Benedict Cumberbatch reveals long-lasting impact of being kidnapped in South Africa-Laura Harman-Entertainment – Metro

The actor has revealed how a 2004 kidnapping has changed him forever (Picture: Alessandra Benedetti – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

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.

Benedict revealed 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 situation that has changed him forever.

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.

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.’

The actor has explained how the ordeal has shaped him (Picture: Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)

Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC show To The Ends of the Earth (Picture: BBC)

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.

‘I’ve looked over the edge; it’s made me comfortable with what lies beneath it. And I’ve accepted that that’s the end of all our stories.

The actor was in his 20s when the ordeal unfolded (Picture: BBC)

The actor has previously spoken about the experience that took place in his early 20s and given details of how the event unfolded.

‘We were in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal, this amazing district north of Durban,’ he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013.

‘It was cold, and it was dark. I felt rotten. We were wary because that’s a notoriously dangerous place to drive. Then, poof, the front-right tyre blows. So we got the spare, but that meant getting all of our luggage out. We were like sitting ducks, adverts for — not prosperity necessarily but materialism.’

He then recalled how they were approached by six men.

‘They were like: “Look down! Look down! Put your hands on your heads! Look at the floor!” And they started frisking us and said: “Where’s your money? Where’s your drugs?” — we had smoked a bit of weed — “Where are your weapons?” And at that point, this adrenaline of fight or flight just exploded in my body. I was like, “Oh f**k, we’re f****d!”

‘I was scared, really scared. I said: “What are you going to do with us? Are you going to kill us?” I was really worried that I was going to get raped or molested or just tortured or toyed with in some way, some act of control and savagery.’

He concluded that they were eventually left alive and tied up.

‘It really, really enriches your values in life,’ he said of discovering the sheer wonder of being alive. ‘It’s incredibly important.’

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