his reputation as an actor. He really doesn’t NEED to do that stuff and I don’t see it having any beneficial effects. He seems more screwed up about media and fan attention than ever and aside from Richard III and Hamlet, BBC and Theatre roles he’d probably be offered in his pre Sherlock days, and The Lost City of Z, a movie nobody is even sure will get made, his work schedule looks pretty empty. He definitely is not having the meteoric rise to A list that was being taken as a sure thing by many after his flurry of movie roles last year. If anything I’d say his career has taken a downward trajectory this year in terms of him moving to the next level of movie stardom. I’m not saying movie stardom is the be all and end all but it is something he seems to want.
Maybe The Imitation Game will get him back on track. I hope so because he is enormously talented and I’d hate to think in ten years time the only thing he’ll be remembered for at The Oscars is photo bombing U2 .
Aww dear, don’t be so pessimistic *hugs* Maybe it’s just a period for him. Actors basically are freelancers 😉 And work always comes in waves for freelancers.
Hamlet and Richard III sound like they will need preparation and will mean a lot of serious work. Especially Hamlet. It’s been several years since BC played on stage, right? Imo combining theatre and cinema is an exciting career choice and i certainly hope that Hiddles, for example, will be able to do it. So i am wholeheartedly wishing the same to Cumberbatch 😉
Concerning the absence of any serious film projects – i am afraid this might also be tied to the general situation in film industry where it is getting harder and harder to fund independent projects – and big studios only want to secure A-listers who are sure to bring them $$ (and even they are not a guarantee – cue Transcendence).
@Katie no one is speculating his mental sanity, just his character, his constinuous mood swings, his seesaw temper, he kind of reminds me of myself when I was a teenager, one moment I’d be very happy and the following moment I would be “sassy” per se… I had to learn to control my mood swings, the way I answered back at people… He sounds like a teenage kid in some aspects… He really doesn’t know how to handle all this situation.. He wants to stay in the limelight but at the same time he doesn’t, because with fame comes this invasion of privacy and he really hasn’t figured out to handle everything and how to draw a line … “you fans can come up ’till here but that’s it”…
Eventually he’ll learn, but he really needs some help and some strategy.. his isn’t working right now… He was used to have a much more private life, that suddenly disappeared and he’s lost… His temper doesn’t help him at all… He is eager to please everybody, but doesn’t know how to do it without losing total control of his own life…
Ah, my misinterpretation there, Intro Outro and Nighty, forgive me. It was teetering very close to ‘someone is wrong in this guy’s head’ territory, and that area is off limits to me for personal reasons.
I get you mean on the Oscars, Intro Outro, and I agree. I assume he’ll be looking for a nom as suppose to a win, since nominees have done better than winner historically.
Boredwithimbb, cons won’t harm his reputation. They’ve become acceptable for actors, thanks to the SDCC and NYCC, and he was going to have to do it anyway (BBC/Hartswood is holding a Sherlock con). To be quite frank, casting directors/producers and the like don’t care what an actor does on his off time unless it’s controversial or shows signs of instability that may affect set behavior, such as an addiction or violent temper.
Hamlet represents tremendous work above the usual for plays. He should be involved in everything from costumes and stage arrangement to how the play will be interpreted, and that all has to be done well in advance of rehearsals. It’s likely he’s been working on for months, as you’ve got to have a clear idea of what you’re doing before you negotiate with a theater.
I absolutely agree he needs to decide what his strategy is, but I also must admit I didn’t think he was really going to take off until after IG.
@katie re:hamlet – usually the actor is not involved with those aspects of a show. The director has their vision, and they, along with the set/lighting/costume designers carry out that vision. If you have a particularly collaborative director they may ask for input from their actors, but that’s actually pretty rare. Except in interpretation. Most of his prep will be character work. Maybe fight training or physical and/or vocal work depending on the show. Hamlet is pretty mentally grueling.
Normally, Sighs, but I think this is one of those projects where the producers and such are leaning on the actor a bit (it’s the whole Hamlet rite of passage thing, he’ll shoulder more blame if it’s crap). It’s likely he’s being asked for a lot of input here. How much he’s giving is anyone’s guess LOL. Either way, as you covered, it’s a lot of prep and I imagine he’s already been working on it.
Thanks intro outro. Hope you’re right. I do tend towards pessimism. Still hate his involvement in comic cons though.
Meanwhile on a lighter note, I see the nannies of IMDB have their collective sensible bloomers in a bunch over this discussion. They’ve devoted a whole thread to our discussion here. Needless to say in their exalted opinion we’re all stupid and uneducated and all out opinions about BC are based on us being overly invested in his life. Talk about lack of self awareness!!! Never have so many pots got together to call a few kettles black!!! Still nice to see how apoplectic the idea of a discussion they can’t control gets them. We must be doing something right!
