Benedict Cumberbatch reveals long-lasting impact of being kidnapped in South Africa
Share:
Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed the lasting effect being robbed and abducted in his 20s has had on him. The actor, 48, is best known for his action-packed roles in shows including Doctor Strange in the Marvel Universe and Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock.
While his life on screen is filled with drama, the actor has revealed that he now craves adrenaline in his everyday life after a traumatising incident in 2004. Benedict explained in a recent interview that earlier in his career while shooting for the BBC miniseries To The Ends of The Earth in South Africa, he was involved in a frightening kidnapping.
![[2004 Benedict Cumberbatch in BBC show To The Ends of the Earth]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236993726-99a3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The actor explained that he and a group were robbed and abducted by a group of men after they pulled over on the side of the road in Durban. They were forced into a car and drove around for hours until the thieves let them out, tied them up, and then made them sit as if about to be executed. The men then fled the scene.
![[2004 Benedict Cumberbatch in BBC show To The Ends of the Earth]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236993727-c0a2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=352)
The actor revealed that the experience has now made him ‘impatient’ to live life in the slow lane. ‘It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one,’ he says, shifting in his seat.’ he said to Variety. ‘It made me impatient to live a life less ordinary, and I’m still dealing with that impatience.’.
He also explained that now he prefers skydiving and adrenaline-fuelled pursuits to wind down. ‘The near-death stuff turbo-fueled all that,’ he said. ‘It made me go, “Oh, right, yeah, I could die at any moment.”. ‘I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all sorts of risks. But apart from my parents, I didn’t have any real dependents at that point. Now that’s changed, and that sobers you.
