Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed

by Lynnette Porter

  Cumberbatch did not respond to the media replays of Streep’s talk-show appearance and multiple articles touting Streep “throwing shade” at him. If the comments or tone suggested that Cumberbatch was not a “team player,” other reports - such as one of him dancing or having selfies made with locals at the wrap party[86] - reinforced his image as being friendly and polite on location.

  Filming Little Charles’ Scenes

  Local residents had a chance to watch Cumberbatch in action during a scene featuring Little Charles arriving home late for his uncle’s funeral, which is the catalyst for reuniting the Weston clan for the drama that ensues. On September 28, 2012, in downtown Pawhuska, Cooper and Cumberbatch filmed the father-son meeting at a “bus station” created for the film. Although Wells also filmed a scene of Cumberbatch riding on the bus, his expression revealing Little Charles’ anxiety, the director later cut it as unnecessary for telling this character’s story.[87] The first time audiences see Little Charles is when he steps off the bus and immediately begins apologising to his father. Onlookers watched the actors go through the scene for more than twenty takes until all the camera angles had been covered.[88]

  The scene is particularly emotional. Little Charles frets that he missed the funeral, which distresses him not only because he loved his uncle but because he knows he has given his family more ammunition against him. Head bowed, he tears up, taking Charlie’s handkerchief to blot his eyes and finally finding comfort in his father’s hug.[89] Little Charles’ innocence and openly revealed pain immediately illustrate this character’s childlike vulnerability.

  Julia Roberts (Barbara Weston) noted “That was my favourite scene in the play, and it was my favourite scene when I read the screenplay. To watch the way that [Cumberbatch and Cooper] did that, it’s heartbreaking”.[90] Roberts’ co-stars concurred. “This English kid walked in and absolutely fit into our family in the most touching way,” Streep marvelled, and Juliette Lewis, playing middle Weston daughter Karen, added that “Benedict is so beautiful and sweet as Little Charles. And when I say beautiful, I mean there’s this heartbreak in it”.[91]

  One reviewer singled out this scene as especially moving:

  [J]ust as [Little Charles] struggles to speak at all, it is a struggle to find the right words to describe how beautiful the scene between them is when father and son declare their love for each other... Cumberbatch in what is a small role is entirely awesome.[92]

  This critic further noted that even the moniker “Little Charles” indicates that the character has never been allowed to grow up and has trouble coping with the world. Cumberbatch further described Little Charles as a 37-year-old man “who has not found his purpose, and time is running out”.[93]

  The role is more of a stretch in characterisation (even with the need for Cumberbatch to try an Oklahoman accent) than audiences might expect. After all, it is a small part in few scenes; often this character is part of the crowd, sitting around a dining room table for a post-funeral meal, for example. Furthermore, because Little Charles is a pure soul who does not enjoy baiting relatives, he is a quiet outsider who could come across as simple-minded. Little Charles does not stand out in his family, but the actor’s job is to make him appropriately visible on screen. Cumberbatch makes the character memorable by showing audiences honest emotion. The actor does not clutter the performance with excessive gestures or bits of business.

  Perhaps the most striking part of Cumberbatch’s performance as Little Charles is a scene in which the shy, often browbeaten man plays a song he has written for the woman he loves. Like Little Charles, the song is straightforward with no emotional artifice. It is a pure expression of adoration. Cumberbatch, who often plays complicated characters with complex motives, lets audiences see who Little Charles can be when he is free to be himself.

  One bit of dialogue, just before Little Charles plays his composition, summarises his directness. When cousin Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) enters the living room and sees Little Charles by himself, intently watching a programme, she conversationally asks what he is doing. He replies, “Watching television”. He does not elaborate on this obvious statement or say it sarcastically. He directly answers the question he has been asked and sees no need to say more. The line could have made Little Charles seem unintelligent; by this time in the story his mother already has berated him for his inability to keep a job, and he often seems to miss subtle conversational cues. Little Charles does not seek to mislead or wound others with his words or tone but is refreshingly uncomplicated.

  Similarly, the music he composes consists of simple chords to accompany his singing, and the lyrics lack poetic imagery or layered meanings. Through music, he can admit that he does not use many words but wants to express his overwhelming feelings for Ivy. The song, “Can’t Keep It Inside,”[94] lasts barely more than a minute of screen time but is immortalised on the soundtrack CD.

  To prepare, Cumberbatch took piano lessons from Lee GrothOlson, the general manager of the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra. Like her other piano students, Cumberbatch visited her home for the lessons. Getting ready for the scene required about ten lessons, lasting as long as ninety minutes each, over the course of two weeks. GrothOlson and Cumberbatch worked on two songs, with the director choosing the one to be included in the film. Cumberbatch, who had prior experience playing the piano (for example, for his National Theatre role in After the Dance), required little correction during their lessons. GrothOlson reported that “There was only once that I had to say anything to him, because he was that good”.[95]

