THE MUSICAL GUEST WAS ANDERSON
PACHT.
>>> YOU KNOW YOU'VE REACHED THE
HEIGHTS OF CELEBRITY CULTURE
WHEN YOUR ARMY OF FANS HAS A
NAME.
BEYONCE HAS THE BEHAVE.
JUSTIN BIEBER HAS BELIEVERS AND
OSCAR-NOMINATED ACTOR BENEDICT
CUMBERBATCH HAS INSPIRED A
PHENOMENON KNOWN AS CUMBERMANIA.
LONG BEFORE CUMBERMANIA SWEPT
THE GLOBE, HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL
STAGE ACTOR IN THE U.K.
HIS BREAK THROUGH ON SCREEN CAME
EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN HE STARTED
SHERLOCK HOLMES.
IN THE TIME SINCE HE HAS BUILT A
REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE BEST
AND MOST SOUGHT AFTER ACTORS IN
HOLLYWOOD.
BENEDICT AND I GOT TOGETHER HERE
IN NEW YORK FOR A SUNDAY SITDOWN
FOR A TALK ABOUT HIS CAREER AND
HIS LATEST, MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY
ROLE.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT
IN THE ROOM, PERHAPS THE
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM I SHOULD
SAY THE CHIN CHILL LA OR THE
FERRET IN THE ROOM, WHICH IS
YOUR MOUSTACHE.
WHAT HAVE WE GOT HERE?
VIEWERS WANT TO KNOW?
>> JUST USUAL MAN GROWTH.
I'M DOING A ROLE SO THIS IS
GOING TO BE SHORT AND SWEET,
THANK GOD.
IT GETS IN THE WAY OF FOOD
HYGIENE AND KISSING PEOPLE YOU
LOVE, LET'S PUT IT LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT PLEASANT FOR THEM.
>> BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH IS
ALWAYS PREPARING FOR THE NEXT
BIG ROLE.
IN A RUN OF SUCCESS THAT BEGAN
WITH THE HIT BBC SERIES
"SHERLOCK."
>> MY NAME IS SHERLOCK HOLMES
AND THE ADDRESS IS 221 B BAKER
STREET.
>> A PERFORMANCE THAT STILL HAS
HIS FANS IN THE U.K. AND HERE IN
THE U.S. CLAMORING FOR MORE.
>> ANOTHER SEASON OF SHERLOCK,
PLEASE.
>> THANKS, DUDE.
>> SHERLOCK PERHAPS IN AMERICA
WAS THE COMING OUT PARTY.
>> AND GLOBALLY.
IT JUST SHOCKS ME QUITE HOW FAR
REACHING THAT PROGRAM IS AND ITS
SUCCESS.
THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT
WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT FOR THE
AUDITION.
>> MR. HOLMES?
>> STILL LOOKING FOR IT.
I THINK WE'LL CALL IT A DRAW.
>> HE EARNED AN EMMY AWARD FOR
THE SHOW IN 2014.
>> GROW UP.
GET OFF MY SEAT.
>> "SHERLOCK" IS JUST ONE ON A
LIST OF ICONIC CHARACTERS, BOTH
FICTIONAL AND REAL THAT HAVE
MADE BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH A
HOUSEHOLD NAME.
>> YOUR CALCULATION IS WRONG.
>> HE PLAYED FAMED PHYSICIST
STEPHEN HAWKING IN THE 2004 FILM
"HAWKING."
>> I READ SOMEWHERE AFTER HE
PASSED AWAY YOU SAID, I WILL
MISS OUR MARGARITAS.
>> YEAH.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW STEPHEN HAWKING
DRANK MARGARITAS.
>> HE WASN'T ALLOWED TO.
HE WAS GOOD COMPANY.
FULL OF HUMOR, WARMTH, MUTUAL
RESPECT AND ADORATION ON MY
PART.
>> HE TOOK ON THE ROLE OF JULIAN
ASSANGE IN "THE FIFTH ESTATE."
>> AND HE EARNED AN OSCAR
NOMINATION AS ALAN TOURING IN
"THE IMITATION GAME."
>> WE'RE GOING TO BREAK AN
UNBREAKABLE NAZI CODE AND WIN
THE WAR.
>> YOU'RE NOT AFRAID TO PLAY A
REAL LIFE CHARACTER.
>> NO.
>> WHETHER IT'S JULIAN ASSANGE,
OBVIOUSLY "THE IMITATION GAME."
>> NO.
>> DO YOU SEEK THOSE OUT?
>> NO.
THE ONLY THING I SEEK OUT IS
SOME KIND OF ORIGINALITY
SOMETIMES.
>> NO ONE EVER WILL ACCUSE
PATRICK MELROSE OF BEING AN
AVERAGE JOE, THE TITLE CHARACTER
IN THE ACCLAIMED SHOW TIME
SERIES IS AN UPPER CLASS
ENGLISHMAN DEALING WITH DRUG
ADDICTION AND A DARK PAST.
>> WHEN I WAS EIGHT AND FOR
SEVERAL YEARS AFTERWARDS MY
FATHER ABUSED ME.
>> HOW GRATIFYING IS IT TO HAVE
BEEN CELEBRATED IN THAT ROLE THE
WAY YOU HAVE BEEN.
