1 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Good people of Hollywood Land. I'd like to welcome you 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 1: to another dip into our archive of Hollywood and true 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: crime stories. This week, we've got our story on Benedict Cumberbatch. 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: Long before he played a world famous detective, a comic 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: book superhero, or one of literature's most famous dragons, Benedict 6 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: Cumberbatch was robbed by a group of thieves in South 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Africa who bound him up, threw him into the trunk 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: of a car, and then drove him to what he 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: thought would be an early death. Get ready for an 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: unbelievable but true story, and then I hope you'll join 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: me to talk more about this episode later this week 12 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: in the Rap Party, where we'll also hear your calls, texts, 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: emails and more. 14 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: Hollywood Land is a production of double Elvis, living among 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 2: them to the side. The stories about Bennett Cumberbatch are insane, 16 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 2: dehydrated and starving. He nearly lost his mind while hiking 17 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: through the Himalayan Mountains. He saved a bike messenger from 18 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: getting mugged on the streets of London. He was robbed 19 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 2: by a group of thieves in South Africa who bound 20 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 2: him up and threw him in the trunk of a car. 21 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: It was a night that he believed would be his 22 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 2: final night on Earth, a night long before we got 23 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: the chance to play a world famous detective, a comic 24 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: book superhero, or one of literature's most famous dragons, all 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: of them great roles in great films. Unlike that clip 26 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 2: I played for you at the top of the show, 27 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: that wasn't a clip from a great film. That was 28 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 2: a fair use sample from the Library of Congress of 29 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: Lewis James and Charles Harrison performing I Am Climbing Mountains 30 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety. Team. I played you that clip because 31 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,639 Speaker 2: I can't afford the rights to a clip from Sam 32 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 2: Raimi's Spider Man two. And why would I play you 33 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: that specific slice of doc ock Cheese? Could I afford it? 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 2: Because that was the number one movie in America in 35 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 2: July two thousand and four, and that was the month 36 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: the production began on the BBC mini series To the 37 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: Ends of the Earth, in which benerdict Cumberbatch's first major 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 2: leading role nearly became his last. On this episode, Lost 39 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: in the himalayas a hero in the streets of London, 40 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: robbed bound and stuffed in a trunk and Benedict Cumberbatch. 41 00:02:43,760 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 2: I'm Jake Brennan and this is Hollywood Land, South Africa, 42 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: two thousand and four. Up against a car now now 43 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: now now, the three actors did as they were told, 44 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: hands on the broken down car, eyes fixed on the ground. 45 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: They didn't dare look at these men, Men who just 46 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: emerged from the bush there on the side of the road, 47 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: Men who made it clear they had weapons and wouldn't 48 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: hesitate to use them. Was this it the end? Were 49 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: they about to get shot to pieces? This couldn't be 50 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: the end. In fact, it was supposed to be the beginning. 51 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: One of the three actors, now being held against his will, 52 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: was about to break out, not from the shit shore 53 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: he presently found himself in, but in the business. After 54 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 2: years of stage work and minor roles in films and TV, 55 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: twenty seven year old Benedict Cumberbatch was poised to hit 56 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: the big time with a starring role in a major 57 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: BBC mini series, but not if he was dead. Benedick 58 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 2: tried to peek over his shoulder turn around around Theo Lanley, 59 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: one of Benedict's co stars in the miniseries they were 60 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 2: to shoot, and more importantly, for the moment, a native 61 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 2: of Johannesburg leaned in and gave Benedict the calm reminder, 62 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: don't look at them, just do what they want. Benedict 63 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 2: theo in a Third Coast star Denise Black, knew what 64 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: they were up against. They'd heard the stories petty theft, 65 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: armed robbery, the things that happened to tourists in the 66 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 2: middle of South African cities in broad daylight. Except right 67 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 2: now they weren't in a city. They were on a 68 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 2: country highway, an hour away from any city, and in 69 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: the middle of the night. Hands began to rummage through 70 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: their pockets and grab at their legs and arms, and 71 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 2: they were poked and prodded. This was systematic, well rehearsed. 