Benedict Cumberbatch may be best known for his roles as Khan, in Star Trek Into Darkness , or the title character on the BBC show Sherlock . Cumberbatch is a staple of social network sites, such as Tumblr , and has even inspired a group of fans that have dubbed themselves “Cumberb*tches.”
The term “Cumberb*tch” was officially added to the Urban Dictionary on February 16, 2011. Part of the definition, as listed by member missCumberbatch, shows as:
“1. Any woman who has a deep fascination with the wonderful, beautiful, talented English stage and on-screen actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
“2. A reference given to people who admire the beautiful features of Benedict Cumberbatch. ex- his green eyes, beautiful cheekbones, sexy tousled hair.”
However, Benedict Cumberbatch went viral on the internet when Tumblr user Red Scharlach shared an image comparing various pictures of the BBC star to otters in similar positions.
Since then, Cumberbatch has mentioned the meme in several interviews. He’s even shown his support, stating that he sees the resemblance!
Yesterday, the Tennessee Aquarium held a vote on Facebook asking members of their page to name one of their seven new otters. The seven suggestions that were used were: Delmar, Maya, Louie, Scout, Hunter, Digger, and Benedict (sometimes referred to as Benny).
A spokesperson for the aquarium stated that the name “Benedict” was definitely a “tip of the hat” to Benedict Cumberbatch.
“Guests may want to take pictures of Benny to see if his handsome face matches the actor’s facial features,” the spokesperson told Radio Times .
At the top of this article, you will see a picture of Benny the otter next to his namesake, Benedict Cumberbatch. Benedict is said to have been one of the smallest of the otters with the “darkest coat of the romp.”
A romp is what a group of otters is called.
Although many might find an otter being named after them the pinnacle of their career, Cumberbatch has plenty of things going for him in the near future. He’s set to take part in three different movies coming out in 2014.
Cumberbatch will be playing the main character, Alan Turing, in The Imitation Game . He’ll be returning as Smaug in The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies . Cumberbatch will even be voicing a character named “Classified” in Penguins of Madagascar .
With more Sherlock and further off movie parts on the docket for Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s a safe bet that otter memes of the star will be circulating for a while.
[ Images courtesy of Getty Images and Red Scharlach/Tumblr ]