>> IT'S WONDERFUL.
WE DID SOMETHING WITH IT WHICH
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
>> I'LL HAVE ANOTHER OF YOUR
VERY FINE MARTINIS.
>> HE HAS MADE HIS NAME WITH
HEAVY ROLES BUT HE HAS VENTURED
INTO BLOCKBUSTER TERRITORY
PLAYING DR. STRANGE IN THE
MARVEL SERIES "THE AVENGERS."
>> DOCTOR.
>> DR.?
>> IT'S STRANGE.
>> REALLY?
>> I TRY TO KEEP MYSELF
INTERESTING SO THAT I SURPRISE
MYSELF AND HOPEFULLY THE
AUDIENCE.
>> CUMBERBATCH WAS RAISED IN
LONDON, THE SON OF TWO BRITISH
ACTORS WHO, BY THE WAY, WHO
HAPPENED TO DOUBLE AS HIS ON
SCREEN PARENTS IN "SHERLOCK."
>> I WASN'T BORN INSIDE THE
TRUNK BUT THERE WAS A GYPSY FEEL
TO IT, THE MOVING CIRCUS.
WHETHER IT WAS TOURS OF PLAYS OR
SEEING THEM AND IT JUST INSPIRED
ME AND MADE ME THINK, I WANT TO
HAVE A GO AT THIS.
I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
>> BUT HIS PARENTS WEREN'T
ALWAYS SO SURE THEIR SON SHOULD
JOIN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.
>> VERY SENSIBLE PARENTS WHO
WANTED THEIR SON TO BE EDUCATED.
>> IT WAS THEIR EXAMPLE.
>> THEY LOVED WHAT THEY DID AND
THEY'RE SO LOVED FOR WHO THEY
ARE WITHIN THAT PROFESSION.
>> AFTER VERY BRIEFLY TOYING
WITH A CAREER IN LAW,
CUMBERBATCH, INDEED, CHOSE THE
THEATER.
TODAY HE'S MARRIED TO ACTOR AND
DIRECTOR SOPHIE HUNTER.
THEY HAVE TWO YOUNG BOYS
TOGETHER AND THE ROLE OF DAD MAY
HAVE INFLUENCED HIS LATEST
CAREER CHOICE.
>> I'M GOING TO STEAL THEIR
CHRISTMAS.
>> HE PLAYS AN ICON OF A
DIFFERENT VARIETY.
THE GRINCH.
>> GIVEN THE KIND OF ROLES YOU
PLAY, WHEN SOMEONE CALLED YOU UP
AND SAID THEY WANT YOU TO PLAY
THE GRINCH, THIS GREAT ICONIC
DR. SEUSS CHARACTER, WHAT DID
YOU THINK?
>> FANTASTIC.
>> IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING FOR
PEOPLE TO ADOPT A CHARACTER
PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH AND
THEY HAVE SOME IMPRESSION OF.
>> YEAH.
>> BECAUSE YOU WANT TO KEEP THE
CORE AND THE INTEGRITY OF THAT
CHARACTER.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> HOW DID YOU APPROACH IT?
>> IT WAS JUST A PROCESS.
LOOKING AT THE ORIGINAL BOOK AND
REALIZING I COULDN'T BE THAT
KIND OF EVIL, MEAN, POINTY,
SPIKY FOR A WHOLE FILM AND TO
REMEMBER THAT HE REALLY ENJOYS
IT.
HE LOVES BEING THE GRINCH.
>> WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SEE IT UP
ON THE SCREEN?
>> MAGIC.
ABSOLUTE MAGIC.
>> WHAT'S THIS?
>> HEY, EXCUSE ME.
ARE YOU GETTING THAT?
>> NO.
>> BEYOND BEING A GREAT
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY MOVIE, WHAT'S
THE MESSAGE?
>> I THINK IT'S SORT OF TWOFOLD.
ONE IS THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T
STEAL CHRISTMAS IF WHAT YOU'RE
TRYING TO STEAL ARE THE MATERIAL
ASPECTS OF IT.
THE OTHER IS, IF THERE IS A
GRINCH IN YOUR WORLD OR LIFE, IT
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE GREEN, HE
COULD BE ORANGE, YOU -- THE ONLY
REAL WAY TO DEAL WITH IT IS TO
GO TOWARDS IT WITH LOVE AND
UNDERSTANDING AND KINDNESS.
>> A ROLE AND A MESSAGE TO MAKE
HIS ONCE RELUCTANT PARENTS
PROUD.
>> SO WHAT DO THEY SAY NOW?
THE BOY WHO THEY TOLD NOT TO
BECOME AN ACTOR, HE'S ONE OF THE
BEST KNOWN AND RESPECTED ACT
ORGS IN THE WORLD.
>> THANK GOODNESS BECAUSE
OTHERWISE THEY'D BE FURIOUS, YOU
KNOW?
>> AND "THE GRINCH" IS IN
THEATERS NOW.
THANKS TO THE BARLEY CORNER BAR
AND GRILL.
TO HEAR BENEDICT TALK ABOUT THE
CUMBERMANIA PHENOMENON, GO TO
OUR PODCAST.
ONE. THE ENTIRE
>> MORE OF DYLAN YELLING NEXT ON
"SUNDAY TODAY."