Benedict Cumberbatch began his film career in 2006 and quickly gained recognition, even capturing the attention of Steven Spielberg. Cumberbatch played Major Jamie Stewart in Spielberg’s war film, War Horse. The Sherlock actor revealed that his standard actor’s joke had become a reality when Spielberg reached out to him. He had jokingly mentioned that he would take a break unless Spielberg called – which happened a mere week later.
Not as popular as the Jurassic Park director’s other war films, War Horse featured a compelling story and introduced a number of fresh faces to the screen. Spielberg, known for his World War II films, tackled World War I events for the first time.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Standard Actor’s Joke Came True
Benedict Cumberbatch’s iconic titular role in the TV series, Sherlock, first aired in 2010. Despite gaining popularity with television audiences, he continued to take on supporting roles in films. Cumberbatch had been planning a well-deserved break after a busy filming schedule when the unexpected call for War Horse came from Steven Spielberg.
During an interview with The Scotsman, the Doctor Strange actor discussed his film with Spielberg. Getting the role came as a delightful surprise, as he had joked about the Saving Private Ryan director a week before. Cumberbatch shared that he made the standard actor’s joke when a friend suggested he take a rest, saying he was going on a holiday unless Spielberg called. The Power of the Dog actor shared with The Scotsman (via IMDB):
“It’s the standard actors’ joke – “What are you doing after this?” “Oh, if Spielberg doesn’t call then I’m going to go on holiday.” But a week after I’d said that, I got the call to say I had the job. It’s one of those moments you never forget – I just fell off my chair. Which is not a good start to the horseriding.”
Interestingly, The Imitation Game actor also shared that he was nervous about the horseriding scenes. He added, “I saw the storyboards today and nearly shat myself. Some extremely good horsemanship is going to be required, and I’m hoping they won’t be relying entirely on me.” Tom Hiddleston, his co-star from the Marvel franchise, also appeared in the film.
Steven Spielberg Maintained Utter Secrecy For This Project
War Horse is adapted from the children’s novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo. While the cast for the film was announced to the public, its plot and filming process were kept a secret. The filming locations were sealed off with heavy security, and everyone who saw the script, including Benedict Cumberbatch had to sign confidentiality agreements.
The filming began in August 2010 and wrapped up within 63 days in October. Despite the secrecy of the project, the film involved a considerably large number of people, with 5,800 extras and 300 horses working in the film. The project was even codenamed Dartmoor, after the name of its primary location. Some local residents even complained that the production had disrupted their day-to-day lives as they often had to wait hours at the perimeter barriers or follow detours.
The discretion eventually paid off, as War Horse achieved both critical and commercial success. The film grossed $177 million at the box office and was nominated for several awards, including the Oscars. War Horse is now available for rent on AppleTV+.
