Benedict Cumberbatch admits to emotional struggles in fatherhood
Cumberbatch says he used his experience as a dad of three to play a grieving father in 'The Thing With Feathers'
November 09, 2025
Benedict Cumberbatch is speaking candidly about the challenges of fatherhood and how they shaped his latest role.
The Doctor Strange actor, 49, is a father to three sons, aged ten, eight, and six, with his wife Sophie Hunter.
Now he stars in an independent film The Thing With Feathers, playing a father trying to navigate life after the sudden loss of his wife. The story follows him and his sons as they struggle with grief.
Cumberbatch recently told The Times that his own experience as a parent helped him connect with the role.
“My costume was covered in tears. There were so many costume changes. It’s the unexpected things which make you cry, which is so true to grief,” he explained.
He also reflected on how his upbringing shaped him as a parent. Having attended the all-boys school Harrow, he said he still feels the effects of growing up without sisters or girls his age.
“I’m still struggling in ways I wouldn’t if I’d had sisters my age or been in a co-ed school. It’s b*******,” he admitted.