72 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 2: Anything and everything was quickly removed, keys, phones, wallets, all 73 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: dropped in a pile on the ground. The whole thing 74 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: was conducted with absolute precision. These three actors were just 75 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 2: another hit, another easy come up, just another set of 76 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: suckers in a big, dangerous country. South Africa, known for 77 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 2: breathtaking landscapes, home to some of the most beautiful and 78 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 2: rarest animals on the earth, a diverse population producing some 79 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: of the most exquisite music and art in the world. 80 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 2: A country rich in history, and part of that rich 81 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 2: history was violence beyond aparthime, which institutionalized racial segregation for 82 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 2: about five violent decades. Africa to this day as a 83 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 2: high crime rate for some who live there, Violence is 84 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 2: another part of life. It settles disputes, builds reputations and 85 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 2: gets people what they want. Robberies, rate, assault, murder all common. 86 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: Carjackings and kidnappings also common, So common that the United 87 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 2: Kingdom lists carjackings and kidnappings as threats to Taurus on 88 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: the foreign Travel Advice page of their government website. That's 89 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 2: how frequent and how real the threat is, and when 90 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: it comes to threats, Taurusts are notoriously easy targets. Though 91 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 2: these weren't technically Taurus. They were in the country to 92 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 2: shoot a BBC miniseries and one of them actually grew 93 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 2: up in South Africa, here on the side of the road. 94 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 2: That's what Bennetict Cumberbatch and his two actor friends, Theo 95 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 2: and Denise were just Taurus targets, easy marks. Now wondering 96 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: if they were going survived earlier that night, all they 97 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 2: wanted was to get back to their hotel in Richard's Bay, 98 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 2: where they would enjoy some quality shut eye before another 99 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 2: long week on set. Their car was making its way 100 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 2: through the chilly South African night. It was getting late, 101 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 2: too late, and the passengers were beginning to get weary. 102 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: The driver was as keen on getting out of the 103 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: bush as his passages were. Here, you could be shot 104 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: for the contents of your glovebox, you could disappear forever, 105 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 2: and traveling at night, that increased your chances of running 106 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 2: into someone you probably would rather not. It was it 107 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 2: worth the risk for a good night's sleep. Maybe it 108 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 2: was better than dragging ass on set. Because acting is 109 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: a game. You don't want to play tired, and when 110 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: opportunities arise, you best make damn sure you're ready to 111 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 2: grab them, even if that means braving a notoriously dangerous 112 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 2: stretch of South African country road. Cumberbatch knew all too 113 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 2: well the opportunity in front of him. Fresh off his 114 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 2: first baff denomination, he was now marked for the lead 115 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 2: role to the Ends of the Earth, a BBC adaptation 116 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 2: of William Golding's three part novel. The narrative puts the 117 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: young upstart Edmond Talbot on a harrowing journey, forcing him 118 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: through rights of passage, involving sex, death, and real world politics, 119 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: while grounding him in the realities and dangers of the world. 120 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: Playing Edmund Talbot was a challenge, and Benedict liked being challenged. 121 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: That's why he wanted to take on big roles, why 122 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 2: he sought the venture, and that's why he was now 123 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 2: in this car with THEO and Denise. They'd spent the 124 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,719 Speaker 2: weekend taking scuba diving lessons a couple hours away from 125 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: the production's base camp, a sojourn from the grind of 126 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 2: multiple days on set, something to shake up the stay 127 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 2: in the foreign country and bring a little excitement to 128 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 2: the trip. But as soon as he got out of 129 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 2: the water, dripping wet, Bennedict caught a chill. He didn't 130 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: want to do another night here in some small, cramped lodging. 