Displaying items by tag: joannabenecke
Friday, 03 March 2017 14:41
Our Favourite Otter: Being Benedict Cumberbatch
“Texting and talking have become a real problem but you have to understand that you can’t demand an audience’s attention, you have to command it.”
-Benedict Cumberbatch-
And he certainly did!
Let’s talk about the interesting phenomenon that is Benedict Cumberbatch! If you have not heard this name before, well, hi, welcome to the Cumberverse, you are very welcome to read this highly biased appreciation post based on facts, quotes and cheekbones.
No need to mention his films, it is hard to miss their release when the media is making sure you see enough ads to dream about them at night. Instead, let’s talk about the Benedict Cumberbatch we tend to forget.
Joanna Benecke wrote this short and entertaining illustrated biography called Being Benedict Cumberbatch. As a publishing student, I have to say that the layout of this book is amazing, and as a fan I fully recommend it as I learned a lot more than I thought I would.
So now, here are some underappreciated facts about our favourite British gentleman.
Unexpected skills
We all know he studied drama and that he is insanely well-spoken and polite, but did you know about his perfumer skills?
Benedict worked with a perfumer for six months and learned about blends and how to recognise the different notes and scents. Granted, it probably did not help his acting career but you have got to admire the skill.
Actually…
I am sorry for your nightmares tonight.
Tibetan monks
During his gap year he taught English to Tibetan monks and lived with them for half a year. Benedict said that he “could actually stay with monks in their home, watch them at work and at prayer, and get the chance to teach them and interact with them.”
Born to play Doctor Strange! Also, can we appreciate the fact that he took a gap year to teach?
Waltzing with Death
Waltzing with Death
This fact is a bit darker but I promise we will talk cheekbones afterwards.
When Benedict was in South Africa, he and two of his co-workers were carjacked and kidnapped while they were trying to change a flat tire.
With a gun on his head, Benedict managed to stay calm and “reason” with his kidnappers. They had been told a few days before how to behave during a carjacking, but what he did required a mind of steel and great courage. People underestimate how disabling panic can be.
It was not Benedict Cumberbatch’s first brush with death but it was certainly the most traumatic.
“It taught me that you come into this world as you leave it, on your own. It’s made me want to live a life slightly less ordinary.”
If you want more, definitely read Being Benedict Cumberbatch, it is light hearted, funny and full of the details you did not know you needed in your life. If you are still not convinced, remember that there are more than 85 full-colour photographs in there.
Happy cheekbones time!
Published in
We Are Live!