BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » How Much Benedict's Looks Have Changed

kaye · March 9, 2014 8:02 pm

I have been watching a PBS series with Benedict called “The Last Enemy”. This series was shot in 2008 – only six years ago. Yet I am amazed at how different Ben looks in it than he does today. As someone who first came to know Benedict in “Sherlock” and always thought he has an ‘unusual’ face, I was shocked at how young and cute he looked In “Enemy”:

Now, compare these pictures with how Benedict looked at the Oscars earlier this month:

I just think he looked so much older than his 37 years, and so tired too.

He even seemd more gaunt in Sherlock this time around as well.

Look - I am not trying to be mean. I adore Ben just as much as all of you. It just seems to me that he has changed a whole lot in just six years.
I think he was heavier when he did "The Last Enemy", and we all know he has had to shed a lot of weight to play Sherlock. Benedict has always altered his hair color, weight, and even his body, as he did for playing Khan. I get that. But he seems much more leaner, and a bit more 'mature', then he did in the not too distant past (if we were talking over a 15 to 20 year period, that would be normal to see such changes). To me, he just seemed like a different person six years ago.

rebeccaholmes · March 9, 2014 8:07 pm

I understand where you're coming from, and you're definitely not being mean; it's your opinion at the end of the day!

I can definitely see how he's changed over the years, and as you've said, this could be the result from all the adapting to different roles he's done, but that our Ben for you. He's so dedicated to his work and the roles he plays, that he's willing to do things like lose weight, change hair colour for it. I suppose that after awhile, everything catches up and takes its toll.

But in my opinion, I think he's growing so gracefully, and I prefer the little wrinkles by his eyes, and everything else. It's so nice to see an actor that isn't destroying his face with enhancing products, and is just letting nature do its thing; which I see as complimenting him well!

Last edited by rebeccaholmes (March 9, 2014 8:13 pm)

clareiow · March 9, 2014 8:11 pm

I think most men do "fill out" and by that I mean chunk up and become the man they are going to be.

He's always been hot. I think he's hottest as he is right now

Tinks · March 9, 2014 9:27 pm

I don't see that he's changed that much - he alters facially with weight gain and loss and I think there was a period when he lost too much weight and was clearly working too hard.
Also I think he can look slightly older when his hair is darker or very severely cut, but I don't think he looks "old " by any means - men mature sometimes in their mid to late 30s and then don't alter a lot until their mid to late 40s, too so I think he's looking brilliant right now.
I do think sometimes he looks like he needs to rest though when he's had a hectic schedule.

Last edited by Tinks (March 9, 2014 9:28 pm)

ruthyone · March 16, 2014 11:28 pm

Here's a nice one of him with Martin..........

maryagrawatson · May 11, 2014 12:48 am

I watched The Last Enemy recently and thought it was amazing. I had the same thought that he looked a lot younger than he does now, more so than the number of years can account for it.

Weight loss and clothes are definitely a big part of it. I'm just about his age and kept getting mistaken for being in my early 20s until I shed about 60lbs, going from a full round face to one with pronounced cheekbones. Now, everyone correctly puts my age at being in the mid-30s.

As for clothes, Benedict used to dress like a slob, untucked shirts and jeans and sneakers, but now he usually wears grown-up clothes. I remember one interview he did a while back where he said that he didn't dress like Sherlock because suits felt like a costume, but we often see him now in suits that are like Sherlock's. I saw a picture of him recently where if he hadn't had his natural hair colour, I would have thought he was prepping for Sherlock as he was wearing a dark suit with a looped scarf.

He's aging beautifully and looking at his dad, I think we can expect Benedict to keep improving with age.

Mary

Mattlocked · May 11, 2014 8:27 am

He surely does. Just have a look at the pics from Poland.

kaye · May 17, 2014 7:47 pm

maryagrawatson wrote:
I watched The Last Enemy recently and thought it was amazing. I had the same thought that he looked a lot younger than he does now, more so than the number of years can account for it.

Weight loss and clothes are definitely a big part of it. I'm just about his age and kept getting mistaken for being in my early 20s until I shed about 60lbs, going from a full round face to one with pronounced cheekbones. Now, everyone correctly puts my age at being in the mid-30s.

As for clothes, Benedict used to dress like a slob, untucked shirts and jeans and sneakers, but now he usually wears grown-up clothes. I remember one interview he did a while back where he said that he didn't dress like Sherlock because suits felt like a costume, but we often see him now in suits that are like Sherlock's. I saw a picture of him recently where if he hadn't had his natural hair colour, I would have thought he was prepping for Sherlock as he was wearing a dark suit with a looped scarf.

He's aging beautifully and looking at his dad, I think we can expect Benedict to keep improving with age.

Mary

My thanks to everyone who responded to this thread. The remarks Mary made I think get to the heart of this matter. I do think he is terribly skinny lately, and that has contributed to a more 'aged' look for him. He doesn't do well being underweight. I realize he had to lose weight for Sherlock, but that is over now,and he doesn't seem to have put the weight back on. Like from this recent pic, the clothes are just hanging off him.

Not a good look for him at all. If he was 47 going on 48 I'd attribute his gaunt apperance to age, but he'll only be 38 in July, and he seems older to me in apperance. All this in just six years.

