Benedict Cumberbatch reflects on being kidnapped and held hostage for hours

Benedict Cumberbatch reveals harrowing kidnapping ordeal during BBC show filming in South Africa. The Doctor Strange actor was forced into a car at gunpoint on an isolated road.

Benedict Cumberbatch recently shared details about a terrifying armed robbery and kidnapping incident that occurred while he was working on a BBC series. Speaking with Variety magazine, the British star recounted the chilling experience when he and two companions were abducted by armed assailants after their vehicle broke down on a secluded road in South Africa.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ held at the Regency Village Theatre on December 13, 2021 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

The 48-year-old Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy actor was shooting the BBC mini-series To the Ends of the Earth alongside Emmerdale actress Denise Black when they were confronted by a group of men who forced them into a vehicle. Cumberbatch, who was in his late 20s during the incident, described how the perpetrators drove them around for several hours and robbed them of their belongings. He said the experience fundamentally transformed him and “gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one.” He noted that the trauma from that night continues to affect him, even after two decades.

“It made me impatient to live a life less ordinary, and I’m still dealing with that impatience,” he said. The incident occurred when Cumberbatch was still establishing himself in the entertainment industry. He had only secured a few television roles before taking on the lead character of Edmund Talbot in the BBC’s adaptation of William Golding’s literary work. The traumatic experience unexpectedly sparked his interest in high-adrenaline activities and extreme sports, including skydiving.

“It made me go, ‘Oh, right, yeah, I could die at any moment’,” he said. “I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all sorts of risks. But apart from my parents, I didn’t have any real dependents at that point.”

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch poses on the red carpet for the Laureus World Sports Awards Shanghai 2015 in Shanghai, China, 15 April 2015. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

“I’ve looked over the edge. It’s made me comfortable with what lies beneath it. And I’ve accepted that that’s the end of all our stories,” he shared.

In a 2013 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cumberbatch provided more harrowing details about the life-threatening encounter. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art alumnus described how six armed individuals emerged from the darkness, ordering him and his fellow actors to keep their eyes down and raise their hands above their heads.

“They began searching us, demanding: ‘Where’s your money? Where’s your drugs?’ — we had smoked a bit of weed — ‘Where are your weapons?’ And at that point, this adrenaline of fight or flight just exploded in my body. I was like, ‘Oh f—, we’re f—ed!'”

Benedict Cumberbatch at the 94th Annual Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, USA on March 27, 2022. Photo credit: depositphotos.com

“I was scared, really scared,” he continued. “I said: ‘What are you going to do with us? Are you going to kill us?’ I was really worried that I was going to get raped or molested or just tortured or toyed with in some way, some act of control and savagery.”

Without warning or explanation, the assailants suddenly released their captives, disappearing into the darkness. Following this, Cumberbatch describes experiencing a profound new appreciation for life itself.

“It really, really enriches your values in life,” he explained to THR. “It’s incredibly important.”