131 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 2: He wanted to head back to the hotel bad idea. 132 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: Their driver told him there was no telling who they'd find, 133 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: or more likely, who'd find them on the road back 134 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 2: to Richard's Bay. Benedict understood the warning, but he dismissed it. 135 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 2: He wanted to get back to the hotel. Now the 136 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 2: country road extended forward into the abyss of night, thick 137 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 2: vegetation and brush on either side of them, a shadowy 138 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 2: tunnel that seemed to go on forever. Bennedict turned up 139 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 2: the heat. He was freezing. The music on the radio 140 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: played softly, Radioheads How to Disappear Completely from their album 141 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: kid A, so startling and weird when it was first released, 142 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 2: but now four years later somehow comforting for Benedict. It 143 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,839 Speaker 2: was a little taste of home of England, distraction from 144 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 2: the darkness surrounding them, and the thought of what may 145 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 2: lay behind the darkness that radioheads tom Yorke sang about. 146 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 2: He wasn't here, then, this wasn't happening. And then the 147 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: cars right front tire blew out. The car jolted forward, 148 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 2: It screeched and skid it off the road and onto 149 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 2: the dirt shoulder, kicking dust in the air. Benedict looked 150 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 2: at his friends, fellow actors, fellow passengers, easy marks. They 151 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 2: stood outside and watched the driver take off the flat 152 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 2: and swap it with a spare tire, and they tried 153 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: to keep warm. It was dark and deathly silent. The 154 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: driver worked quickly tightened the lug nuts on the new wheel, 155 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 2: and the actors peered into the darkness. Something began to 156 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 2: stir in the bush behind them. Was it the wind? 157 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: Wild animals? Fuck man? Hurry up? The sound coming from 158 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 2: the bush grew closer and louder, and then out of 159 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 2: the vegetation, out of the darkness, came six men, armed 160 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 2: to the teeth, there to do one thing. Take whoever 161 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 2: they found on the road for all that they were worth. 162 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 2: They had heard the car skidding out of control. They 163 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 2: were watching, waiting, and now the actors and the driver 164 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 2: were all staring down the end of the line. Even 165 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 2: if they wanted to, they couldn't run. Their shoelaces had 166 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 2: been yanked from their shoes and were currently wrapped tightly 167 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 2: around their hands, and now that they had been stripped 168 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: of possessions, it would be a matter of moments before 169 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,840 Speaker 2: the bullets began to fly. The wind kicked up and 170 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 2: chilled their bodies down to the bone, and the six 171 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: thieves examined the wallets they'd just taken them. They were confused. 172 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: There was no cashier, only plastic, and the thieves stared 173 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: at their victims sickening grins that turned the actor's stomachs 174 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 2: a possessed look glazed over their eyes. What were they thinking? 175 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 2: Was murder on theirs? They ordered Benedict Cumberbatch and his 176 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: friends back into the car as adrenalman suddenly turned to 177 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 2: anxiety and the horrible reality of the situation began to 178 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: set in. He was a stranger in a strange land, 179 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 2: going toe to toe with death itself. But this wasn't 180 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 2: his first time. The dark figure in the corner froze 181 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 2: as Benedict Cumberbatch woke up with a start. Benedict's heart 182 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 2: was about to burst through his chest. All the way 183 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 2: out here in the Himalaya Mountains, days away from civilization, 184 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 2: and there was no telling who or what could have 185 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 2: found its way into this barn. He wasn't even sure 186 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 2: if it was a person at all that he was 187 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 2: looking at. It kept perfectly still in the shadows. Maybe 188 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 2: it wasn't even a person, maybe a bear, maybe something worse. 