68 Kofi Outlaw. “’The Fifth Estate’ Review.” Screen Rant. 25 Oct. 2013.
69 “Cumberbatch Knew ‘The Fifth Estate’ Was a Flop.” BreakingNews. 7 Dec. 2013.
Chapter 4
Standing Out in an Ensemble: 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage County
“In an ensemble there are pure actors,... actors who love it”. [70]
Meryl Streep
By 2013, Cumberbatch’s roles and successes helped to market him more specifically to audiences beyond U.K. borders, but, to many critics, he still is most closely associated with British characters and productions instead of commercial Hollywood films. Two roles in U.S.-made movies provided him with further association with big names in Hollywood, such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Julia Roberts, and offered international audiences and critics the opportunity to see something different than Sherlock, Khan, or Smaug - the roles that the general public most likely associated with Cumberbatch.
During the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) premieres, Cumberbatch was seen on the red carpet not only for the gala opening night Fifth Estate in which he starred but with Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and other cast members from 12 Years a Slave. Cumberbatch answered nearly as many questions about the films in which he played a small role as for his star turn as Assange.
At the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and Oscar ceremony, Cumberbatch was linked to two major award contenders, which created the enviable dilemma of deciding with whom he would sit. At the SAG Awards, he told a reporter prior to the ceremony that he would spend time at both films’ tables, but on television he was shown sitting with the 12 Years a Slave cast. On Oscar night he was seated in the row with 12 Years producer/ actor Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, effectively placing him within view of the cameras panning the audience during the broadcast.
In such elite acting company, how does Cumberbatch stand out, whether in the movie or during publicity and awards ceremonies? As a celebrity, he found a few unique ways to make his face memorable at awards shows, including photobombing U2 on the Oscars red carpet, which led to a viral video making headlines that evening and for the next several days. As an actor, the quality of his work makes audiences pay attention when he is on screen, even when his scenes are brief. On set, Cumberbatch continues to make a good impression as a reliable, talented professional, whether he is a leading or supporting actor.
12 Years a Slave
Many critics informally named 12 Years a Slave Best Motion Picture long before awards season rolled around. As predicted, it became the big award winner at the Oscars. In the film, wearing period garb once more, Cumberbatch convincingly portrays Ford, a Southern U.S. plantation owner.
The actor did his homework for this role (as well as others), something that impressed an interviewer meeting with Cumberbatch in Covent Garden one day before the movie began filming. The reporter wrote that Cumberbatch “arrives with a canvas bag full of books, like a student heading to lectures”. The tomes covered world wars (part of the actor’s preparation for Parade’s End) as well as slavery. Two very different views on the latter topic, Cultivation and Culture and We Lived in a Little Cabin in the Yard, helped Cumberbatch prepare for his role as a “very paternal slave owner”.[71] The homework once again paid off in helping the actor create a “sympathetic” slave owner, if such a character can exist.
In this large ensemble, Cumberbatch’s character stands out as a “good man,” even though he is a slave owner who plays a pivotal role in the future torture of lead character Platt (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Cumberbatch makes Ford’s moral contradictions obvious. Because he is a Christian, Ford feels compelled to read the Bible to his slaves on Sunday and, in a moment of what many slaveholders would call “weakness,” listens to Platt’s engineering advice and praises the slave when he proves his idea is sound. However, for all the “humane” treatment of his slaves, Ford is still a man with debts and must make a profit from his plantation, including its human “property”. When Platt’s knowledge leads to a horrific encounter with a jealous overseer, Ford decides he can no longer keep this slave in the relative “safety” of his plantation and sells him to a much less “civilised” slave-holder.[72]
Perhaps what is important to Cumberbatch’s career is not so much this performance, which is note (or accent) perfect, but the fact that Cumberbatch is featured in such an important film. Although a small role in 12 Years a Slave will not erase Hollywood’s memory about The Fifth Estate’s poor box office, the latter flopped commercially, as many critics also pointed out, because of script problems. It is unfortunate that his first lead in a major motion picture, one that kicked off TIFF, received so much negative press, but Cumberbatch, as an actor and interviewee throughout the festival, made a positive impact and earned a great deal of media attention for his work and his words to the press.
