Played by Benedict Cumberbatch
Morbidly hilarious, terrifically damaged and sharp as a tack, Patrick Melrose is a product of the faded British aristocracy. A childhood destroyed by abuse at the hands of his vicious father and neglect by his overwhelmed mother leads him to drug addiction and despair. As Patrick struggles to put the pieces of his broken life together, he never loses his biting wit, or his heartfelt desire to spare his own children from the perils of their lineage.
Morbidly hilarious, terrifically damaged and sharp as a tack, Patrick Melrose is a product of the faded British aristocracy. A childhood destroyed by abuse at the hands of his vicious father and neglect by his overwhelmed mother leads him to drug addiction and despair. As Patrick struggles to put the pieces of his broken life together, he never loses his biting wit, or his heartfelt desire to spare his own children from the perils of their lineage.
Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch is best known for playing the title role of Sherlock Holmes in Steven Moffatt and Mark Gattiss’ adaption of the Conan Doyle books. It is a role that has earned him international acclaim and several awards, including an Emmy® as Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie in 2014.
In 2015, Cumberbatch portrayed Alan Turing in the multi award-winning film THE IMITATION GAME. It was a role that earned him critical acclaim, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Golden Globe® nominations for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
Notable big screen performances include the role of the dragon Smaug in Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT, Khan in JJ Abrams’ blockbuster STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, Julian Assange in THE FIFTH ESTATE, Little Charles Aiken in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, Ford in Steve McQueen’s Oscar ® winning 12 YEARS A SLAVE and Billy Bulger alongside Johnny Depp in BLACK MASS. Other film work includes Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of WARHORSE and Peter Guillam alongside Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Colin Firth in Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, STARTER FOR 10, AMAZING GRACE, STUART: A LIFE BACKWARD, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and the role of Paul Marshall in Joe Wright’s Oscar nominated ATONEMENT. Due for release are roles in MOWGLI and THE GRINCH.
Cumberbatch studied Drama at Manchester University before training at The London Academy of Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Early TV roles included TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, THE LAST ENEMY and his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the drama HAWKING, which earned him his first BAFTA nomination. A second BAFTA nomination came in 2010 for his portrayal of Bernard in SMALL ISLAND. Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Christopher Stejens in the drama PARADES END earned him an Emmy nomination and in 2016, his portrayal of Richard III in the HOLLOW CROWN series earned him another BAFTA nomination. A fourth series of SHERLOCK aired in January 2017 to record-breaking international audiences.
On stage, there have been two seasons in Regent’s Park with The New Shakespeare Co, Lyngstrand in Trevor Nunn’s production of LADY FROM THE SEA; George in Tennessee Williams’ PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT; Tesman in Richard Eyre’s West End ensemble production of HEDDA GABBLER, for which he received Olivier and Ian Charleston Award nominations; Berenger in Ionesco’s RHINOCEROS; plus THE ARSONISTS and THE CITY at the Royal Court and David Scott Fowler in Thea Sharrock’s award-winning National Theatre production of the Rattigan revival AFTER THE DANCE.
In 2011, Cumberbatch returned to The National Theatre alternating the roles of creature and Dr. Frankenstein in Danny Boyle’s production of FRANKENSTEIN, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Award for Best Actor. In 2015, his Hamlet at London’s Barbican Theatre broke box office records.
More recently, Cumberbatch played the title role of Stephen Strange in DR. STRANGE and Thomas Edison in THE CURRENT WARS. In Spring 2018, he reprised his role as Dr. Strange in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR’s international release. Most recently, he starred in the television movie THE CHILD IN TIME.