Benedict Cumberbatch’s parents encouraged him to pursue a career outside of the family’s acting profession.
Cumberbatch is the offspring of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, which would seem to pave the way for a career in show business. His parents, however, cautioned him against pursuing the same line of work, offering blunt guidance.
“If anything, I was pushed in the opposite direction, with advice like, ‘Don’t do what we’re doing. It’s a foolish way to live,'” he recounted on Monday’s “SmartLess” episode, adding, “‘And family life is a disorganized mess of tentative commitments that are often canceled at the last minute because dad has an audition for a commercial.'”
“They prospered quite well in their respective fields. Especially Mom, in the commercial sector. Dad also excelled in theater. In the early days of kitchen sink drama, he was heavily involved with the royal court. But the key point is that they desired that I have opportunities they were not afforded, or that they did not have as my parents. They made it possible for me to get an education that could have led to a career as a lawyer or something similar.”
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Cumberbatch mentioned that despite his parents’ warnings, he had been bitten by the acting “bug.”
“…It largely stemmed from observing them … in their prime, excelling at their craft,” he clarified.
Cumberbatch’s father is known for roles in “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Downton Abbey,” and a number of British TV shows.
Ventham became a well-recognized figure on British television thanks to her roles in “UFO,” “Only Fools and Horses,” as well as guest roles in “Doctor Who,” and “Holby City.”
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The star of “The Roses” remembered watching his mother transform “in an instant” into a character.
“And I wondered, ‘What is that? Where did my mother disappear to just now?’ And yes, I started to get a feel for it. And as an only child, I think you’re already somewhat immersed in a rather secluded, imaginative world.”
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Cumberbatch’s defining role occurred in 2010 with the BBC’s “Sherlock.” He was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie in 2014 for the episode “His Last Vow.”
He also earned several BAFTA nominations for the part, and “Sherlock” marked a significant turning point in his career as he moved into larger film roles.
He has been in “The Imitation Game,” “Doctor Strange,” “12 Years A Slave” and “The Power of the Dog.”
