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Benedict Cumberbatch On How His Time In Tibet With Buddhist Monks Helps Him Get In Character As Doctor Strange

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 01:06 PST, Apr 15, 2016

Benedict Cumberbatch, the Academy Award-nominated actor best known for his breakthrough performance as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series of the same name, is gearing up for the next biggest phase of his career. According to Newsweek, there was something “strange” in the neighborhood, and it was Benedict Cumberbatch strolling around New York in his Doctor Strange costume.

Doctor Strange will be the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a universe already containing the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and all the other Avengers. During his recent sighting, Cumberbatch then entered a comic book shop, JHU Comic Books, to buy a Doctor Strange comic dressed up as the man himself. While he was there, the owner of the shop took a photo with him and posted it on various social media accounts with a clever caption.

By the looks of the gash mark on his right cheek, Benedict Cumberbatch must have just come straight out of shooting an action scene for the film, which will hit theaters in November of this year.

Somehow Benedict Cumberbatch makes acting look easy. He is such a consummate actor that he can effortlessly take a role and blend himself into it like a chameleon. Fans who have followed his previous movies would tend to agree that the characters he plays come to life all thanks to Cumberbatch and his acting prowess. According to the Huffington Post, Cumberbatch attributes his acting methods to Buddhist meditation and philosophies.

He might not formally be a Buddhist, but he philosophically describes himself as one. Fresh out of high school, Benedict Cumberbatch reportedly tried to save money by traveling to Tibet and teaching the monks English. He was given food and lodging, but he had to live with limited means and stay in tune with himself. In other words, he had to live like one of the Buddhist monks. The experience provided him with valuable insight as it made him a more peaceful, kinder, and considerate man. And he attributes meditation as a way to get away from the crazy world outside, a practice that has become invaluable to him throughout his life.

“I’d always been fascinated by the idea of meditation and what it meant. When you’ve been that still and contemplative, your sensory awareness is heightened and more sharply focused.”

He went on to describe how his meditation skills have helped him to further his career as a professional actor and how he views acting and meditation to be somewhat similar.

“Stillness is an essential part of acting. Sometimes as an actor you’re looking for the infinite. If you can hold that, if you can remember that in the chaos, it will anchor you and give you grace and ease.”

Fans of the Doctor Strange story will agree that the actor’s Buddhist background will definitely help him to bring Doctor Strange to life, especially due to the origin story of the character.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s life isn’t solely taken up with his role as Doctor Strange, as the actor has been spotted around New York with his wife, Sophie Hunter. According to the Daily Mail, Cumberbatch spent some time with his wife in between filming scenes at New York.

The couple was seen strolling around the location of the set itself, Manhattan, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city at sunset. Apart from being with his wife, he also took his 10-month-old son Christopher for a stroll in New York, according to the Sun.

Benedict Cumberbatch spoke on what it is to be a father.

“I have a new life form that needs his father’s help in the world, and his mother needs a little help once in a while. It’s what being a parent is about. It’s everything.”

[Photo by Anthony Devlin – WPA Pool/Getty Images]

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