British Actors You Should Know: Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch is sort of the Platonic ideal of British actors. Even his name sounds as though it was created in a lab tasked with coming up with the most aristocratic-sounding moniker possible that still allows the internet to have some good old-fashioned fun mocking it. (See also: Bandersnatch Cumberbund, Bandicoot Cabbagepatch, and so forth. It’s all meant with love!)

Making a name for himself in period pieces, biopics, and quirky dramas before breaking into superstardom with his performance as the great detective himself in the BBC’s Sherlock, Cumberbatch is an actor who tends to gravitate to specific types of roles: Difficult geniuses, tortured artists, repressed rich guys, and complicated real-life figures that range from Vincent Van Gogh to Julian Assange. He’s won an Emmy, a BAFTA TV Award, and an Olivier, and has been nominated multiple times for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and film BAFTAs.

But because Cumberbatch is so booked and busy, it can be difficult to keep up with the many (many) excellent roles he’s had across film, television, and the stage. Here’s our attempt to help cut through the noise, with a guide to some of his best roles.