Benedict Cumberbatch Covers OUT November 2014 Issue

The Fashionisto

/

Published October 14, 2014

Benedict-Cumberbatch-Out-November-2014-CoverPin

Benedict Cumberbatch for OUT-Covering the November 2014 issue of OUT magazine, The Imitation Game actor Benedict Cumberbatch is photographed by Samuel Bradley. Connecting with OUT editor-in-chief Aaron Hicklin, Cumberbatch talks about playing gay mathematician Alan Turing and his role in breaking the Enigma code used by Germany during World War II.

On being openly gay in Hollywood:
“I think if you’re going to sell yourself as a leading man in Hollywood to say ‘I’m gay,’ sadly, is still a huge obstacle. We all know actors who are [gay] who don’t want to talk about it or bring it up, or who deny it. I don’t really know what they do to deal with it. Human rights movements and sexual and gay rights movements have made huge social progress in the last 40 years, without a doubt, but there’s a lot more work to be done. I think it’s extraordinary that every time we get to a point where there’s any kind of trouble in society, people are scapegoated very, very, very quickly.”

On the various slash fiction turning Sherlock and Watson gay:
“Because, you know, they either want to make John [Watson] into a sort of cute little toy, or me into a cute toy, or we’re fucking in space on a bed, chained together. It’s always , like, one of them is tired, one comes back from work, the other is horny, a lump appears in his trousers, and then they’re at it. It’s usually me getting it – I’m biting Watson’s dog tags.”

On his days at English boarding school, where sexual antics are supposedly notorious:
“While there was experimentation [at Brambletye], it had never occurred to me as Oh, this is that. It was just boys and their penises, the same way with girls and vaginas and boobs. It wasn’t out of desire.”

On the fact his latest character, Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, had to receive a posthumous royal pardon for being gay:
“It’s an insult for anybody of authority or standing to sign off on him with their approval and say, ‘Oh, he’s forgiven.’ The only person who should be [doing the] forgiving is Turing, and he can’t because we killed him. And it makes me really angry. It makes me very angry.”

On religious tolerance:
“People are being beheaded in countries right now because of their beliefs or sexual orientations. It’s terrifying. It’s medieval – a beheading! I’d take up arms against someone who was telling me I had to believe in what they believed or they would kill me. I would fight them. I would fight them to the death. And, I believe, the older you get, you have to have an idea of what’s right or wrong. You can’t have unilateral tolerance. You have to have a point where you go, ‘Well, religious fundamentalism is wrong.'”

Read more at Out.com.


Recent Updates

Idris Elba & Wife Star in Calvin Klein Eternity Campaign

Idris Elba & Wife Star in Calvin Klein Eternity Campaign

Calvin Klein's fragrance campaign for Eternity Aromatic Essence artfully captures the intimate connection between Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina ...
Mark Lee Covers Elle Korea April 2024 in Polo Ralph Lauren

Mark Lee Covers Elle Korea April 2024 in Polo Ralph Lauren

Mark Lee of NCT fame graces the April 2024 covers of Elle Korea. Photographed by Shin Sunhye and styled by ...
Matteo Berrettini Fronts BOSS Spring 2024 Watch Campaign

Matteo Berrettini Fronts BOSS Spring 2024 Watch Campaign

Matteo Berrettini brings new energy to timekeeping in BOSS' latest spring-summer 2024 campaign. The German brand, known for blending traditional ...
John Mayer for Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

John Mayer for Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

John Mayer and Audemars Piguet have collaborated to create a special edition of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar that captivates ...
Antoine Griezmann Moves Forward for Mango Spring 2024 Ad

Antoine Griezmann Moves Forward for Mango Spring 2024 Ad

Mango's spring 2024 campaign, "Move Forward," narrated by Antoine Griezmann's life and aspirations, aligns the athlete's spirit with the brand's ...
Kingsley Ben-Adir Fronts Gucci Horsebit 1953 Loafer Ad

Kingsley Ben-Adir Fronts Gucci Horsebit 1953 Loafer Ad

British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in the new Gucci advertisement for the reinvented Horsebit 1953 loafer. The campaign offers a ...