As well as his faultless role in the BBC series of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch is best known for playing Doctor Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Just prior to his first appearance as the Sorcerer Supreme, Cumberbatch starred in Zoolander 2 as a non-binary fashion model, a role that brought a lot of controversy during the film’s release. While the actor did not directly comment on the matter at the time, in a new conversation as part of Variety’s Actors on Actors series featuring fellow Zoolander star Penelope Cruz, Cumberbatch called the role a “mistake.”
Zoolander 2 was released in 2016 as a belated sequel to Ben Stiller’s 2001 hit comedy about a dim-witted ex-supermodel. While original cast members such as Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson returned, the sequel also added talent like Cruz and Kristen Wiig to its line-up. Cumberbatch’s small role in the film was teased in the film’s trailer, which itself caused an outcry even before the movie was released. A number of petitions were created to demand the movie be boycotted for including a “cartoonish mockery of androgynous, trans and non-binary people,” although it was counter-argued at the time that the entire movie rested on its caricatures of numerous types of people.
Explaining how the character would now have been portrayed by a trans actor, Cumberbatch said that the whole thing was originally about showing how the world was changing and the context of the role didn’t come across quite as intended. He said:
“There was a lot of contention around the role, understandably now. And I think in this era, my role would never be performed by anybody other than a trans actor. But I remember at the time not thinking of it necessarily in that regard, and it being more about two dinosaurs, two heteronormative clichés not understanding this new diverse world. But it backfired a little bit.”
Benedict Cumberbatch Has Played A Number of LGBTQ+ Characters To Great Acclaim
Despite his role in Zoolander 2 causing a number of complaints, which the actor himself now addresses as being justified by today’s standards, Cumberbatch has had an otherwise flawless career when it comes to sidestepping roles that could bring about future controversy. Cumberbatch even took on the role of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, and though some criticized the movie for not focussing on the struggles Turing faced due to his homosexuality, the Human Rights Campaign praised its “subtle and realistic approach” to his story.
Cumberbatch’s recent movie The Power of The Dog sees him playing a character who is heavily suggested to be a closeted homosexual, and with the film having gained a lot of praise and awards, it has been another show of the actor’s abilities that fully counter any offense taken to his character in Zoolander 2 six years ago. Talking to Entertainment Weekly about his The Power of The Dog character, Cumberbatch said:
“It’s hard to watch what he does…. if our work has succeeded, you understand his motivations, and you should move toward an empathy for him, or at least an understanding. Not to condone his behavior, it’s part of the warning of the story, the moral of toxic masculinity is often born out of repression and feelings of being gaslighted or washed out or not allowed. There’s no space or cultural space or tolerance of them, not just his sexuality, which is a huge part of that, but also the performative nature of his masculinity.”