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Benedict Cumberbatch Ditches Hair For New Channel 4 Role

Benedict Cumberbatch Ditches Hair For New Channel 4 Role

The TV movie will see the actor playing Brexit Vote Leave campaign manager Dominic Cummings.

Paddy Maddison

Paddy Maddison

Benedict Cumberbatch is coming back to our screens and looking arguably even more weird than ever before.

The actor has dramatically switched up his look for his latest role in an upcoming TV drama for Channel 4.

Cumberbatch has been chosen to play the part of Brexit's Vote Leave campaign manager Dominic Cummings in the TV movie, which will centre around the data-driven political campaign during the EU referendum, including the 'myriad tactics employed to swing one of the most surprising referendum results in living memory'.

Channel 4

The London-based actor, who was a vocal supporter of the Remain campaign underwent a balding makeover to keep his hairline as similar to Cummings' as possible.

He was one of just under 300 actors, musicians, writers, and artists who signed an open letter in support of the UK remaining within the EU.

The feature-length TV drama, which has been given the working title Brexit, was first announced last month as further details began to emerge around the political impact of data mining.

Dominic Cummings.
Parliament.uk

It's not the first time Cumberbatch has made headlines this month. Earlier in June the actor hit front pages for his part in helping to stop a mugging.

The Sherlock star was called a 'real-life hero' after jumping out of the back of an Uber to chase off four potential muggers who were attacking a Deliveroo rider in central London.

Speaking shortly after the incident, the actor insisted he is 'no hero', telling the Sun: "There are real-life heroes out there and I'm not one of them."

However, Cumberbatch's Uber driver from that same night tells a different story.

"They tried to hit him but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn't injured. Then I think they also recognised it was Benedict and ran away.

"He asked the rider how he was and when he said, 'I'm OK', Benedict just hugged him."

The incident occurred just a stone's throw from the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes on Baker Street.

"Then it all got a bit surreal," added the driver. "Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just around the corner from Baker Street.

"I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was very brave. He did most of it, to be honest."

Featured Image Credit: PA / Parliament

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment, Politics