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Q&A: Benedict Cumberbatch on Star Trek, Sherlock and Julian Assange


Benedict Cumberbatch hits Hollywood at warp speed this summer, armed with a space suit and a name that would make even Charles Dickens blush. The English actor is best known as the titular character on BBC Americas Sherlock, but this weekend, Americans will meet him as the vengeful terrorist John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness. Cumberbatch spoke with Rolling Stone about his natural state (ramshackle), intense fan following (@cumberbitches) and his next role (code-cracker Alan Turing).

Summer Movie Preview 2013: Star Trek Into Darkness

I read that you werent a Trek fan growing up.
When youre a kid, Star Trek is a slower burn. Its funny, its entertaining, but it also has a maturity about it which is its universal appeal, I think. Its about the nature of existence, what it means to belong and what future democracy could be.

How would you describe your character, John Harrison?
Hes a one-man weapon of mass destruction, driven by super-human levels of emotion. The care he has for his people, his crew and his family is a complete parallel to Kirk.

What did you mean when you called him a home grown terrorist?
Well, sadly, its all too relevant one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Hes someone thats activated and manufactured in a way by Star Fleet, and its a scene that has come back to haunt him. And you dont have to look far into the daily news cycle to see, whether its U.S. foreign policy or the actions of some terrorists, how this is a modern day truth that we sadly have to live with.

At The Movies With Peter Travers: Star Trek

Chris Pine said you bring a scalpel-like precision to the performance. Is that true for your other roles?
I think some things are much more organic or ramshackle. I played the wonderful role of Little Charles for the film version of August Osage County, with Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep at the helm. Little Charles is anything but scalpel like hes this lost soul, this thirty-something kid whos just purposeless. Its a modern tragedy, the opposite of the kind of entertainment in Star Trek. And of course, people might draw comparisons between Harrison and Sherlock, too, but I do try to mix it up. I had to work really hard at that position, actually. Im not that much like Sherlock. Its not something that comes easily to me. Im much more of a ramshackle. I know I speak fast, but I dont have a good memory and Im not half as intelligent as he is.

You have an incredible fan following. What has been your weirdest experience?
Oh God Ive had a few. I got live tweeted once by someone who was opposite my home in some rented accommodation. He was actually describing on twitter what I was doing. I took a shirt off, I went to the window, I put a shirt back on. . . And Ive got blinds in my flat! Im not walking around going, Hi everybody. So that was quite weird. I get odd presents, too. I get strange letters where people. . . I wont go into details actually, because I think to air the weirdness is also to give it life and breath, and I think its better that it kind of walks away.

You tried to meet with Julian Assange for your next project, The 5th Estate, but he refused. Why do you think he did that?
Thats definitely a question that Julian should answer. My instinct would be that he thought it would mean he was condoning a project that he doesnt give his support to and thats no secret. A lot of the film will address WikiLeaks, which achieved an extraordinary revolution in modern media, the transparency of information. And thats not a bad thing: we need to look at how these structures and the hypocrisies evolved. They tell us what to do, they take our tax money and do with it what they please, and then behave immorally. The good work that was done by that organization is celebrated as much as examined in the film. Hopefully hell get to see it somehow. I dont think hell jump up and down and give it his full support, because I dont think he wants any film being made about him right now.

If given any opportunity, what role would you play next?
Alan Turing. Thats the person Im playing after Sherlocks third season finishes. Turing is one of the biggest unsung heroes of our day he basically built the origins of the computer. His homosexuality was exposed in the fifties, a horrendously intolerant time in our history. But his intelligence was how we won the second World War, it is as simple as that. He did it. He cracked the enigma code. This is going to be an exploration of his quiet, unique and difficult personality, sure, but mainly itll introduce this man to a new generation who havent heard about his exploits before.

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