  Something that on screen seems as uncomplicated as this short song required several takes (not because of Cumberbatch’s musical talent) and involved a shift from piano to split-keyboard organ. The actor played the song and scene seven times so the camera could shoot over the shoulder of Nicholson (Ivy) to capture his expression; then the song and scene were repeated for seven more takes so that Ivy’s reaction could be filmed. GrothOlson was impressed with Cumberbatch’s performance: “That’s just him [singing and playing on film], and it’s really gorgeous. He can sing”.[96]

  The Reviews

  Not all reviewers thought Cumberbatch right for the role, although the majority seemed to find his work commendable, if not exemplary. Veteran film critic Rex Reed, who found much to criticise about August: Osage County, wrote that “England’s Benedict Cumberbatch [is] again miscast and trying on a Southern accent for size”.[97] The New York Daily News also labelled him “painfully miscast”.[98]

  Pure Film Creative writer James Killough went further by questioning whether Cumberbatch, who plays men of great intelligence so well, can be convincing as a character like Little Charles: “If you want to see the limits of a talented actor’s self-awareness, you need look no further than this performance”. The critic admitted that Cumberbatch had been limited by John Wells’ direction, which led to problems among the cast finding the right pitch for their performances, but Killough then deems Cumberbatch’s performance “painful”. His primary concern seems to be that “[t]here is no amount of acting that can turn Cumberbatch into a simpleton. He plays geniuses so perfectly because he looks like one. The wrongness of Cumberbatch’s casting and his wretched performance,” fortunately, according to this critic, will be forgotten and forgiven as merely a “mistake”.[99]

  This review begs several questions pertinent to Cumberbatch’s career. If a performance does not come across well to critics and audiences, is it the fault of the casting agent, the actor, the director, the actor’s management? Cumberbatch seems to be in charge of deciding which roles he wants to pursue or accept, but if a role is not deemed a success by critics, was it otherwise worthwhile for the actor? How many “mistakes” is an actor allowed at this stage of his career?

  With few exceptions, Cumberbatch’s work has positively impressed even those critics who dislike a film, and not all critics agree on the quality of a single performance. Wh
ereas Killough, for example, found Cumberbatch wrong for Little Charles, other critics enjoyed his performance. In one of the film’s first reviews from TIFF, Variety described Cumberbatch as “very touching as the clumsy, unemployed young man”.[100]

  Later reviews from cast members (such as the previously mentioned comment by Roberts) and the director support the idea that Cumberbatch gives a meaningful performance. Although critics usually disagree about some aspects of a film or performance, unless they unite to blast an actor, both thumbs-up and thumbs-down reviews might be expected without undue consequences to the public perception of an actor’s talent or marketability.

  More troubling is the perception voiced by Killough that Cumberbatch is inherently unsuitable for American roles. His accent, for example, in August: Osage County or 12 Years a Slave has been criticised by some as uneven or improbable, yet he has been offered other parts as American characters (e.g., The Yellow Birds) since the release of both 2013 films for which he learned distinctly American regional dialects. Killough also questions Cumberbatch’s look as a determinant whether he is right for a role; it seems like the critic relegates Cumberbatch to roles like Sherlock Holmes or Alan Turing because the actor looks intelligent.

  These criticisms, while in the minority of reviews, recur and hint at typecasting Cumberbatch as English or intellectual - similar to the comments made a few years ago in the U.K. by those who prefer the actor playing only posh. Cumberbatch, like all actors, may have limits to the roles he can play, but so far he has worked very hard at taking on a broad range of roles and striving for critics and casting directors to see him as far more than Sherlock or stiff upper-lipped men in period pieces. The question about his suitability for parts outside critics’ comfort zone, however, likely will come up again when Cumberbatch tackles roles quite different from what audiences expect.

  Learning from Meryl Streep

  Whereas Cumberbatch’s many talents readily lent themselves to this film, he also used the opportunity to learn more about his profession by studying Streep’s performance. As might be expected when an actor works with Streep, Cumberbatch wanted to pick her brain about acting. He admitted that he was “gauche” in going about asking his questions and approached Streep directly to inquire about her process. Her reply, “It changes, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it change for you?” reassured Cumberbatch. (In an interview in which he recalled this exchange, he broke out in a grin at the memory of this revelation.) “That’s a real relief. Because I know I don’t walk in and impose a working method on people.... [It’s] ... mightily impressive to see someone who’s that flexible still, who’s not tied in to a particular way of working”.[101]

  Long-Term Benefits of Small Roles in Big Films

  Small roles in major motion pictures can pay big long-term benefits to Cumberbatch because of his high-quality work, as well as industry and fan interest in seeing him promote films as well as act in them. A few of the long-term benefits are these:

  1. Directors like his work.

  John Wells, who directed August: Osage County, did not know Cumberbatch’s work prior to receiving his audition video. He complimented the actor on that audition, even if it was “recorded on an iPhone - and he must have filmed it himself because you could see that it was behind held at arm’s length, like a selfie... I was really taken with his talent”. Although other actors also auditioned for the role of Little Charles, none “had the warmth and humanity of Benedict in the part”.[102]

  Cumberbatch has worked with many of the industry’s leading directors, most recently including Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Peter Jackson (The Hobbit), Steven Spielberg (War Horse), Bill Condon (The Fifth Estate), and J.J. Abrams (Star Trek: Into Darkness). Co-stars who also direct, such as Gary Oldman, compliment his work and want him for films they plan to direct. Whether they already know his work or view an audition, these and other directors are now aware of what Cumberbatch can do. Even his ability to keep a secret, such as the nature of his role in Star Trek, has a bearing on the way directors perceive Cumberbatch. Word about an actor’s professionalism gets around, and Cumberbatch is continuing to develop a reputation for his excellent work ethic, high-quality performances, and on-set reliability.