189 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 2: It was nineteen ninety six. Bennett Cumberbatch had spent months 190 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 2: in Nepal during his gap year, teaching English at a 191 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 2: Tibetan monastery and getting a front row seat to the 192 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 2: wonders of the practice. This was nearly two decades before 193 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 2: he played doctor Stephen Strange studying ancient scrolls in one 194 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: of the most popular cinematic universes of all time. This 195 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 2: also was in some spandex CGI metaverse creation of the 196 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 2: Hollywood Machine. This was the real thing. In Buddhist culture, 197 00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 2: ghosts exists, ancient ghosts, one in particular, called the hung 198 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 2: Greek Ghost, a being that was so pitiful in life, 199 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 2: so driven by obsession and greed. The Buddhists believe he 200 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: is forced to walk the world in an afterlife in 201 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 2: an attempt to quench an insatiable hunger. Is that what 202 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 2: this thing was? Was Bennettic Cumberbatch about to be robbed 203 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: by a phantom? Was this even happening? The dark figure 204 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: stared back at him. It didn't move or make a sound. 205 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 2: Bennett sat up and rubbed his eyes, and when he 206 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: opened them again, the room was empty and the dark 207 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 2: figure was gone. His hiking pack lay in the corner 208 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 2: of the barn, but there was no one else there 209 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: save for his traveling companion. And where the hell did 210 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 2: that thing go and would come back for him? He 211 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 2: scanned the barn again, and just a moment ago, someone 212 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: or something menacing and obscured lurked in the corner, ripping 213 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 2: through their bags. He was sure of it, Maybe he 214 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 2: was just seeing things. His head throbbed, he was exhausted 215 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: and dehydrated, and despite that, he had to move on. 216 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 2: A short while later, Benedict and his traveling companion stumbled 217 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 2: back onto the trail, back to the road. They'd been 218 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 2: walking for just two days, but to two university students 219 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 2: way out of their comfort zone, those two days felt 220 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 2: like months. The concept of time had become fluid and unreal. 221 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 2: As the hikers planted one foot in front of another, 222 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 2: the concept of consciousness became fluid as well. They seemed 223 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 2: to slide in and out of reality. It had originally 224 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 2: been a group of four hikers, but two had already 225 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 2: turned back. They found the trip too demanding, too dangerous 226 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 2: for Benedict and his one remaining compatriot. That's what it 227 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 2: was all about, the adventure of it all. That's why 228 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 2: he was in Nepal, teaching English on a gap year, 229 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 2: spending his downtime traversing deserts and rafting on dangerous waters, 230 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: scaling the Himmel with just a map and no guide, 231 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 2: Sleeping in a stranger's abandoned barn and drinking water from 232 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 2: dampened moss. That's why he hadn't turned back, not yet anyway, 233 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 2: The optimistic Benedict Cumberbatch hoped this excursion would be a 234 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 2: once in a lifetime experience, taking an already adventurous life 235 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: experience to an even higher level. But now everything was 236 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 2: literally going sideways. When you get up some twenty thousand 237 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 2: miles or so, the altitude can be a real bitch. 238 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 2: It can make you sick, sicker than you've ever been. 239 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 2: Dizziness and insomnia are only the beginning, and they're followed 240 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 2: by difficulty walking, headaches, nausea, confusion. Eventually, as it progresses, 241 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 2: nausea becomes fluid build up in the lungs in the brain, 242 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 2: and your confusion transforms into memory loss, even hallucinations. The 243 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 2: whole experience can drive you insane. Ben att A Cumberbatch 244 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: and his friend were somewhere in the middle of it. 245 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 2: Every time he looked down, he was disoriented. Every time 246 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,679 Speaker 2: he looked up, the world spun. If he shut his eyes, 247 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 2: he was plunged into a nightmare, and the veil of 248 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 2: the world pulled back, strange images and sensations filling his mind. 249 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 2: The dream world and the real world bled together. Was 250 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 2: he awake right now? Was he actually on the side 251 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 2: of a mountain face or was he back in the barn, 252 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 2: wrapped in his sleeping bag, watching a hungry ghost steal 253 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 2: the last bit of his food, maybe lying in wait 254 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 2: to steal his soul. Things were getting stranger by the hour. 255 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: His foot splashed into a puddle. It jolted him back 256 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 2: to reality. As he pulled his leg from the pool 257 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 2: of rain water, he noticed another leech attached to his ankle. 