In today’s world, Benedict Cumberbatch would not take his non-binary Zoolander 2 role. This androgynous fashion model, named All, rubs elbows with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s Derek Zoolander and Hansel McDonald, euphemistically debating whether they have “a hot dog or a bun.”
The opposition over Cumberbatch’s casting was so strong at the time of the comedy sequel’s debut that a petition was started in the hopes of an audience boycott.
Cumberbatch addressed the subject when appearing on Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series with fellow Zoolander 2 cast member Penélope Cruz.
“Understandably, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the character. And I believe my part would never be played by anyone other than a trans actor in this era “he explained.
He also stated that his controversial Zoolander 2 persona, a non-binary fashion model that sparked transphobia accusations, was a mistake.
“But I don’t recall thinking of it that way at the time; I recall it being more about two dinosaurs, two heteronormative stereotypes who couldn’t understand this new diverse world.
What Benedict Cumberbatch Shared About the Role?
However, it backfired a little. But it was a pleasure to meet you and work with Ben [Stiller] and Owen [Wilson] in that small moment. Cruz went on to praise his acting as Interpol agent Valentina Valencia as “funny.”
In other news, the breakout Sherlock star is one of the front-runners for Best Actor at the Academy Awards this year for his depiction of tormentor-turned-rancher Phil Burbank in Netflix’s The Power of the Dog.
“The Power of the Dog is a whodunit a la Rear Window, with the ‘it’ being a continuous fever dream set against the grim backdrop of the shapeshifting mountains. It’s striking and unsettling, emotionally affecting and a little terrifying: everything you could want in a film “Last month, Digital Spy wrote a review for us.
