Benedict Cumberbatch’s worldwide fans are about to go into a tizzy since Radar Online has just confirmed that the Doctor Strange actor was kidnapped and held captive at gunpoint.
The actor recently revealed this tragic story when he was talking about the motivation behind his recent heroics — as fans of the actor know, he proved to be a real-life superhero when he jumped to the rescue of a man who was being attacked by four men while in London.
Benedict Cumberbatch said his motivation had to do with the time he, himself, was kidnapped, and the ordeal he went through.
In 2005, he was driving to the set of To The Ends of the Earth in Durban, South Africa, with some friends. It was while he was on his way to the set that he came upon some kidnappers, and that’s when things took a turn for the worse.
Cumberbatch said that it was “cold and dark,” and he felt “rotten,” because he’d read about instances where people didn’t survive their kidnapping encounters, and where he was, was a notoriously dangerous place to live and visit.
He said that six people, armed with guns, came upon him and told him to “look down” and put his hands on his head. At that point, he said that his adrenaline kicked in and he realized that he was “f***ed.”
Benedict Cumberbatch then said that the kidnappers tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car.
It was then that he wondered if he was going to be “raped or molested,” and questioned the captors about their intent with him.
Melrose fam, we want YOUR take on the #PatrickMelrose poster art for our new cover photo! Tweet your art to us using #PatrickMelroseArt by 6/15 for a chance to be featured. pic.twitter.com/qfr9qcNyxw
— Showtime Limited Series (@SHOLtdSeries) June 7, 2018
When he couldn’t get an answer, he was really afraid that he was going to die.
It was then, however, that the kidnappers let their now-famous victim go — they just dumped him off in the middle of nowhere, untied him, and absconded into the night.
Benedict Cumberbatch is currently enjoying a great deal of critical and commercial success for the Showtime limited series, Patrick Melrose . The show, which aired every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. EST, and is currently in repeats, also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and is based on the semi-autographical novels of Edward St. Aubyn, which he wrote from the 1980s until the early 2000s. The show is directed by Edward Berger and written by David Nicholls.
A little peek of what’s to come on the finale of #PatrickMelrose this Saturday. #Showtime pic.twitter.com/kXtQfZnBjO
— Showtime Limited Series (@SHOLtdSeries) June 6, 2018
Benedict Cumberbatch, of course, plays the titular role of Patrick Melrose, while his friend and The Crown star Claire Foy rounds out the very talented cast.
