Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English film, television, and theatre actor. His most acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking (2004); William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace (2006); the protagonist Stephen Ezard in the miniseries thriller The Last Enemy (2008); Paul Marshall in Atonement (2007); Bernard in Small Island (2009); and Sherlock Holmes in the modern BBC adaptation series Sherlock (2010). He will also portray Smaug the Dragon through motion capture and voice the Necromancer in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.
“While fans’ patience was tested during the ups and downs of development on The Hobbit, production is now finally underway in New Zealand with our loyal Middle Earth captain Peter Jackson at the helm. While Jackson has been posting production diaries from the set (and will continue to do so throughout the year-long shoot), one of the biggest questions is what Jackson’s version of the dragon Smaug will be like. For those unfamiliar, Smaug is the main antagonist in the story of Bilbo’s adventure. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock) signed on to portray the dragon, and Steve recently got the chance to speak with Cumberbatch as part of the press day for the thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Read more of the article on Collider.