Reviews of the Work, But Also the Actor’s Ancestry
When Cumberbatch became associated with 12 Years a Slave, articles revisited his ancestry, and his family tree includes plantation owners in Barbados about seven generations back. Some reviewers tried to establish a link between the actor’s talent for playing the role of a slave owner and his ancestors’ plantation management.
12 Years is the most graphic and realistic depiction of slavery in the U.S. on film to date, and it illustrates a historic past with which Americans have not yet come to terms. The subject of slavery - past or present - is controversial and emotionally challenging to discuss. Cumberbatch did not make apologies for his ancestors while filming or promoting the movie. Years ago, when discussing playing William Pitt the Younger, the actor suggested that the role was a “sort of apology” for his family’s Caribbean plantation. 12 Years reviewers sometimes seemed more interested on forcing Cumberbatch’s fans to come to terms with the actor’s family history rather than discussing his role in the film.
An article in the Daily Mail, for example, rationalised in its headline that “Benedict Cumberbatch’s Family Made a Fortune from Slavery (And... His Roles in Films Like 12 Years a Slave are a Bid to Atone for Their Sins)”.[73] This article, the most blatant among those linking the Cumberbatch family history in Barbados to the roles that Benedict Cumberbatch plays, would not have generated nearly as much interest if the public were not invested in him as a celebrity.
The Guardian asked whether Cumberbatch should apologise for his ancestors’ deeds and republished information that the actor had previously acknowledged that plantation owners were in his family lineage. The article noted that the actor once had “revealed” that his mother suggested that he use a different name professionally because of the potential for Cumberbatch to become targeted for “reparations claims by the descendants of slaves”.[74] Although many reporters picked up on this theme simply to attract readers to an article about Cumberbatch, the Guardian dealt with a few of the complexities of countries taking social responsibility for the aftermath of slavery: “The answer is not about being individually responsible, through our genes, but collectively accountable for the structural inequalities that have passed down through generations to shape today’s world”.[75] This article acknowledged that the continuing social, psychological, political, and economic issues surrounding slavery are more complex than they have been discussed in entertainment news that focused more on a celebrity than on slavery.
Reviews of Cumberbatch’s Performance
Not all reviews or news articles linking Cumberbatch to 12 Years emphasised his family’s past. Some critics looked only to the work at hand - his performance as Ford, which was far less controversial. Several reviews published in the U.K. included a publicity photo of Ford handing a violin to Platt, showcasing two of Britain’s leading actors (Cumberbatch and Ejiofor) in their roles in this film. Because Sherlock excels at the violin, the fact that, in his role as Ford, Cumberbatch handed a violin to Platt probably encouraged the use of
this photo.
In one interview, Ejiofor even discussed advice received from Cumberbatch about playing the violin on camera, because both had learned to play the instrument for roles. Ejiofor noted that Cumberbatch worries that he “always looks like he can’t play [as Sherlock] because they cut him in a strange way or they just don’t let it run with the same music he’s been learning, so he’s always like: ‘I could play that by now but it looks like I can’t’“.[76] Comments like these reinforce public perception of Cumberbatch’s perfectionism. He puts in the work to learn a new skill but then expects that his efforts will be accurately portrayed on screen. Whether he is doing as much of a stunt as a production company’s insurer and safety regulations will allow or playing the violin (or organ, as he does in August: Osage County), Cumberbatch’s comments indicate his interest in having the audience know exactly what he has done in a role.
Among all reviews and comments, The Huffington Post review most extensively commended Cumberbatch for his performance. After praising the leads for outstanding work, the critic then discussed his impressions of the supporting cast: “[O]n second viewing, however, it was Benedict Cumberbatch who made the biggest impact among the supporting players”. Furthermore, among Cumberbatch’s many roles released in 2013, 12 Years a Slave “really shows what Cumberbatch is capable of doing... [Ford is] a nuanced and complicated character, and Cumberbatch gets into his crack with little fuss or flourish”.[77] Ford is a striking, shocking character because he is so normal among his peers. A performance like this, even if it is a small role within an ensemble, shows why Cumberbatch looked at home standing on stage when 12 Years won the Oscar as Best Motion Picture.
