Benedict Cumberbatch Says He Was Once Kidnapped and Held Hostage

Benedict Cumberbatch fundamentally changed after he suffered an alleged robbery and kidnapping.

“It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one,” said Cumberbatch, 48 Variety in a profile published on Wednesday, January 22. “It made me impatient to live a less ordinary life, and I’m still dealing with that impatience.”

The actor was filming for BBC To the Ends of the Earth in South Africa in 2004 when he went on a diving excursion with a group of friends. Their tire blew out on the way home, leading the group to pull over on the side of the road. They were then he was allegedly robbed and kidnapped by six men. Back VarietyCumberbatch and his acquaintance were forced into a vehicle and driven around for hours.

The suspects eventually let Cumberbatch and his peers out of the car, making them sit in execution style with their hands tied. The group remained seated as the attackers fled. Cumberbatch, for his part, was in his early 20s at the time.

Related: Stars Who Have Considered Quitting Acting

Most people have thought about quitting their jobs at one point or another – including some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. During a 2019 interview with Men’s Health Australia, Chris Hemsworth admitted that he was considering leaving acting behind after his role in 2009’s Star Trek led to fewer opportunities than he had hoped for. “I was about to (…)

After his eventual release, Cumberbatch came adrenaline junkie.

“The things that almost died did all that. It made me go, ‘Oh, okay, yeah, I could die at any time,'” he recalled to the outlet. “I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all kinds of risks. But apart from my parents, I had no real dependents then. Now that has changed, and that sobers you up. I’ve looked over the edge; it’s made me comfortable with what’s underneath. And I’ve accepted that that’s the end of all our stories.”

Ten years later in 2015, Cumberbatch married Sophie Hunter before going on to welcome three sons.

Related: Singing Stories Through the Years Marvel Stars

Superheroes want love too! The stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have not only connected meaningfully on screen, but have also found romance in their real lives. Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson married Colin Jost in October 2020, more than a decade after joining the MCU. Although the Saturday Night Live loves Marvel, but Johansson (…)

“The minute you have children this sense of time sinks in much more deeply,” Cumberbatch said. Variety. “My youngest turns 6 tomorrow, and I’m like, ‘I’ll be in my 60s when he’s 21,’ you know? It’s crazy. It has gone so fast. So there’s a huge shift in priorities, and it makes you appreciate what you’re doing with your life in a very different way.”

He added, “It’s weighing on me. When you becoming a parentyour thoughts turn more towards mortality. “

Parenthood has also inspired Cumberbatch to continue to take risks in his acting career.

“There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘I really want to try to create something together.’ It’s about perception,” the Doctor Stranger said a star. “It’s about getting comfortable saying, ‘I’m an artist rather than, you know, a bit of meat for hire.’ After all, time is running out.”