258 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 2: He ripped it off. He was getting sick of feeding 259 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 2: these bloodsuckers. The duo planted themselves on the side of 260 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 2: the road and dug around in their backpacks, still nothing 261 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,239 Speaker 2: but empty bags of food and empty water bottles. What 262 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 2: was he expecting to find? They'd run out of everything 263 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 2: and nobody was coming to save them. The sun fixed 264 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 2: over their heads, beating down on them without mercy. Maybe 265 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 2: they should go back, but which way was back? Bennedict 266 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 2: pulled them out from his back. None of the lines 267 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 2: made sense anymore. They'd taken a wrong turn some time ago, 268 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 2: and now they were rudderless. Still, they pushed on. At last, 269 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 2: they came to a river the water drifted by at 270 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 2: an unhurried pace, self assured, serene, in perfect harmony with 271 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 2: its surroundings. He thought of Buddhists and how in their 272 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 2: world water gives life, water is calming, water brings balance. 273 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: But water here could also carry diseases. They were told 274 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 2: not to drink it. Instead, they followed. They staggered through 275 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 2: the wilderness, walking alongside the river to a small village, 276 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 2: into the first people they'd seen in days. This wasn't 277 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 2: another hallucination, this was real. The energy began to return 278 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 2: to their bodies. Benedict and his companion ran toward the villagers, 279 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 2: pointing at their mouths, desperate for nourishment. They were probably dazed, 280 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 2: maybe even hours from certain death, but they'd been saved, 281 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 2: so it stood to reason that perhaps he'd be saved again. 282 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 2: His head smashed off the windshield of the car. Benedict 283 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 2: Cumberbatche was thousands of miles from the Himalayas, now perched 284 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 2: uncomfortably on top of a crew of South African carjacking thieves. 285 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 2: Jammed into the front seat of the car. His torso 286 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 2: was contorted due to his bound hands, and every time 287 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 2: the car hit a small bump, his head bounced off 288 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 2: the glass at the front of the car. He forced 289 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: his eye to the floor, to the door, anywhere but 290 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: on the faces of the thieves, just like THEO had 291 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 2: told them from the back seat. THEO was pleading with 292 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 2: the men. He tried to use his South African roots 293 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 2: to negotiate. They really want the blood of actors on 294 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 2: their hands. Benedict felt his head smash against the windshield again. 295 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 2: One final groan was all the outlaw operator in the 296 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 2: driver's seat needed. This arrangement wasn't working. The car screeched 297 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 2: to a halt on the side of the road. Two 298 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 2: of the men yanked Benedict out of the front seat 299 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 2: and onto the side of the road with them and 300 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 2: out of the car, and then they hauled this co 301 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 2: star Denise out of the back. Benedict's heart rate was jacked. 302 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 2: They pulled him around to the back of the idling 303 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 2: vehicle and he was pushed to the ground execution style. 304 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 2: A choked up Denise pleaded from the other side of 305 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 2: the car, Please don't kill him. He should have fucking known. 306 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: The stories were everywhere. Even the driver told him it 307 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 2: was a bad idea, this ride, this going to the 308 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 2: home hotel after dark. This cutting through the South African bush, 309 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 2: the thieves opened the trunk of the car. Bennett kept 310 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 2: his head down, remembering what THEO said, don't look at them, 311 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 2: just do what they want. And then that radio head 312 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 2: saw he wasn't there. This wasn't happening. If he was 313 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 2: about to go out, he figured he'd better use his 314 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 2: greatest talent. You don't want to put me in there, 315 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 2: he said, I've got a condition, I'll suffocate. The thieves 316 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 2: spoke amongst themselves, deciding what to do with the mouthy 317 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: brit leaning against the car. I'll die or I'll get 318 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 2: violently ill. The thieves are arguing amongst themselves. Now trust me, 319 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 2: you don't. Before he could finish that sentence, Bennettic Cumberbatch 320 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,119 Speaker 2: was shown into, as the English say, the boot of 321 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: the car. He screamed, hoping somewhere somewhe in the night 322 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: could hear his plea. His shouts were silenced as the 323 00:21:54,320 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 2: trunk slammed shut darkness. Benedict listened intently as the men 324 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 2: outside the car continued to argue they clearly didn't care 325 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 2: whether he lived or died. He steadied his own breathing 326 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 2: and waited for what was to come next. It would 327 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 2: it be the engine turning over? Gunshots? Would they aim 328 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 2: the pistol directly at him? The seconds stretched out into minutes. 