  2. He makes connections with producers like George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

  As Cumberbatch has mentioned several times, he looks to the careers of Clooney and Pitt as a potential template for his own. Both stars work as much with their production companies as act for others; as producers, or as actors who have a role in their own films (as Clooney did in The Monuments Men and Pitt did in 12 Years a Slave), they have more control over the projects dear to them and the clout to make the films they want.

  With the creation of production company SunnyMarch, Cumberbatch has the potential to someday join their ranks. He gained experience as a producer by working on Little Favour, but he does not have the industry clout yet. With continued success in the film industry and the increasing ability to get financing beyond that from fan-supported crowd funding, SunnyMarch may influence his career direction.

  3. He becomes more closely associated with the Hollywood A-list.

  When actors are newly “hot” after starring in a well-publicised film, they often receive multiple film offers to capitalise on their popularity. After winning a prestigious award, for example, actors might expect a bump in pay and number of film offers to match the increased public and industry interest in an award winner currently in the news.

  A blockbuster or critically acclaimed film can do the same for someone “new” on the scene, even if that person has been a working actor for years. The Hollywood Reporter cover for the “new Hollywood A-list” issue featuring Cumberbatch helped establish him in the public eye as arriving at a new level of film stardom. 2013 became Cumberbatch’s “hot” year as his varied roles in multiple movies brought him to the attention of more people, whether they saw Cumberbatch as a villain in sci-fi or fantasy, a leading man, a supporting player, or a television star on the big screen. Cumberbatch’s association with A-list directors, BAFTA- and Academy Award-nominated films (the A-list of motion pictures), and A-list actors like Meryl Streep build his visibility and credibility.

  4. He is associated in the media and on screen with award-nominated and -winning films.

  Although August: Osage County did not receive as much love from the critics as 12 Years a Slave, it earned a high number of nominations worldwide. Streep, Roberts, or both were nominated for acting awards, providing plenty of attention for the film at the Oscars and SAG, Australian Film Institute, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Prism, and Satellite Awards, as well as numerous ceremonies hosted by critics’ associations in major U.S. cities.

  For Cumberbatch, the most professionally important awards ceremonies for August: Osage County were the SAG Awards, where he was part of the ensemble nominated as Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; the Capri Awards in Hollywood, which presented the cast with the Capri Ensemble Cast Award; and the Hollywood Film Festival’s award to the cast as Ensemble of the Year.

  12 Years a Slave, after being screened at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2013, immediately had that all-important buzz, especially after TIFF, where it took the People’s Choice Award. The film won three Oscars, including Best Motion Picture and was nominated for six other major awards; it also was named Best Film (or received a similarly titled award) by, among many others, the British Academy Film Awards, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards, London Film Critics’ Circle, and Producers Guild of America. The first review at the Telluride Film Festival pronounced the film “[m]ore than a powerful elegy,... a mesmerizing triumph of art and polemics,”[103] and the reviews and awards ceremonies following that August 2013 review supported the consensus that 12 Years a Slave will be long remembered.

  Sitting at the much-photographed tables at the SAG awards and get
ting on stage as part of the Best Motion Picture cast at the Oscars gave Cumberbatch greater visibility to the general movie-going public in 2013. Although he had similar red carpet and awards opportunities with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and War Horse in 2011, those films did not win as many awards, especially in the U.S. Although named Outstanding British Film at the 2012 BAFTA awards, Tinker, Tailor did not have the same popularity in the U.S. The 2013 films, especially 12 Years, were internationally recognised as being culturally and cinematically important, and whenever they are shown in the future, Cumberbatch’s scenes will be part of those films.

  5. He develops new skills and learns from his “homework” for these films.

  Of course, the actor could learn and has learned much from independent films and projects in other media - roles in ensemble casts are not the only opportunity for Cumberbatch to add more lines to his CV or more knowledge about history or literature. Nevertheless, ensemble film roles have helped him develop or improve upon skills and given him a reason to conduct his own research.

  For August: Osage County, for example, he learned an Oklahoma dialect and brushed up on his piano skills. Taking on yet another U.S. dialect was part of his work for 12 Years. Before he led a cavalry charge on screen in War Horse, he vastly improved his riding skills. He has performed stunts, learned choreography for fights, and donned a mo-cap suit for roles in which he is not the star. He also has taken control of long-distance auditions by, more than once, performing in front of his iPhone in less than optimal filming conditions in order to get a role within a big-budget film with a large cast. Every experience to audition for, research, and understand a role broadens his professional skill base and enhances his life education, both imperative for an actor’s growth; the roles in these ensembles have provided opportunities for many of those growth experiences. As well, these films show those in the film industry what he can do beyond “playing a British intellectual”.