Benedict Cumberbatch feels embarrassed by the attention he receives.
The British actor is among the most in-demand stars on the Hollywood scene, but has revealed he does not consider himself to be good-looking and cannot understand why people are so interested in him, citing US president Barack Obama’s recent visit to the UK as an instance when he surprisingly became the focus of attention.
Recalling a particular talk by the President during his visit, Cumberbatch said: "We were right beside the press pack, and there were people there with telephoto lenses. When they realised that Barack was going to be another five minutes, the whole lot just went wumph, onto me, onto the side of my face.
"I was just like, "How many times can you take a photo of a not particularly attractive profile – again and again.’ I mean, thank God [Benefict’s wife] Sophie was there, so that kind of drew the eye of the photographs, as it always should. But it was just embarrassing."
Meanwhile, Benedict’s ‘Sherlock’ co-star Martin Freeman previously acknowledged he is as popular as he is unpopular among fans.
Martin, who plays Dr Watson alongside Benedict on the acclaimed show, said he tries not to get too caught up in the trappings of fame, but he appreciates those people who support the drama series.
He explained: "It’s nice that people like things. I’d rather be liked than hated – and of course, I am also hated.
"But it’s good to work on things that people watch. I try not to take too much notice of that side of things. If you start playing the result before you’ve done the game … you have to get your head down and do the work first."
Benedict Cumberbatch embarrassed by his own fame
