Benedict Cumberbatch inThe Power of the Dog.Photo: KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX
Benedict Cumberbatch’s acting homework paid off in real life.
The Oscar nominee plays a hardened ranch owner in Netflix’sThe Power of the Dog, and behind the scenes, he did some extra studying to get into character and make his performance more realistic. When filming wrapped, however, he still found practical applications for the herding skills he picked up along the way.
“[Director] Jane [Campion] encouraged me to stay in character. She was very secure about all the things I was insecure about and said, ‘Do whatever you have to do to feel ownership of this very different lived experience,’ " Cumberbatch began onThe Graham Norton Show, according toET Canada.
“So I went off to Montana for two months to find out what it is like to live on a ranch and to experience all those things you see in the film,” he explained. “It was incredible and so far from anything I have ever done.”
TheSherlockalum, 45, said he saved a distressed family from a herd of cows after finishing the movie.
Benedict Cumberbatch.Monica Schipper/Getty
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“I came back from shooting the film in August and we were off to the beach. To get there we had to cross a field, and in the field was a petrified family who just couldn’t move, they were frozen because of a herd of cows with calves,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘I can do this,’ and I just sort of parted the waves of cattle. The family was like, ‘That was incredible. Hey, aren’t you Sherlock?’ It was veryun-Sherlock activity!”
Cumberbatch toldThe Hollywood Reporterin November about also learning how to play the banjo in about a month for his role.
“The most painful thing to me, if I’m f—— honest, is trying to pretend I can play the banjo,” he said at the time. “[My character] is someone who has done it all their life, and I’m trying to master it in four weeks or something stupid. That’s tough.”
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TheDoctor Strangeactor also had to pick up Phil’s smoking habit, which came with its own consequences. He revealed toEsquirethat he was constantly smoking cigarettes for the film.
“Filterless rollies, just take after take after take. I gave myself nicotine poisoning three times,” he admitted. “When you have to smoke a lot, it genuinely is horrible.”
The Power of the Dog, now streaming on Netflix, received the most nominations of any movie atthe Oscarsthis year with 12 total.
source: people.com