The BAFTA Tea Party
Throughout the “Oscar weekend” of Hollywood celebrations, Cumberbatch made the circuit of parties and special events, where he was duly photographed. The actor is now part of the A-list crowd, as evidenced by his inclusion in the many media photographs and headlines from the prestigious BAFTA tea party preceding the Academy Awards celebrations. Cumberbatch’s name appeared alongside Academy Award nominees Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, and the actor’s style choice of a grey blazer, white shirt, and black trousers was called “dapper” and debonair.
Although Cumberbatch may be the man many celebrities want to meet, he is not above feeling a bit fanboy when he sees an actor he admires. At the tea party he “bumped into Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston... I know about the dry mouth and not knowing what to say”.[78] Such comments underplay the actor’s celebrity status by making him seem as much a fan of other actors as his fans are of him.
At the Oscars
Although Cumberbatch was not nominated for his role in either 12 Years a Slave or August: Osage County, he supported, often quite emotionally, his castmates who were. Sitting with the 12 Years cast, he especially was moved when Lupita Nyong’o’s name was announced. He held his hand to his mouth and looked close to tears after she stepped to the stage as Best Supporting Actress and delivered a moving speech. Fans tweeted the screen capture of Cumberbatch and their renewed adoration at his openly expressed emotion. When Ejiofor was named Best Actor and Fassbender Best Supporting Actor, Cumberbatch applauded enthusiastically.
At the end of the ceremony, when 12 Years won the Best Motion Picture award, Cumberbatch hugged Jolie as he headed for the stage. Grinning and joyfully congratulating his colleagues, he celebrated with the ecstatic cast.[79] Almost immediately, photographs and video of the award-winning film’s cast on stage while Pitt and director Steve McQueen accepted the award were splashed across the Internet and print entertainment news, and Cumberbatch was in every cast photo.
At one point during the awards show, host Ellen Degeneres took a selfie of as many famous people as could be possibly crammed in frame in what turned out to be a successful attempt to break the record for the most retweeted image. Ejiofor tried but could not fit into the photo that overwhelmed Twitter. A few minutes later, Degeneres asked Ejiofor if he had been in the photo, and when he explained it had been too crowded, she took a second selfie with him. Cumberbatch and Pitt, seated in the row behind Ejiofor, eagerly leaned forward to get in the shot. Cumberbatch’s grin may not have made it in the Twit pic that crashed Twitter, but his second photobomb of the evening was seen around the world on the live television broadcast.[80]
By taking the initiative to scoot forward and smile, he got into frame for the worldwide television audience, the first time he was caught on camera during the ceremony’s broadcast. For the rest of the evening, the camera captured Cumberbatch several times when cutting to the 12 Years cast, giving him more “face time” with the global audience.
At least he got involved in Degeneres’ photo from the audience. He missed her pizza run a little earlier in the show because he had to get ready to present a design award with Jennifer Garner. (Nevertheless, when, an hour later, Degeneres passed the hat to pay for the pizza, Cumberbatch reached for his wallet.)
