After rising to fame as another modern-day version of Sherlock Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch
became a regular number 1 on the list of most desirable bachelors.
Anyone hoping to attract the classically-trained actor was left waiting for the opportunity
to steal his heart.
But it all changed when the famous actor announced his future marriage.
Welcome to Rumour Juice!
Today’s episode will look into a fairy-tale love story of Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie
Hunter.
Sophie Hunter, an opera director, was the lucky lady who tied the knot with Cumberbatch.
A year after the rumours about their potential romance started circulating, the lovebirds
became husband and wife.
Unsurprisingly for a man who's always been fairly reluctant to discuss personal life
with the press, Cumberbatch wasn’t that open about his emotional bond with Hunter.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter first met in 2009 when the pair both starred in
Burlesque Fairytales, a 1930s-set thriller staged in a London theatre.
But it doesn't seem like sparks flew instantly between them.
Cumberbatch was seeing another actress at the time.
And even when they went their separate ways in 2011, he started another romance.
In fact, it would only be four years after Cumberbatch and Hunter first clapped eyes
on each other that the slow-burning couple realized they were meant for each other.
Yes, Cumberbatch and Hunter reportedly only began dating in 2013.
Of course, they soon made up for a lost time as within another two years they got married
and become parents!
It appears as though Benedict Cumberbatch is an old-fashioned gentleman when it comes
to love.
The Oscar nominee traveled from London to Edinburgh in 2014 where he asked Sophie Hunter's
mother for permission to propose to her daughter.
And then once he asked the question, The Imitation Game star and his new fiancée decided to
reveal it all in a very traditional manner.
Yes, instead of announcing the happy news on social media or in a press statement, the
couple chose to take out an advertisement in the Births, Deaths and Marriages section
of the British newspaper The Times.
According to the BBC, the very old-school notice read, "The engagement is announced
between Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch of London, and Sophie, daughter
of Katherine Hunter of Edinburgh and Charles Hunter of London."
As Cumberbatch shared in the interview, one of the most incredible things about getting
engaged was that the couple had no idea people would be so pleased with their romance getting
serious.
It was just as if the moment they shared news about love and their future marriage, the
world went filled with love and affection.
Their families and friends were extremely glad about
the couple’s future.
Interestingly enough, Cumberbatch and Hunter turned out to be hopeless romantics.
Valentine's Day is extra special for the couple.
Isn’t it adorable that they tied the knot on February 14, 2015, with a small ceremony
in the village on the Isle of Wight in England?
Their reception took place at the nearby Mottistone Manor.
The venue was especially significant for Sophie, as she is related to the family who previously
owned the manor.
Unsurprisingly for such a private couple, they decided not to share any photos of the
occasion with the press.
And their only remark about the big day was a one-word comment made via their spokesman:
"magical."
But what drew the couple together in the first place?
Before settling down with Hunter, Cumberbatch was asked what he looks for in a partner.
And the typically private star gave a surprisingly detailed response.
"A woman who knows that she doesn't have to get all decked out to look good is sexy,"
was the first criteria he mentioned.
The Londoner also stated a sense of humor, intelligence and the ability to be a team
player are must-have qualities.
He also made an analogy about doubles tennis.
He described it as, "You need to work well together if you are to stay partners for a
long time".
But Tracy Peacock, Cumberbatch's sister, once claimed that brainpower was the quality that
his brother found most attractive: "You would have to be a pretty smart cookie to keep up.
I think that is possibly why he has trouble with girlfriends," she opened up.
Hunter, however, doesn't appear to be lacking on that front.
As the Independent noted, "Hunter studied French and Italian at Oxford University, before
completing a course at the prestigious Jacques Lecoq school of theater in Paris."
Considering they announced their engagement in the Births, Deaths and Marriages section
of a British broadsheet, you probably won't be surprised to hear that Benedict Cumberbatch
and Sophie Hunter aren't exactly prolific social media users.
That’s the way the couple keeps things under the radar.
But over the years, they became more open about their emotions in public.
Yes, their attitude to public displays of affection certainly changed since they first
started dating.
In their early days together, the media experts noted that the couple tried to avoid the prying
eyes of fans.
But when they got married, the pair can't seem to keep their hands off each other in
public.
At the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards, Cumberbatch passionately kissed his wife on the red carpet.
And then while making his acceptance speech for his Leading Actor winning performance
in Patrick Melrose, he confessed, "I do have to thank one other person who is very important
in my world, which is my wife, Sophie, and our family.
You're my rock."
Cumberbatch told once that Hunter was his number one fan.
"She's proud of my work, she's proud of me, and she loves me," he opened up.
"That's the bottom line, isn't it?
That's one of the reasons it's a good fit.
It could be a really difficult thing, but she's just so in command of it."
Apart from that, the couple’s appearances in public show their love for fashion.
Cumberbatch always appears to be immaculately dressed on screen, but his sense of style
is just as impressive in real life.
In fact, Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter may well be one of the most fashionable celebrity
couples around.
We’ve been wondering, what strengthens their marriage?
Could it be the couple’s ability to find the right balance between professional and
personal lives?
For instance, Cumberbatch leaves work, that's it, nothing can distract him from spending
time with the family.
The Oscar nominee explained that his wife often doesn't read scripts for his upcoming
movies, just to create a boundary between his performance and their personal relationship.
He shared, "I mean, the joy of returning home to the family is what that is, and if you're
portraying something other in your work, then the divide is very, very simple."
Similar rules work when it comes to the actor's popularity with women.
While Cumberbatch has a notorious female following, he said that Hunter couldn't be bothered by
all the attention he receives.
"She's just so in command of it," he shared the details of how she deals with his popularity
with women.
"It could be a difficult thing, but she's just really cool.
It's really impressive."
Maybe, women are so attracted to Cumberbatch because he’s also an off-screen hero?
According to a 2018 report, the Sherlock star was eager to react after seeing a delivery-man
being attacked by four muggers in London.
Cumberbatch and his wife traveled to a club just prior to the incident, which coincidentally
occurred just around the corner from Sherlock Holmes' fictional address at 221B Baker Street.
"I didn't know it was him at first," the couple's driver, Manuel Dias, said later.
"I went to turn down into Marylebone High Street, and we saw four guys were pushing
around a cyclist."
The Doctor Strange star jumped out of the car to pull the men off.
They turned towards him and things looked like getting worse, so the driver joined in.
Cumberbatch stood there, shouting, “Leave him alone”.
The driver also described the actions of Cumberbatch, "He seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
… He did most of it, to be honest.
They tried to hit him, but he defended himself and pushed them away.
… Then I think they also recognized it was Benedict and ran away."
After the attackers fled, Cumberbatch asked the victim of the crime how he was feeling.
Then, he just hugged the guy.
The driver reflected on the situation, "Benedict was courageous, brave and selfless.
If he hadn't stepped in, the cyclist could have been seriously injured."
Metropolitan Police reported that nothing was stolen from the victim, although muggers
tried to take the victim’s bike.
Luckily, the victim didn’t require hospital treatment.
But the criminals weren't arrested.
While Cumberbatch has since been hailed as a hero for saving the man, he insisted that
it was just a natural reaction to the situation, "I did it out of, well, I had to, you know."
Yes, Cumberbatch seems to be a man of great courage and politeness, so he truly deserves
a reputation of a gentleman.
His well-mannered nature also reflects on his relationship with the wife, as the couple’s
fairy-tale romance continues to bring them joy and happiness.
And we hope that the affection between Cumberbatch and Hunter will last for the years to come.
So while we’re keeping a close eye on their love story, let us know what you think about
the couple’s relationship.
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