Benedict Cumberbatch ended up in excruciating pain trying to get hench for Marvel role
His preparation was one of the most gruelling regimes the studio has put their stars through
YOU’RE more likely to find BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH in a bookshop than a gym so it’s no wonder he struggled to beef up for his latest role.
I revealed last year he was eating double calories and pumping iron to build muscle for his lead role in Marvel’s Doctor Strange but now he’s admitted he ended up in excruciating pain because of the physical demands.
In the film, out in October, he plays a neurosurgeon who turns to sorcery after damaging his hands.
It’s the actor’s biggest Hollywood part yet and even Marvel President KEVIN FEIGE confessed the preparation was one of the most gruelling regimes the studio has ever put one of their stars through.
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Benedict explained: “He goes through so much psychologically and physically, which I can testify to as an actor. Kevin Feige went ‘I don’t think we have put an actor through quite as much as this.’ I said, ‘I’ll wear that badge with pride.’
“It was a tough shoot from that point of view. It was very, very physically demanding. Not just getting all hench, as they say in Wales, the buffness you need for the superhero stuff. But also just day-to-day fitness and the stamina to do 14-15 hour days with very little turnaround and very little sleep and a baby at home and all the rest of it.
“So I did go through quite a lot. No pain, no gain. But for the character, hopefully it’ll show.”
My pics show him before and after his extensive regime.
He’s not quite at ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER levels yet.
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