The most challenging director Benedict Cumberbatch ever worked with: “It was difficult as hell”

Posted On January 15, 2025January 15, 2025

From bringing Sherlock Holmes to a whole new generation of fans to taking on Thanos as Dr Stephen Strange to his Oscar-nominated turns in The Imitation Game and The Power of the Dog, Benedict Cumberbatch has done very well for himself. He has proven himself capable of tackling a variety of roles, serious and dramatic, even if he does struggle to say the word “penguin”. 

He’s worked alongside an array of accomplished directors in his time. Peter Jackson directed him in the Hobbit series and JJ Abrams oversaw his transformation into Khan Noonien Singh for Star Trek Into Darkness. He’s also appeared in movies by Steve McQueen, Sam Mendes, and Steven Spielberg, as well two short films directed by Wes Anderson. 

The Englishman portrayed the title character in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, based on the Roald Dahl work of the same name. The plot follows Mr Sugar, a wealthy man with a gambling problem, who discovers the ability to see with his eyes closed through a mystical guru. He then uses his newfound powers to increase his winnings. Cumberbatch spoke to Collider about what it was like to work for Anderson, explaining that, as whimsical as his movies are, they are also extremely taxing. 

“It was the most extraordinary brain gym I’ve had since doing the Sherlock deduction scenes for that series,” he said. “It was a wonderful thing to be in and a wonderful feeling to do. It was difficult as hell, real tummy-rubbing, head-patting stuff. But again, another reason to get out of bed in the morning. It was fantastic and I adore him. I adore him as a person to be around, to watch, to learn from, and just to be a friend of. What a privilege. And to do it again recently, literally last week, was amazing.”

As well as Henry Sugar, Cumberbatch also appeared in another Dahl-inspired, Anderson-directed short, Poison. He plays Harry Pope, a British man who, while in India, is pinned to his bed by a venomous snake. It’s up to his two associates – played by Ben Kingsley and Dev Patel – to rescue him before it’s too late. Poison was one of four pieces collected into the 2024 anthology film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More. 

I think every experience with Wes is a unique experience,” the actor revealed. “He’s just an extraordinary auteur and cineaste and a crater of good taste that feels his own, as well as borrowed and inspired by his heroes. It’s a unique experience to be on a Wes Anderson set and literally to step through those sets. With the layers of Henry Sugar, we were shifting between narration and character, and you’re literally walking through scenic flats that are flying up, you’re ripping off costumes that have pyjamas underneath the dinner jacket, you’re being handed chips and walking through a lobby, and then going to play blackjack a table with Ben Kingsley being a croupier.”

Anderson must have enjoyed working alongside Cumberbatch, as he’s due to appear in his next feature. The Phoenician Scheme, a spy movie with a comedic twist, will also feature previous Anderson favourites like Scarlett Johansson, Willem Dafoe, and Bill Murray (of course), as well as newcomers Riz Ahmed, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Michael Cera.

Details of the plot are sparse, but we know that Cumberbatch will be playing a character called ‘Uncle Nubar’. 

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