First off, Vanity Fair has a nice little mini-pictorial/spotlight on Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne in the Jennifer Lawrence issue. Eddie got two photos (including one with a basket full of puppies) while Benedict just got one photo – Benedict looking brooding and sexy in a tree. As one does. I have to say, if I came upon an alien-otter in a tree, I might freak out a little bit and not in a good way. Benedict was also out in London with Keira Knightley and Keira’s husband on Saturday night. I’m including some of those photos at the end of the post. A blonde woman is behind Benedict but I’m almost positive that’s his publicist. No secret girlfriend, eh? (Yes, I’m trolling.)

Meanwhile, Benedict has a lovely new interview with NME. It’s mostly about Alan Turing and how much Benedict loves all things Turing. You can tell he’s really proud of this film. I’m not sure how much you want me to discuss Benedict’s quotes about Turing? While I find Turing fascinating and I’m half in love with Benedict, the combination of Benedict talking about Turing is oddly anticlimactic. So you can read the full piece here and here are some highlights that I found interesting:

Benedict on the awards season buzz: “If it gets people to see the film, frankly, that is all I care about. It’s early days and very flattering of course but there are a lot of other extraordinary films and performances people haven’t seen yet. But if it creates an interest for people to see what all the fuss is about then that’s fantastic because our jobs as storytellers are made easier if there’s an audience. And more importantly for me, having had some experience with this man I really want his story to be known and our film to be a launching point for a proper celebration of Alan Turing.”

The comparisons of Sherlock and Alan Turing: “Well, I’m limited by who I am and what I look like but at the same time they’re utterly different people. Alan doesn’t swish around in a long coat with curly hair demonstrating how brilliant he is… He’s a very quiet, stoic, determined and different type of hero. He’s smart but an outsider because of the conditions of his personal life. As far as the similarity that he’s socially awkward… What you see in the film is an evolution in him which is humanising. That happens in some aspects with Sherlock but I didn’t read the script and think, ‘This is Sherlock in tweed’. I liked how uncompromising he was but that’s always a stong trait in strong characters. I have played stupid people as well. I want to point that out. So if anybody’s got any more stupid roles for me, great, bring ’em on!”

Approaching Turing’s homosexuality: “His sexuality is something contained that is expressed in the film but not shown explicitly. There is no heterosexuality expressed in the film. So what we show in his behaviour is sadly true to his story. He had to suppress his sexuality, make it private, make it something secret. When he talks about his sexuality in the film it shows his complete honesty, guilelessness, innocence. He was aware of the risks but at the same time wasn’t willing to cave in to the intolerance and potential permutations of confessing such a thing. Some people own him as martyr or as standard-bearer for a cause. I think he was just very true to himself, which is a form of martyrdom, but he didn’t make a political statement out of it.”

[From NME]

That’s an interesting way of saying it – “There is no heterosexuality expressed in the film.” They can’t make Turing an out-and-proud gay man because he wasn’t, but he didn’t live a blatant lie and Travolta his way through life either. There is no hetero caricature. There is an absence of heterosexuality. That’s fascinating.

Oh, and good news! Benedict is in the new issue of Flaunt Mag. I’ve seen some of the editorial on Tumblr, but I’m not going to cover it until the cover is released.

Here are some photos of Benedict out in London Saturday night. I can’t help it, you guys. I loathe his haircut.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Vanity Fair.