329 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 2: All the horrible possibilities were on the table, and suddenly 330 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 2: the trunk of the car flew open, revealing the dark 331 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,959 Speaker 2: South African sky. Maybe his stick about the health condition 332 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 2: had worked after all, and maybe they were going to 333 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 2: let him go. He began to look on the bright side. 334 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 2: This was probably just another misadventure that ended up alright 335 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 2: in the end. This long spectro road just another river 336 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 2: leading back to that proverbial village, back to safety. Then 337 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 2: the thieves grabbed hold of him and yanked him from 338 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 2: the trunk. They began to drag him away from the car, 339 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,640 Speaker 2: and they weren't letting him go, not yet. They had 340 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 2: other plans. We'll be right back after this. We're we're 341 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 2: where heavy traffic rumbled overhead. The sound of the freeway 342 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 2: alternated between deafening noise and dreadful silence below and overpass. 343 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 2: Ben Att Cumberbat shifted nervously, his knees scraped and his 344 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 2: head cut from being dragged over dirt rocks and pavement. 345 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:41,120 Speaker 2: His hands and legs still bound. Their captors had taken everything, 346 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 2: even the pin numbers for the actor's credit cards. Surely 347 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 2: that meant this whole ordeal was winding down. Surely they 348 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 2: were about to be released. But the three actors weren't 349 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 2: being released. They were being dragged toward the roar of 350 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 2: cars and trucks speeding through the South African night. First Benedict, 351 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 2: then his two co stars, Theo and Denis, and now 352 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 2: here they were, all three lined up execution style. Their 353 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 2: captors approached them and wrapped their heads with a duvet 354 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 2: cover from the car Cumerbatch steadied his breathing and began 355 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 2: to calculate. This had been their plan all along. This 356 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 2: was it the end. He was here, This was happening. 357 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,880 Speaker 2: The these's plan was solid. The cloth over the actor's 358 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 2: heads would provide a clean kill, and the traffic rumbling 359 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 2: overhead would provide some cover to the sound of a 360 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 2: pistol unloading. There was a lull in the shaking of 361 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 2: cars and trucks overhead, and the steps of the potential 362 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 2: murderers shuffled around in front of the trio. Benedict's blood 363 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 2: ran cold. Please let us go. You don't have to 364 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:55,160 Speaker 2: do this. Another wave of traffic echoed off the concrete walls. 365 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 2: He braced, waiting for the sound of a pistol, the 366 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:04,640 Speaker 2: final blow. Nothing, just the slow fade of traffic, more 367 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 2: shuffling on the dirty concrete whispers. Benedict began to beg 368 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 2: for their lives again. And suddenly the sound of another 369 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 2: wave of traffic crashed off of the walls and shook 370 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 2: the ground. And once again he waited for a gunshot 371 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 2: for death. But once again nothing came. And when the 372 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: traffic died down, there was no more shuffling, no more 373 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 2: hushed voices, and there was nothing at all. Twenty eighteen, London. 374 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 2: The delivery man was on schedule. He pumped his legs 375 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: and pedaled his bike through the crowded city streets, streets 376 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 2: full of cars people in crime in London. One crime 377 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 2: in particular almost always goes unsolved. Bike theft. In London, 378 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 2: a bike is stolen every sixteen minutes. There's even a 379 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 2: verified Twitter or x feed that is dedicated to help 380 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 2: it victims find their bikes. And that's because ninety eight 381 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 2: percent of stolen bikes in London never make it back 382 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 2: to their owners. That kind of thing is constantly on 383 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 2: the mind of any casual pedaler cruising around London Town. 384 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 2: But it's a matter of livelihood, what it's required for 385 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 2: your job. It's a work hazard comes with the territory. 