Cumberbatch: ‘I felt responsible for Alan Turing’s legacy’

Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken of the pressure he felt playing Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

The actor said that he felt the responsibility of playing the role right in order to preserve Turing’s legacy.

Speaking to Attitude, he said: “In some ways the importance of getting it right for Alan was difficult, as it should be. But I had a great team: from Sarah Shepherd, our dialect coach, to all the team of creatives and HODs. They were a great group who were all on board for all the right reasons.

“They did so much of the heavy lifting, and Graham’s script was such a delight that a lot of the film felt incredibly natural. Rehearsals with the talented cast helped hugely too. So, yes, it was a difficult role made easy by my co-workers I guess!

“The hardest aspect was the responsibility of getting it right for Alan’s legacy.”

The 38-year-old said that he was “shocked” to discover how little was known about Turing’s life prior to the film.

“I was shocked by how – relative to his achievements and what he endured – he is comparatively unknown. The common reaction from people who see the film is the question of “why didn’t I know about this before now?” To me and many, Alan is a war hero. A philosopher, scientist, inventor, gay icon and war hero,” he said.

The Imitation Game is in cinemas now.

You can read the full interview with Benedict Cumberbatch in the latest issue of Attitude, which also features interviews with the cast of Channel 4’s Cucumber and E4’s Banana.

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