A birthday card to Benedict Cumberbatch

Yes, it's that time of year again. It's Benedict Cumberbatch's birthday and would you believe he's forty-one today? That's right, forty-one. He has graced the earth with his presence for forty-one years and there's not a day that passes that I'm not thankful for it. Benedict is a constant source of inspiration and amazement to me and it's been my pleasure to immerse myself in his beautiful fandom. 

(I'm not sure where the above photo's originated from but I found them on twitter years ago) 

Right, I don't quite know what to say. I cannot thank him enough for all the wonderful people I've met through the Cumberbatch and Sherlock fandom. They are truly some of the most creative, beautiful, passionate and dedicated people I have ever met, and keep meeting because there are new people joining the fandom each day. It's amazing to see people united in their love for one thing and to be part of that is truly something special. 

Benedict Cumberbatch as Paul Marshall in Atonement (2007)
(Source: Google images)

I first saw Benedict as the enthralling and frankly disturbing Paul Marshall in Atonement (2007). I was immediately captivated by him as an actor, able to adapt so well to the role. I didn't encounter Benedict again until The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). But it wasn't until he starred in Sherlock (2010) that I remembered how much I loved him as an actor and plunged head first into the TV show.

(Source: The above pictures are all from my saved images, and I have
no idea where they've come from originally, sorry.)

It was my favourite show from the offset. I've avidly waited and watched each series for the past seven years (I'm not going to get into that quite yet, that's for another post) and my fascination with the character of Sherlock Holmes and the actor behind him grew. Soon, I was watching everything that Benedict appeared in (well almost everything, I'm not the most dedicated of fans) and watching him grow, not only as an actor but as a person.  

Benedict has become a huge part of my life, not only on my two accounts (Instagram and twitter) which started as fan accounts in his honour but in my daily life. His expression, 'live a life less ordinary' struck me at once and I often find myself thinking about it when I'm sad or bored. It's become a key phrase in my life, with the first page of my journal dedicated to it and it often appears in the many bios of my social media accounts. I strive to live my life as he has, bringing happiness to those around me through little acts of kindness or as the fandom has coined #batchofkindness. This is a movement for spreading acts of kindness in real life and throughout the fandom in honour of Benedict's birthday and can be anything from helping somebody carry their shopping to donating towards a charity. Yet another example that the Cumberbatch fandom is amazing. 

Benedict in Hamlet (2015)
(Source: Google images)

Not only have I followed his career with great joy and watched him become an amazing person, I also had the extreme pleasure of seeing him in his performance of Hamlet (2015) at the Barbican in London. Do I even have to say it? It was amazing. He was amazing. I'm both a huge Cumberbatch and Shakespeare fan, so this performance was really a dream come true. His performance was stunning and I was able to share it with my fellow theatre/Cumberbatch lover Jamie (my flatmate for two out of three of my university years). We had a fantastic time and great seats and I was part of a beautiful experience, which I can't believe I got to be a part of. 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter at the BAFTAs (2015)
(Source: my saved images)

I'm beyond thankful for everything Benedict has given me (I don't think I've really touched upon it at all in this post) and delighted that I've been able to watch Benedict fulfil his own dreams and find happiness in the form of the beautiful and talented, Sophie Hunter. He deserves so much happiness and knowing that he's happily married with two children makes my heart grown three sizes. I can't even put it into words. I'm so just so happy that he's found his own happiness. He's just a normal person that's fortunate enough to do what he loves and be able to share it with his loved ones. I hope that he's enjoying his birthday with Sophie and their two boys. 

Here are some of my favourite pictures of Benedict and Sophie together, it was so hard to pick because I love all pictures of them together. I'm so thankful for everything he's done for me without even realising it, how he's transformed my life and made it better with every year. Happy Birthday, Benedict Cumberbatch. I hope you have a fantastic birthday showered with the love and happiness you deserve. Thank you for everything you've done for the people that look up to you. 

Once again, thank you for visting my blog and taking the time to read my posts.