Benedict Cumberbatch is an actor that sees the varying challenge that comes with taking on a
new character. He is often very involved in the creation of the characters he ends up playing,
however, the biggest changes made along the way are simply results of trial and error.
Cumberbatch has stated in several interviews that a lot of the characters he plays are
reflections of himself, they riff off of his personality, but in a way, each character he portrays has
its own stylizations and differences. When asked on his views on method acting, Cumberbatch
responded by saying that it is both a combination of his personal opinion and methods taught to
him by his parents at a very young age that draw him towards the particular style of acting. Cumberbatch commented on how he embraces the character he plays for a while until he sees he has completely understood them, but more often than not, Benedict says that he will find out new things about his character as he delves deeper into their personality and lifestyle. For example, when talking about his latest character's stutter, Cumberbatch stated that the speech impediment became part of the character and not part of the voice he had to do when playing that character. It was an adequate challenge to take on, and as the relationship between actor and character grew, he just knew when and how the stutter and how it should be implemented into the character, regarding everything from the letters that become stuttered, to the type of emotions that would increase the difficulty of speech. The most interesting part of it was not the epiphany of how to use the character's stutter, but how it made an impression on his own life, and how he even admitted to experimenting with the stutter around friends, seeing which ones he liked best by implementing them into his own life. All in all, Cumberbatch's priorities lie in personalization and self-reflection in a character, believing that these techniques create a better connection for the actor and the audience. However, never should a character be the same- instead they are like paintings, all by the same artist (sharing a style), but each with something new that makes it sell, and that special quirk in the character is what months of experimenting leads to. That attribute only comes after the character is fully understood.
1. I have learned that it is important to implement one's self into the characters they play, and that the use of this technique will usually result in the betterment of the character, and if everybody is brave enough to include personal aspects of themselves in their character, the betterment of the entire play.
2. I now know that it is important to give personal feedback and advice in the creation of my character, and overall, to be responsible in the development of my character. I shouldn't be afraid to add personal aspects to my character as long as they are for the better.
new character. He is often very involved in the creation of the characters he ends up playing,
however, the biggest changes made along the way are simply results of trial and error.
Cumberbatch has stated in several interviews that a lot of the characters he plays are
reflections of himself, they riff off of his personality, but in a way, each character he portrays has
its own stylizations and differences. When asked on his views on method acting, Cumberbatch
responded by saying that it is both a combination of his personal opinion and methods taught to
him by his parents at a very young age that draw him towards the particular style of acting. Cumberbatch commented on how he embraces the character he plays for a while until he sees he has completely understood them, but more often than not, Benedict says that he will find out new things about his character as he delves deeper into their personality and lifestyle. For example, when talking about his latest character's stutter, Cumberbatch stated that the speech impediment became part of the character and not part of the voice he had to do when playing that character. It was an adequate challenge to take on, and as the relationship between actor and character grew, he just knew when and how the stutter and how it should be implemented into the character, regarding everything from the letters that become stuttered, to the type of emotions that would increase the difficulty of speech. The most interesting part of it was not the epiphany of how to use the character's stutter, but how it made an impression on his own life, and how he even admitted to experimenting with the stutter around friends, seeing which ones he liked best by implementing them into his own life. All in all, Cumberbatch's priorities lie in personalization and self-reflection in a character, believing that these techniques create a better connection for the actor and the audience. However, never should a character be the same- instead they are like paintings, all by the same artist (sharing a style), but each with something new that makes it sell, and that special quirk in the character is what months of experimenting leads to. That attribute only comes after the character is fully understood.
1. I have learned that it is important to implement one's self into the characters they play, and that the use of this technique will usually result in the betterment of the character, and if everybody is brave enough to include personal aspects of themselves in their character, the betterment of the entire play.
2. I now know that it is important to give personal feedback and advice in the creation of my character, and overall, to be responsible in the development of my character. I shouldn't be afraid to add personal aspects to my character as long as they are for the better.