Were can I find their discussion? I really never been to IMDB discussions… So our conversation is driving them insane??? Actually, I am worried about him and whether he’ll pull it off… He’s a brilliant actor, but he really needs to be more, how can I express it,… more controlled (him controlling his temper), more aware of the fact that he’ll never have 100% privacy (he is a famous person) and to accept that reality… It would bring him lots of peace of mind….
I won’t click on IMDB but glad to see the nanny brigade are that interested they have started a threat…..about this thread.
Can only imagine what is being said. Leave our Benny alone!
Guys at IMDB, we love him too – we just take our rose tinted glasses of at times.
They are basically attacking us, calling us dumb and idiotic, saying we use cod psychology to analyze each and every movement he makes, that he gets dissected, we treat him like a stupid little boy, and our overobsession on him…
They’re actually inadvertently describing themselves Nighty. Only difference is their analysis always finds that Benny is infallible in all matters and everybody who doesn’t agree is stupid. Oh and they abhor gossip. In fact they abhor it so much that they make a particular point of reading and posting on all gossip related threads. There used to be some sane people on there but, with a few exceptions, they’ve all been driven away by the “nannies.”
There’s one comment that goes something like “they treat him like a stupid little boy and not the grown-up very virile highly intelligent person he is” … Yes, he’s wonderful, especially in acting, intelligent (definetely.. both him and Hiddles and so many actors out there), the virile part, I have no idea… never met him personally…..
virile???
I fool around /kid about him and Hiddles, like their acting skills, find them cute and everything, but I can’t say if they’re virile or not…oh god..
*gigglesnort* Honestly, i think it’s much saner to go to a site dedicated specifically to celebrity gossip, discuss what/who you want to discuss with people who share your interests without breaching certain reasonable limits (which i haven’t really seen anyone breaching on this post, although i personally am not interested in discussing some things that were discussed here but to each his/her own lol) and then get back to your real life – than invest so much of yourself into an actor that you end up perceiving his interests as your own and consequently protecting him as if you were protecting yourself or a member of your family.
Of course he’s virile Nighty and the smartest, most handsome, talented man since the dawn of time ….. according to the IMDB nannies. Its hilarious them calling posters on here stupid when most of them would have to phone a few friends to get their brain cell count into double figures. Dumb really isn’t quite strong enough to describe their thought process. They’re totally incapable of understanding anything other than the broadest comments. Complexity really is a land as yet undiscovered by them. And as for actually reading anything before commenting on it … well why bother when obviously everybody who doesn’t think Benny is the messiah is stupid. Gah! I just find them so ridiculous you wonder how they function in real life. Ok end of rant!
Exactly Shiv! Liking the guy and being a fan of his work doesn’t mean you have to abandon all contact with reality.
Lol, does this mean we’re all famous now? Hope they mentioned the broom cupboard.
Good lord no. The broom cupboard would never be mentioned on IMDB. Benny would never do such a thing. He only ever has sex after he’s known the woman (who is suitably non glamorous so as to be identifiable with) for several years and then only ever in a four poster bed supported by clouds and kittens. He is of course the best lover ever and never falls asleep straight afterwards!
Anyway they’re far too busy trashing the Tumblr girl who posted the “kiss” story to consider where it might have happened. Because obviously it didn’t happen. Benny lives in the 18th century and would never kiss a young lady to whom he is not betrothed.
That’s just no fun.
Slightly off topic but one of my Vietnamese students (In Vietnam surprisingly), has a massive crush on BC and asked, nay told, me to find him while I’m back in the UK, sleep with him and then tell her what he was like! Maybe I need to start lurking in some cupboards. (With an 18th C costume for him to jump into and a pop up 4 poster bed of course.)
Thanks for the laugh now… @Make mine a double….
Curious student of yours… take pics of him of course… lol
Edit: Him = BC of course
My student was a little strange. Very sweet but strange. And of course I will – look what that tape did for Kim Kardashian, lol. Don’t know how I’d manage everything in the cupboard; I only have one pair of hands but improvisation is the name of the game. ;p
Oh I’m sure they don’t dare mention the broom cupboard – you do remember that Benny the saint is not into casual sex, right? LOL.
is starting a flame war between these two sites a good idea? it’s just going to block CB with loads of bitchy fans-2-fans comments instead of discussing the topic at hand.
Yeah. Fair point Penny. You’re right. It was just a bit hard to resist.
Hopefully not… We’ll continue our comments about broom cupboards and other funny aspects… I’m not going to comment more about their thread… I come here for, mostly BC and TH , and for a few laughs because my students sometimes drive me insane and I need to laugh and snort coffee on the pc and things like that not to go insane.. Discussing 2 talented, beautiful men like them alongside broom cupboards / closets and what to do with them in such confined spaces and also their work, flaws, humanity, stupidity etc is always important…
@Make mine a double, were you the one who spoke about a book? oh no… sorry, it was @CoffeeCat.. I need that book on how to make love in confined spaces.. what’s the title???