386 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 2: The delivery cyclist wasn't thinking about that, not right now. 387 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 2: The night was going smoothly, and as the rubber of 388 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 2: his bike tires hugged the ancient cobblestone, all he could 389 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 2: think about was his next tip. He turned a corner, 390 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 2: he didn't even see them coming. He throttled the handbrake 391 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 2: and his bike skidded to a stop. He was surrounded 392 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 2: four muggers. Menacing as hell. They grabbed the handlebars. They 393 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 2: tried to pull them from the bike. He gripped the aluminum, 394 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: his means of income, his paycheck. Letting go would mean 395 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 2: a night of missed deliveries and a lengthy insurance claim, 396 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 2: but that was nothing compared to the other tive. He 397 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 2: stared the muggers in the eyes, and there was no 398 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 2: telling what they had hiding in their coats. He could 399 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 2: be stabbed or shot at any moment, and these bastards 400 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 2: clearly didn't give a shit about pinching a bike off. 401 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 2: A guy in the middle of a city street and 402 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 2: they'd shift him in the abdomen and leave him bleeding 403 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 2: out on the pavement. Worst case scenarios circled his brain. 404 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 2: Then someone shouted from behind him. He turned around. Wait 405 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 2: was that Sherlock Holmes. Bennett Cumberbatch launched himself out of 406 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 2: the uber he was traveling in and barreled into the 407 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 2: middle of the scrum. He shoved the street trash off 408 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 2: of the delivery biker, leave him alone alone. The muggers 409 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 2: swung at the movie star, but he backed away, dodging 410 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 2: every blow. He held out his hands. Trying to calm 411 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 2: the situation down. He waved oncoming traffic to attract attention, 412 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 2: but the attackers didn't give up. They grabbed at the bike, 413 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 2: and the cyclists held on tightly. When they realized this 414 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 2: shoving and grabbing match wasn't going to result in new 415 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 2: bitdu pond, the muggers threw in the towel and fucked off. 416 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,160 Speaker 2: The story made headlines everywhere, and as The Sun reported, 417 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 2: oddly enough, the whole ordeal happened mere blocks from Sherlock 418 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 2: Holmes as fictional residence on Baker Street. This, however, was 419 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 2: in fiction. Benedict Cumberbatch, a superhero and crime fighting detective 420 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 2: on screens big and small, equally courageous in real life. 421 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 2: When asked about the event, he just said he had 422 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 2: to do it, had to satisfy that impulse to throw 423 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 2: himself into action itself the result of handling high stress 424 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 2: situations over and over again, even if that meant sacrificing 425 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 2: yourself for a complete stranger. As he told Vanity Fair 426 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 2: years later after he survived the ordeal in South Africa, 427 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 2: Benedict Cumberbatch wanted to live life with more urgency. He 428 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 2: wanted to feel every sensation. He wanted to travel the world, 429 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 2: swim in the sea, to live, as he put a 430 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 2: quote a bit more recklessly unquote. He became an adrenaline junkie, 431 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 2: racking up parachute jumps, even spending time with South African 432 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 2: special Forces. But as he grew older, his family grew 433 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 2: as well, and Bennett Cumberbatch eventually put off screened adventure 434 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 2: on the back burner. With kids at home, he made 435 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 2: a decision less value placed on recklessness and more value 436 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 2: on keeping himself in one piece. He no longer sought 437 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 2: out the same thrill seeking activities, but just because he 438 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 2: stopped actively chasing the experiences that pushed him to the 439 00:29:41,520 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 2: absolute limit. That didn't mean those experiences were done finding him. 440 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 2: I know you're in there. The man paced back and 441 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 2: forth outside the luxurious London home, a knife gripped tight 442 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 2: in his clenched fist. His rage was boiling over. I 443 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 2: hope this place burns down. The guy was nowhere near 444 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 2: thinking clearly he was on another planet entirely. It was 445 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 2: clear he'd planned this for a while. He even told 446 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 2: a shopkeeper about his attack, about how he was going 447 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 2: to go straight to the house and force his way in. 448 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 2: The whole thing sounded ludicrous, the shopkeeper waved it off, 449 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 2: But here he was. He was doing it, carrying out 450 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 2: his plan, just like he promised. He moved to the 451 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 2: front gate and kicked at it hard and then kicked again. 