Benedict Cumberbatch’s Awkward Encounter With Radiohead
Benedict Cumberbatch opens up about his cringeworthy first meeting with Radiohead, sharing how nerves got the better of both parties. The actor also discusses his admiration for the band and teases his upcoming film roles.
They say you should never meet your idols, but even the most famous faces can get a bit starstruck. Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his roles in Sherlock and as Marvel’s Dr Strange, recently shared a story that proves even A-listers aren’t immune to a bit of awkwardness when meeting their heroes.
While Cumberbatch has been busy with some pretty heavy film projects—like The Thing with Feathers, a drama about a widower haunted by a crow symbolising grief—he’s also a massive fan of Radiohead. The Oxfordshire band, who’ve just wrapped up a sold-out European tour, have long been a favourite of his. He’s spoken before about how much their music means to him, and it turns out the feeling is mutual. Thom Yorke and the rest of the group are fans of his work as well.
Backstage Nerves and Mutual Admiration
Back in 2017, Cumberbatch had the chance to interview Yorke while promoting his film The Current War. But their first meeting happened a couple of years earlier, and it didn’t exactly go smoothly. As Cumberbatch recalled,
(Radiohead producer) Nigel Godrich and (director) Edgar Wright came to see me in Hamlet; they came backstage afterwards and we had a nice, long chat. I said to Nigel: ‘I’m a massive Radiohead fan, I don’t suppose any of the boys would want to come and see some Shakespeare?’ So Jonny (Greenwood) and Thom came one night and afterwards we talked backstage.
Despite both parties being at the top of their game—Radiohead playing to packed stadiums and Cumberbatch fresh off an Oscar nomination—the meeting was anything but smooth. He admitted,
I was really nervous because it hadn’t been a great performance, so I was looking at the ground all embarrassed. But so were they – and Thom was muttering: ‘Yeah, we’re really big Sherlock fans…’ There was all this shifting around, all looking at our shoelaces. It was so weird!
Upcoming Projects and New Directions
Looking ahead, Cumberbatch has a few new films on the horizon that sound a bit more upbeat than his recent work. First up is Guy Ritchie’s Wife and Dog, a true story about a bloke who uncovers the dangers of a major pesticide and takes on the company behind it. The cast includes Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins, so it’s shaping up to be a big one.
He’s also set to star in Blood on Snow, directed by Oscar-winner Cary Joji Fukunaga. This one’s about a hitman who falls for the wife of his client—the same woman he’s been hired to kill. And then there’s Morning, a film set in a world where a pill eliminates the need for sleep and an artificial sun keeps the sky bright. Laura Dern, of Jurassic Park fame, will be joining him for that one.
From Stage to Soundtrack
Despite his success on screen and stage, Cumberbatch’s admiration for Radiohead remains strong. He’s not shy about sharing which of their songs have stuck with him over the years, and it’s clear the band’s music has played a big part in his life. Even after an awkward first meeting, the mutual respect between the actor and the band is obvious.
Whether he’s tackling heavy drama or lighter fare, Cumberbatch continues to keep things interesting—both in his career and in the stories he shares about meeting his own heroes.