The terrifying experience of being kidnapped and held captive in South Africa is recalled by Benedict Cumberbatch
The “Thing with Feathers” actor who was involved in the event stated, “It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one.”
Benedict Cumberbatch is talking about a terrifying event that happened to him while he was working abroad 20 years ago.
Ahead of his film The Thing with Feathers’ 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere, the 48-year-old actor talked to Variety about how, in 2004, while filming the BBC drama To the Ends of the Earth in South Africa, he was kidnapped and held captive for hours.
Cumberbatch told the newspaper, “It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one.” “Living an unconventional life made me impatient, and I’m still coping with that impatience.”
Variety claims that after going diving with his pals, Cumberbatch had a tire blowout on the way back. Six men kidnapped them when they were stuck, looted them, made them drive around for hours, tied them up outside, and then ran away.
The actor from Doctor Strange claimed that his “near-death” experience “turbo-fueled” his desire to partake in activities like skydiving that some could consider high risk.
“It made me realize that I could die at any time,” he said to Variety. “I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all sorts of risks.”
“But at that time, I didn’t really have any dependents other than my parents. The actor went on, “Now that’s changed, and that sobers you.”