Nope, wasn’t me but thinking of all the angles involved something along the lines of “The A-Z Guide to Advanced Sexual Geometry”. Comes with free set square and protractor just to make sure you’re hitting all those angles spot on. Also an anti-slip mat and crampons. (Maybe I’m getting too carried away now…)
LOL
I think that book title is “Size isn’t everything – how to get more vroom out of less room.” Or perhaps “Broom for manoeuvre – how to make big love in small spaces.” Ok I’ll stop now.
By the way Make Mine a Double, I love the idea of a pop up 4 poster. Do IKEA do them?.
LOL
… my headache is actually subsiding from laughing… 🙂
Well, I think I’m leaving you for today… My headache is coming back, think I’m going to rest and dream about Cumby and the broom cupboard… still have to cook dinner first…
Darn…
Bye.. sweet dreams about Cumby…
Very possibly with a terribly Scandinavian name like Bjorn or Sven. What worries me though is that it IS Ikea, so there would be some bits left over and could that have calamitous consequences mid romp?
I think I need a university grant, a prototype pop up 4 poster bed, a handy broom cupboard and BC or TH to act as the other tester with me. It’s all about health and safety. *whistles innocently*
A little bit of music to lighten up:
🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk
You go for it Make Mine a Double. This time next year you’ll be a millionaire!
By the way I forgot to give the authors names for those books. Its Ben Downe and Eileen Dover. I believe you can get them on kindle for iPhone. Handy if you need to reference them for help at a tricky point during a closet tryst.
@Nighty. Lord, I’m getting all sweaty just watching that video. And @bored, thanks for those names. I’ll download them now ;p
Lovely idea Nighty but I’m thinking adding two cellists and their, er, instruments to the broom cupboard might just be a tad over ambitious. But who knows? I haven’t made it all the way through “Broom for manoeuvre” yet. Maybe there’s a chapter on “setting the atmosphere ” which explains how you can save space and improvise much the same sound by using a classically trained canary.
Oh God, I wasn’t thinking about the cupboard when I posted the music, just about the music because I was listening to it and I think the 2 play fantastically…. lol
But that pic you’ve just painted requires a really good strategy,,,,
Couldn’t they just play outside? Or in an next door cupboard? In fact, I know. We just need the TARDIS. 😀
How would you feel about 2 cellists + Steve Vai playing electric guitar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfGggAGITwg
The TARDIS is a wonderful solution..
True. But if we’re still talking about Benny, I’m thinking he’s going to find it difficult to avoid the paparazzi if he takes to attending events carrying a collapsible four poster and accompanied by two cellists. Might just work if he calls ahead to check the venue layout for broom cupboards and gets everything set up in advance on the off chance the occasion arises – as it were…
Surely he has a PA he can get to do all this? And ya know, Hiddles never wears pants, maybe so he’s prepped and ready to go at the drop of the hat as it were. Benny, same theory, just more accessories. If I’m going to have a fumble in a broom cupboard I want to be as comfortable as possible.
Back on the topic of books, the title is escaping me right now – sorry, guys. I’ll try to describe the cover instead. Well, it has a dazzling young lady in the altogether wearing a horn helmet and holding a broom in her left hand and a big scientific calculator in her right and also a few coils of thick rope and a heavy rusty chain in the background. That’s all I remember. No, wait: the book came with a pair of free handcuffs. Don’t know why. Then again, it’s all about science and science is so complicated today. *blinks innocently*
Well, I think I’m leaving you for today… My headache is coming back, think I’m going to rest and dream about Cumby and the broom cupboard… still have to cook dinner first…
Darn…
Bye.. sweet dreams about Cumby…
Boo 🙁 Hope you feel better soon Nighty. Headaches absolutely suck. Just imagine Benny gently massaging soothing oils into your temples.
Another bullshit article. Enjoy it http://www.showbizspy.com/article/272336/panic-mode-benedict-cumberbatch-desperate-to-keep-gilrfriend-a-secret.html
How many more times can they post the same article with a different headline I wonder? Mind you maybe it’s true. Maybe the reason he only takes one outfit with him wherever he travels is because he needs the rest of the room in the suitcase for hiding his “secret girlfriend.” We need to start looking for very small women with “serious careers.”
“How convenient that he’s desperate not to be seen with her. I guess that’ll explain why we haven’t seen him with a date recently and won’t in the future. I’m sure it’s all because he’s desperate to conceal his own girlfriend, and not simply because he’s single. The logic is unassailable.”
This is starting to get sad. They’re just repeating themselves at this point. The more of these stories they release and the more I learn about the author of the site, the less I believe any of it.