I suppose we all have to get older. God only knows my looks have suffered with age. But Ben just seems to be a bit too young for that to be happening to him just yet.

Last edited by kaye (May 17, 2014 8:12 pm)

Le Bear Polar · May 18, 2014 7:34 am

I did notice that there was a rather drastic change of his look in Sherlock S3. His hair was different, not sure if that was deliberate. His cheeks padded out a little bit, which is great to see, he didn't look as lean as he did in S1 and S2. He still had the muscles he fleshed out for Star Trek. I'll embed a comparison picture once I get my messaging options back (some tech glitch).

Regarding his thinner look, he might be preparing for a role, or maybe it's just all the travelling he's been doing. UK --> Kuala Lumpur --> Adelaide --> Sydney --> New York --> Krakow (If I'm not mistaken). I'm thinking it's the strain of being in so many new places in such a short time. But having such drastic transformation over the years...could it be the roles have finally taken a toll on him? Losing/putting on weight too quickly for different roles (Third Star, Sherlock, STID, Parade's End) can have quite an effect on physical appearance.

He definitely dresses better nowadays, although he is still rather (charmingly) loyal to certain few casual pieces. :D

Tinks · May 18, 2014 8:24 am

I have to say, I don't really like commenting negatively on people's looks generally so I apologise in advance for saying that the only time I've thought he looks slightly older than his years was during the STID premieres where, imo, he'd lost a little too much weight too quickly. As Polar says, this can take a toll, and with the very dark Sherlock hair that he was wearing slicked back, it made him look a little pale and unwell, imo.

I think he looks absolutely fantastic right now, though, and when he's all dressed up for events and functions (Oscars, Met Gala, BAFTA NY, Cracow....) I think he looks easily in his early, rather than his late thirties.

But it's all down to individual opinion, and I think he's about so much more than just his (gorgeous) looks anyway

Last edited by Tinks (May 18, 2014 8:25 am)

kaye · May 20, 2014 2:01 am

I agree with you Tinks about the slicked-back dark hair during the ST promo tour. He did look unwell. It was just an unfortunate look for him. He should have left his Sherlock hair long and natural, like he did at this royal Garden party soon after:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2337409/Benedict-Cumberbatch-looks-entirely-ease-chats-Prince-Edward-palace-garden-party.html

He wore that slicked-back hair all through the promos in the U.S. too, and on television. When he really needs to look good, most of the time he fails to do so. Someone should be advising him on this stuff.

Tinks · May 20, 2014 7:01 am

Oh, I don't know Kaye....I think he looks utterly fantastic lately at all of the events he goes to - it was just that one time during the ST premieres where I thought he looked not really healthy, but most Actors have at least one period in their careers where they look a certain way for a role and it doesn't really suit them; I think Ben clearly had to change from Khan to, possibly, Sherlock, quite quickly and it had an effect on his looks for a short while.
Plus, with the Sherlock curls - he's said he prefers his hair short. So if he has these long curls that he doesn't particularly like, he has no option but to slick them back; at least as women, we can resort to pony tails, hair grips etc., if we don't like our hair styles
I think he's a gorgeous man, and whatever his hair and clothes look like, his personality always shines through

SolarSystem · May 20, 2014 7:45 am

kaye wrote:
When he really needs to look good, most of the time he fails to do so. Someone should be advising him on this stuff.

Excuse me...? I think we live in different worlds then or at least have different ideas about what "looking good" means (and it obviously means something different to everyone), but I fail to see why most of the time he should fail to look good when he 'really needs to' (what is that supposed to mean, btw...?).

gently69 · May 20, 2014 8:46 am

Don't understand you either, kaye.

Last edited by gently69 (May 20, 2014 8:46 am)

Edgeucated · May 20, 2014 9:50 am

There's a thing I fail to understand.Why is it so important that he looks perfect all the time? It's his life,his choices.If he decides to wear that or that particular outfit or hairdo on his free time,let him.
When he's "on duty" it's his job to be all dressed up,makeup on-looking perfect. When "off duty" I couldn't care less,he could wear a potatosack and greasy hair if he feels like it.

gently69 · May 20, 2014 9:59 am

Exactly.
But I understood it that kaye meant he failed looking good when he is "on duty".

Tinks · May 20, 2014 10:11 am

As to that, I love that he's "off duty", his clothes are his last concern - he dresses for comfort it seems, and I think that's all part of the lack of any vanity in him, which is another thing I really like about him
(I think he looks gorgeous scruffy or smart though!)

SolarSystem · May 20, 2014 10:16 am

Whether or not it's important to us how he looks (and it seems I'm a very shallow person, because I have to admit that I do indeed take notice of his clothes and the way he dresses - so sue me ), I still fail to see where he's supposed to 'got it wrong' in the last few months.

Tinks · May 20, 2014 11:07 am

If you're shallow, Solar, then I think many of us are, too - me included!!
And I agree, he's absolutely looking better than ever right now - if you take the Oscars as just one of many many examples, he looked as good, in fact better, than any of the other guys there

gently69 · May 20, 2014 11:40 am

Concerning all the "Red Carpet Events" I am totally convinced of his stylings. I never heard / read that even experts criticised anything. If he takes part in more informal events I don't mind any not that perfect looks. If he is in private ... well shouldn't be anybody's matter but his.
Also taste differs.
I think imperfection makes him human .. what he is.