Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals 2004 South Africa Abduction Ordeal

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently opened up about a harrowing real-life experience that shaped his perspective on life. During an interview published this week, the actor revealed he was abducted and robbed in South Africa in 2004 while filming the BBC miniseries “To the Ends of the Earth.”

Cumberbatch, 48, recounted how he and his friends were ambushed by six men after their car tire blew out on a remote road. The group was tied up and forced to sit execution-style before their captors eventually fled. “It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one,” Cumberbatch said. “It made me impatient to live a life less ordinary, and I’m still dealing with that impatience.”

The actor described how the near-death experience influenced his behavior in the years that followed. “The near-death stuff turbo-fueled all that,” he explained. “It made me go, ‘Oh, right, yeah, I could die at any moment.’ I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all sorts of risks.”

However, Cumberbatch acknowledged that his perspective has shifted since becoming a husband and father. “But apart from my parents, I didn’t have any real dependents at that point. Now that’s changed, and that sobers you,” he said, referring to his wife and three sons. “I’ve looked over the edge; it’s made me comfortable with what lies beneath it. And I’ve accepted that that’s the end of all our stories.”

In the same interview, Cumberbatch also reflected on his acting career and addressed comments made by fellow Marvel actor Tom Holland about method acting. “There is that method, but it’s a mistake to think you can force it. That’s a dead end,” Cumberbatch said. “You have to really put your mind somewhere so you can respond to the moment. And that can mean drawing from your own life story or just your imagination.”

He added that his life experiences have enriched his craft. “It’s harder when you’re very young. I’m 48, so I’ve lived a bit of life,” he said. “I’ve experienced loss, I’ve experienced pain, I’ve experienced some of the very worst, as well as the best.”