452 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 2: Fucked us. His eyes fixed on the nearby intercom, He 453 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 2: spat at it and then started to pry it loose 454 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 2: with the short knife clutched in his hand beyond the gate. 455 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 2: Inside the huse, Benedetic Cumberbatch clunked tightly to his family, 456 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 2: his wife and kids, visibly shaken from being subject to 457 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 2: a random act of senseless aggression. But Bennettict Cumberbatch had 458 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 2: dealt with stalker's before one left him read Ribbons, a 459 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 2: vague and perhaps sinister reference to the Sherlock Holmes story 460 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 2: titled a Study in Scarlet Red Ribbons that intermittently appeared 461 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 2: tied to his house in his car. Another live tweeted 462 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 2: his every movement while he was inside Benedict's house. Now 463 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,479 Speaker 2: that was weird. Even when the so called stoker revealed 464 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 2: themselves as a neighbor, Benedict was still rattled, maybe even 465 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 2: more so. Legions of self proclaimed Cumberbitges Seriously, that's the thing, 466 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: look it up have obsessed over one of the internet's 467 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 2: pre eminent boyfriends since the early days of social media, 468 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 2: and many flocked to him when they see him in public. 469 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 2: And while Benedict Cumberbatch has publicly stated over and over 470 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 2: again how much he loves his fans, he's ridiculed stock 471 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 2: as he should. But though he had witnessed all types 472 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 2: of insane behavior, he had never experienced anything quite like this. 473 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 2: The man outside was yelling again. He kicked at the 474 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 2: garden gate, determined to get past it and get inside 475 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 2: the house. Benedict began to worry. He'd faced potential death 476 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: more than once, and had somehow overcome it every time. 477 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 2: But this time it wasn't an unhappy side effect of 478 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 2: his lust for adventure or his need to chase adrenaline. 479 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 2: This time the danger came to his front door, unprompted, unwelcomed. 480 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 2: Time stretched on, just like it did in the Himalayas, 481 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 2: when days of dehydration and physical exhaustion led to a 482 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 2: warp state of mind. But then there was something else, 483 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 2: sirens in the distance, and time snapped back in the place, 484 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 2: and the man fled the scene. A few weeks later, 485 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 2: the man was idd The cops pulled DNA off the 486 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 2: end and easily tracked him down. The guy had no 487 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 2: defense for his actions. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage, 488 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 2: was made to pay a small fine, and was issued 489 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 2: a restraining order. No one was hurt, thankfully, but being 490 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 2: terrorized like that underscored the choices that Bennett Cumberbatch was 491 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 2: now making in twenty twenty three. Not just a stage performer, 492 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 2: not just an actor who deliberately pursued a list caliber 493 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 2: projects in top grossing films over the years, but a 494 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 2: somewhat reformed adrenaline junkie who once sought adventure in the 495 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 2: Tibetan wilderness in the bush of South Africa. Now a 496 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 2: family man more interested in the adventure of fatherhood. In 497 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 2: his own words, the events that transpired in the South 498 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 2: African bush that fateful evening made him want to quote 499 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 2: live a life less ordinary unquote, and he's doing just that. 500 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 2: It's a journey and a story that ought to be 501 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 2: in pictures. Jake Brennan and this is hollywood Land. Hollywood 502 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:19,840 Speaker 2: Land was created by Years Truly and is produced in 503 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 2: partnership with Double Elvis. Follow like, rate and review Hollywoodland 504 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 2: wherever you get your podcasts and get in touch with 505 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 2: us on social media at double Elvis. If you like 506 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,720 Speaker 2: hollywood Land, check out my other show, the award winning Disgraceland, 507 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 2: which looks at the world of music through the lens 508 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,520 Speaker 2: of true crime. Just search for Disgraceland or wherever you 509 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 2: get your podcasts. Good. He's a lot