Benedict Cumberbatch Regrets Controversial 'Zoolander 2' Role
Benedict Cumberbatch has expressed regret over his portrayal of a non-binary character in the 2016 comedy sequel "Zoolander 2."
In an interview with Variety's "Know Their Lines" series, Cumberbatch admitted that playing the role was a mistake. "I've had to apologize for that quite a lot. It's a difficult one to talk about," he said. "I love that group of people and it was the chance to sort of be part of something that the first time around was iconic and I was a huge fan of. But it got complicated and it got misunderstood and I upset people. I respect that, so I probably wouldn't do that again now."
Cumberbatch's role in "Zoolander 2" drew backlash from LGBTQ activists, who criticized his casting as harmful and stereotypical. An online petition calling for a boycott of the film garnered significant support.
In a 2022 interview with Penelope Cruz, Cumberbatch acknowledged the controversy surrounding his character. "In this era, my role would never be performed by anybody other than a trans actor," he said. "But I remember at the time not thinking of it necessarily in that regard, and it being more about two dinosaurs, two heteronormative cliches not understanding this new diverse world. But it backfired a little bit."
The film's director, Ben Stiller, has also admitted that "Zoolander 2" was a box office failure and that he was blindsided by the negative reaction. "I thought everybody wanted this," he said. "And then it's like, 'Wow, I must have really fucked this up. Everybody didn't go to it. And it's gotten these horrible reviews.'"
Watch Cumberbatch's full interview on Variety's "Know Their Lines" series below:
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