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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch gained fame for playing the titular character in BBC’sSherlock. He later shot to superstardom with his performance as Dr. Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As most of Cumberbatch’s roles have proven to be a hit with audiences, one of his most controversial roles has fallen to the side and been mostly forgotten.
In an interview, Cumberbatch spoke about his casting in the role of a transgender person for the much-awaited second installment in theZoolanderfranchise. However, Cumberbatch’s casting wasn’t received well and faced severe backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, resulting in the actor regretting his decision. Here is what Cumberbatch had to say about hisZoolander 2role.
Benedict Cumberbatch Regretted His Most Controversial Role to Date inZoolander 2
Benedict Cumberbatchwas cast in the role of All, a non-binary fashion model in the second installment of the Ben Stiller-led and directed action comedy franchiseZoolander. The sequel was released in 2016 and received mostly negative reviews.
The film garnered controversy over Cumberbatch’s portrayal of All. The LGBTQ+ communityreactednegatively to Cumberbatch’s performance in the movie, describing it as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals.
In a 2022 interview withVariety, Cumberbatch spoke about the controversy surrounding his casting in the movie. The actor expressed regret over his portrayal of a non-binary and admitted that if the movie was to be made today he would not have accepted the role.
I think in this era, my role would never be performed by anybody other than a trans actor.
Cumberbatch made the above statement, revealing that the creative team failed to understand the sensitivity of having a cis actor play the role.
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At the same time, Cumberbatch expressed the decision to cast him had backfired. However, the actor admitted that he completely understood why there was so much contention around his role. Cumberbatch hadfaced a similar but less severe backlashregarding his casting as Khan in theStar Trekfranchise.
Zoolander 2Writer Justin Theroux Reacted to Benedict Cumberbatch Casting Controversy
Zoolander 2was written byJustin Theroux, Nick Stoller, Ben Stiller, and John Hamburg. The latter two have also worked on the script for the first installment. However, the backlash over Cumberbatch’s casting and portrayal of a non-binary model in the movie did not sit well with Theroux.
I don’t even know what to make of it, because it hurts my feelings in a way.
Theroux made the above statement toThe Wrap, expressing that he felt hurt by the negative reactions, adding that he took great care while writing the jokes and did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings.
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At the same time, Theroux explained that while it was important to hear everyone, he wished people had watched the movie before criticizing the actor and his performance. Nonetheless, the film emerged as a box-office flop,grossing$56.7 million against a $50 million budget, and has mostly been forgotten by the mainstream.
Zoolander 2is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1772
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
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Benedict Cumberbatch
