Benedict Cumberbatch is Richard III. The Sherlock actor will be taking on the role of the king for BBC Two's adaptation of the Shakespearean play. The upcoming project will be directed by Dominic Cooke and adapted by Ben Power.
BBC Two just made the announcement via their official Twitter account. The tweets said, "We're delighted to be able to confirm that Benedict Cumberbatch will play Richard III in our second series of Shakespeare's History plays. Richard III will be produced by the creative team behind the BAFTA award-winning The Hollow Crown and will be directed by Dominic Cooke."
We're delighted to be able to confirm that Benedict Cumberbatch will play Richard III in our second series of Shakespeare’s History plays.
— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) April 6, 2014
Richard III will be produced by the creative team behind the BAFTA award-winning The Hollow Crown and will be directed by Dominic Cooke. — BBC Two (@BBCTwo) April 6, 2014
A few more tweets stated, "We're thrilled to welcome back Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the world's most brilliant and in demand actors, to play Richard III for @BBCTwo. Benedict's range and dexterity as an actor make him the perfect choice to bring one of Shakespeare's towering characters to television."
We're thrilled to welcome back Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the world's most brilliant and in demand actors, to play Richard III for @BBCTwo
— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) April 6, 2014
Benedict's range and dexterity as an actor make him the perfect choice to bring one of Shakespeare’s towering characters to television. — BBC Two (@BBCTwo) April 6, 2014
The actor himself made a statement about the role, which was also posted on Twitter. "I can't wait to work with Dominic Cooke again to bring this complex, funny and dangerous character to life."
Benedict Cumberbatch says: "I can't wait to work with Dominic Cooke again to bring this complex, funny and dangerous character to life."
— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) April 6, 2014
Coincidentally, Cumberbatch will be sharing the role with his Sherlock co-star. Martin Freeman will be playing Richard III on the West End stage later in the year, while Cumberbatch will be playing it on television.
The British actor recently talked to The Advertiser about overexposure, as he has had some very high-profile roles. "I'd hate to think anyone is sick of the sight of me, although I wouldn't blame them. It's just crazy, I've overexposed myself! Actually that sounds a bit dirty. I'm proud of every single project. I can genuinely say that it is varied enough, as a slate, to not fear too much overexposure. I just hope the public agree because they are seeing a lot of me. It would be really churlish to complain about anything to be honest. I'm very fortunate to be in the position I'm in," he said.
Cumberbatch doesn't seem to be too worried despite his claims however. Aside from accepting the role of Richard III, he will also be playing another Shakespearean character - Hamlet - on the London stage this August.