Backstage, Cumberbatch almost literally ran into Degeneres, who was dressed in a wide-skirted pink fairy costume as part of a joke during the next segment. Struggling to let the host by, he teased that he had been “trapped by a massive fairy,” leading Degeneres to quip that he should not act like it was the first time. So the evening went, with Cumberbatch quotes and clips turning up online everywhere after the Oscars. Degeneres’ encounter with him, for example, was added to the online scrapbook of The Ellen Degeneres Show.[81]
When Cumberbatch donned his “professional actor” persona for presenting the award for Achievement in Production Design, once more he was serious. Looking stylish in his tuxedo, he walked out on stage and offered his arm to Garner, who took it for their brief stroll to the mic. If he was nervous, it did not outwardly show, although he had a bad habit of keeping his hands in his pockets or clasped behind his back while he and Garner introduced the nominees. Cumberbatch read his lines confidently and precisely, kissed winning production designer Catherine Martin on both cheeks as she received the award, stepped back to applaud, and gracefully made his exit in the proper direction.[82]
Even this small presentation is important, because Cumberbatch was included among Hollywood stars to present an award at the worldwide broadcast of the Academy Awards, the best known of all awards shows and one that, although always increasing the number of international films and actors considered for and receiving the Oscar, still is viewed as primarily an American event. Hollywood maintains its reputation as the place to be recognised among the film industry’s elite.
For Cumberbatch the actor, being included on stage as part of the cast of the year’s Best Motion Picture and having his name listed among the presenters are ample proof that his talent is welcomed and applauded and his celebrity increasingly acknowledged. Prior to the broadcast, Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron released the statement that they were “very excited that the Hollywood community will be turning out in force for [the] Oscar ceremony... We sought to include a tremendous diversity of stars to represent not only this year’s nominees, but the legacy of the motion picture business as well”.[83] As noted by his inclusion in this group, Cumberbatch has become an actor of importance, and seeing producers and directors and being seen by them at such an event undoubtedly underscores the fact that he should be considered for even more of their movies.
More than at previous Hollywood events, Cumberbatch the celebrity came out to play at the Oscars, and his photobombs and frequent appearance on camera showed a different persona than the formal British gentleman often described in the media. He clearly enjoyed himself, whether enthusiastically providing useful sound bites on the red carpet, posing next to a giant Oscar statuette, or leaping into U2’s photo. With two well-timed jumps, Cumberbatch leapt into the entertainment news of the day and started a lot of buzz. It was a perfectly executed stunt, and it got a lot of media attention. Thus, in one Oscar broadcast, Cumberbatch showed off both public personas, as accomplished ac
tor-turned-presenter and goofy guy having fun at the awards, and he earned a great deal of publicity for each. Cumberbatch may not have brought home an Oscar himself, but he had a win-win night.
August: Osage County
Another highly anticipated film in 2013 was August: Osage County, for which Tulsa, Oklahoma, native Tracy Letts adapted his award-winning play about the dark humour amid the turmoil within the dysfunctional Weston family. Meryl Streep summarised the plot as being “about a family that comes together, and all the old resentments and jokes are revived, like most family reunions”.[84]
Matriarch Violet (Streep) rules the family with vitriolic glee, and she only gets along with her supportive (enabling) sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale). Most of the time she antagonises her three daughters, as well as anyone who dares interrupt or correct her. Chris Cooper excels as mild-mannered Charlie Aiken, Mattie Fae’s long-suffering husband and comforter/nurturer to son Little Charles, which is Cumberbatch’s role.
Streep wanted to have her “family” of castmates nearby so that they could bond, instead of each leaving after work to go his or her own way. With the help of director John Wells, the majority of the ensemble cast moved into a block of condominiums in autumn 2012, where they met to begin filming on location in Osage County, Oklahoma. Living in close proximity seemed to work for many of the cast, who, during media interviews and press panels, uniformly thanked Streep for becoming the “matriarch” of their ensemble.
Although Streep praised Cumberbatch’s audition recording, discussed acting with him, and expressed her enjoyment of his work on Sherlock, she also sweetly criticised him for not joining the “family” living near each other for the duration of the shoot. During a Jimmy Kimmel Live appearance to promote the film, Streep explained her “idea that we all live together in a condo village behind the Toyota dealership,... [which] went over really well with some of the members of the cast,” including Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney, and Margo Martindale. “Actually Benedict Cumberbatch was in a special hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is in the center of Bartlesville”. Kimmel joked that “when your name’s Benedict Cumberbatch, you can’t stay in a condominium”. Streep had the last word: “You can’t cumberbatch down to where we are, no”.[85]
Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed Page 7
