Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in the TV series, “Patrick Melrose.” —SHOWTIME
LOS ANGELES—It was the morning right after the grand Hollywood premiere of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Benedict Cumberbatch and most of the huge cast went up the stage of the Dolby Theater before the Russo brothers’ epic movie was screened. Then, there was a big party upstairs at the ballroom. But here was Benedict, reporting for our morning interview.
“I apologize,” he said for starters. “Can I say something first? I’m incredibly hungover, which is perfect for talking about ‘Patrick Melrose,’ so you’ll just have to forgive me. It’s not often you get to open a film as big as ‘Avengers. Just to warn you if I’m incoherent.”
But the actor looked good. “Thank you,” he replied. “I credit the hair and makeup people.”
Asked if he wanted a tea bag to go with what looked like hot water, Benedict said, “No, this is ginger. I usually cook it with the ginger in.”
Amid the huge cast of the “Avengers…,” Benedict and his Dr. Strange character stood out. He is also winning acclaim for playing the title role in “Patrick Melrose,” Showtime’s five-part limited series.
As Dr. Strange
The show is based on London native Edward St Aubyn’s five novels, republished as a single volume in 2012. Edward, called Teddy by Benedict and his friends, wrote the books that were inspired by his own turbulent life.
The author, who grew up in an affluent but dysfunctional family, was sexually abused by his father, and went through family deaths, alcoholism, heroin addiction and recovery, marriage and parenthood.
Benedict Cumberbatch —RUBEN V. NEPALES
Excerpts:
The Russo brothers said they didn’t want to give the scripts to everybody in the cast because they were so afraid of leaks. What was it like to work on a film like “Avengers: Infinity War” when maintaining secrecy required almost like a military operation? It didn’t affect me… It was a hard copy so please—Russia, whoever—don’t try and hack my computer (laughs). You won’t find any gold there…
But was there talk among the actors about how strict it was regarding the script? No, we were all a bit relaxed about that. There are lots of secrets before in the Marvel Universe.
These aren’t the first films that are coming out that have secrecy around them. They’re keen to keep the secrecy until Friday, when it opens (here), and audiences get a view of it.
Do you feel like family at the end of the shoot? Yes, but it’s like a large family gathering.
I do know the other actors, whether I’ve spent time with them or sat with, like (Robert) Downey and (Tom) Holland.
(Tom) Hiddleston is a friend. I met (Sebastian) Stan a long time ago when he was doing the first “Captain America” in London … (Mark) Ruffalo and Scarlett (Johansson), whom I was with in “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Zoe (Saldana) is also one I’ve worked with before.
Can you talk about how delicious it must have been for you as an actor to do your scenes in “Patrick Melrose”? You’re right. Any actor reading these books would say, “Christ, what an amazing source material to play, what a rich experience that will be to play out that narrative arc on such an extraordinary canvas.”
It’s 55 years of a man’s life—from a 5-year-old who’s abused by his father into addiction, self-destruction, annihilation, sobriety with a pointless noncontributive existence to being married and having kids, and so on …
And the journey eventually to salvation, addiction again and the final betrayal of an unloving mother.
Whether you’re an actor or not, the novels are just a joy to read. The novels are among the stand-alone achievements of 21st century literature.
It’s blisteringly funny. As an actor, you have very dark places to excavate. It’s rich material. I mean my involvement in it as an actor and producer, but also because of guarding not only the legacy of these extraordinary works of fiction.
It’s a very thinly veiled, self-professed, alter ego for the author. He (Edward St Aubyn) is a dear friend through this process.
Benedict Cumberbatch (second from left) with “Avengers: Infinity War” costars Benedict Wong, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. —MARVEL STUDIOS
How candid was your conversation with the author about which parts are autobiographical? He was utterly transparent about his experiences and where they did or didn’t match Patrick’s.
What was fascinating was the mix of drama and humor. It’s in Teddy as well and his circumstance, how he deals with it, but it’s also in the books.
That’s not something we had to work hard at, other than honoring it from the books because the balance is exquisite.
It’s just wonderfully, breathtakingly funny. Then suddenly, these deep charges of emotion or event take place, and you’re just left reeling.
So, it was important for us to get that balance right. But again, the template for that is in the whole five-book series.
But did you discuss with the author how to portray Patrick Melrose? Absolutely. Of course I did.
Did you do other research for the role? I also consulted a wonderful husband and wife team named Cheryl and Russell. Dr. Russell, partly through his work at Liverpool University, is studying addiction.
They’re an extraordinary couple. They were also equally transparent and generous about the reasons behind addiction, the psychological mapping of personality types and how this comes about through certain circumstances which are universal—prey on class, gender, ethnicity.
As you’ll see, it’s a very white-privilege world that he lives in, but when he hits rock-bottom and reaches for help, he’s in a room with people from every walk of life. It has to do with wanting to either self-destruct, give himself love or an escape from his reality.
By the time we meet him as a well-heeled addict fully in the grip of cocaine and heroin addiction, he’s someone who’s pushing himself toward the edge and the end, possibly.
Cheryl and Russell were very helpful with that, as well as all the paraphernalia—how you do what, whether it’s for shooting up, cooking and snorting, all of that.
It was intense to watch. How did it feel to be in the shoes of this man? And how did playing this man psychologically affect you? As I always say in these instances, I leave my work at the door. I just have to shut it off. I’ve got lots of things outside of my work at the moment that just do that instantly.
It is hard work. You feel engaged and gripped, but it’s a rough ride at times. The other thing to remember as well is that there are passages of time in his life. There is salvation. This is a story of hope by the end.
The series shows some painful relationships. How do you get relief from pain? Fortunately, I’ve not suffered pain on the levels of my characters. So I don’t need to go to the same extremes.
But I meditate, I dance, I have fun. I have a pretty lovely life at the moment, and it’s quite private.
If you are in a deep, dark mood, what gets you out of that? “The Simpsons” (laughs).
What else would you like to try as an actor? People say, oh, you should do more comedy.
Sure. Musical, horror. I haven’t done those genres yet.
But my appetites are created by different things. I am more interested in who I work with, more than anything else.
For me, it’s about directors. I do have a wish—that’s to work with director Paul Thomas Anderson.
Some people are addicted to ice cream and chocolate. What is your addiction? I don’t obsess over things. There were certain things I gravitated toward for a bit when I was a child, but I always kept my interests quite varied.
Was singing and dancing part of your childhood. Yeah, I did musicals. We did everything at school and university, as well.
I learned to read music by singing in a choir. That’s how I started with music, rather than with an instrument.
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.