Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch delves into profound emotional territory in his latest cinematic venture, The Thing with Feathers, an adaptation of Max Porter's acclaimed novel about a father grappling with overwhelming loss.
The 48-year-old star, who admits "I'm nearly 50, so I've lived a bit - I've experienced grief", found painful yet effective methods to connect with his character's sorrow, including listening to heartbreaking voiceovers recorded by the child actors playing his sons.
Finding Emotional Truth Through Personal Experience
Cumberbatch revealed that becoming a father himself to three sons significantly heightened his emotional availability for the demanding role. "They say that the minute you have children, you become far more available emotionally, and everything's a lot closer," he explained, touching his arm during our interview in a London hotel.
For particularly challenging scenes, the actor used recordings of the young co-stars discussing their fictional mother's death. "I used that as a device to put me into their pain, their perspective, their sense of loss," Cumberbatch shared. "And those innocent little voices talking about how their dad changed a lot after their mum died - immediate access to emotion there."
Adapting the 'Unadaptable' Novel
Porter's original 114-page work, published in 2015, was initially considered unfilmable due to its experimental structure shifting between perspectives of Dad, Boys, and a mysterious Crow figure. Director Dylan Southern initially thought "'Wow, that would be unfilmable'" according to Cumberbatch, but secured adaptation rights within weeks.
The film features David Thewlis as the voice of Crow, depicted as a towering man in a bird costume who torments Cumberbatch's character through his grief journey. The creature delivers merciless dialogue, berating Dad for becoming "such a cliche, you know? The dead wife trope."
Porter, who lost his own father at six years old, found the adaptation process surreal, particularly when sets uncannily resembled his childhood home. "Dad, if you can hear me, I'm sorry, this is weird," he recalled thinking during filming.
Using Marvel Currency for Meaningful Cinema
Cumberbatch's involvement extends beyond acting, with his production company SunnyMarch co-producing the project. He consciously leverages his mainstream success in films like Doctor Strange to support smaller, challenging works.
"I'm trying to use the currency that I've been gifted - through fantastic, tentpole, spectacular fare - to shine a light on filmmaking that struggles to exist," the actor explained, highlighting his commitment to diverse storytelling.
The film explores masculine emotional expression through Dad's struggle with overwhelming sorrow, which manifests in rageful outbursts at his children and bottled-up despair. Cumberbatch sees this as particularly relevant to contemporary discussions about masculinity.
"I think it's really important to have the conversation around the male inability to manage emotion," he stated, "and how easily co-opted it is into pretty awful causes, whether it be incel culture, riot culture, or blame culture."
Both Cumberbatch and Porter, who each have three sons, reflected on children's natural empathy and the challenges of parenting in the digital age. "Media is co-opting children so early," Cumberbatch observed. "And it is because of the devices we have in our hands. We can't just go, 'Well, let's give a smartphone to our kids and see what happens.' Look what's happened to an entire generation."
The Thing with Feathers represents a significant departure from Cumberbatch's blockbuster roles, offering audiences a raw, emotionally charged exploration of loss and recovery that both artist and author hope will resonate with anyone who has loved deeply.
