Benedict Cumberbatch Spoiled His Star Trek Twist To Stephen Hawking After Getting Drunk With The Man He Played In Little-Known 2004 Movie

Benedict Cumberbatch reveals that he told Stephen Hawking about his secret Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) role after growing close to the late theoretical physicist. Directed by J.J. Abrams, who also directed 2009's hit Star Trek film, the sequel sees Chris Pine return to the role of Captain James T. Kirk, following him and the Enterprise crew as they track down former Starfleet member John Harrison, who has become an intergalactic terrorist. Cumberbatch stars in the film as Harrison, who is revealed partway through to be iconic Star Trek character Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically-engineered superhuman.

During a recent interview with Varietyin which he attempts to identify lines from his past movies, Cumberbatch correctly identifies a line from Hawking, a TV movie from 2004 in which he plays the iconic man of science. Cumberbatch reflects on his friendship with the real-life Hawking, calling it an "intense and wonderful period." The actor shares one memory of Hawking, in particular, recalling how, after they'd both had a few drinks, he told him that he would be playing Khan, which was top-secret knowledge at the time. Check out Cumberbatch's story below:

That last swell after the job, you know, and to be there at Westminster Abby for his memorial was just incredible. Very, very special man. And my last memory of him was getting drunk on margaritas and telling him at a time when no one else could tell him, and he’d had about three so I think he was a little in his cups.
I said, ‘I know where you live and you can’t run away from me,’ which probably a very bad taste joke, which he grinned at. I go, ‘I’m going to tell you a secret. I’m playing Khan in Sta Trek.’ About half an hour later I got this IBM voice going, ‘Very good.’ He was really excited about it.

Hawking passed away in 2018 at the age of 76.

What Cumberbatch's Hawking Story Means For Star Trek

His Khan Was Divisive

Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness

Though Cumberbatch doesn't go into detail about why he told Hawking, it's well-known that the late scientist was a massive fan of Star Trek. Hawking even appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generationseason 6 as a hologram version of himself, playing Data in a game of poker on the holodeck. Cumberbatch being cast as Khan was widely assumed prior to Star Trek Into Darkness' release, but it was never officially confirmed, suggesting Hawking kept the actor's secret safe.

As for the reception to Cumerbatch's casting as Khan, the response was relatively mixed. Reviews for Star Trek Into Darkness were generally very positive from critics, but they weren't quite as glowing as the ones for the 2009 film. Cumberbatch's performance wasn't widely criticized, but his casting in a more general sense as Khan wasn't universally accepted at the time. At the box office, Star Trek Into Darkness was still a major hit, grossing $467 million and becoming the highest-grosser of the franchise worldwide.

Star Trek Into Darkness has an 84% critics' score and 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Our Take On Cumerbatch's Hawking Story & His Time In Star Trek

Khan Was A Standout Villain

Stephen Hawking's cameo in Star Trek: The Next Generation — Stephen Hawking looks on in Star Trek TNG

Hawking isn't Cumberbatch's most iconic or well-known role. As a TV movie, it just didn't have the same reach as a theatrically-released project. Still, it features an incredible performance from the actor, and it's no wonder that he ended up becoming close to the film's subject. The story also speaks to Hawking's sharp sense of humor, which was often on display in his interviews and TV appearances.

As the wait continues for the announced Star Trek 4, the three Kelvin Timeline movies remain standout sci-fi projects. Even though Cumberbatch's Khan was divisive at the time, Into Darkness features some incredible action sequences, and is ultimately a worth follow-up to the 2009 movie. Star Trek Into Darkness might not go down as Cumberbatch's best movie, but it was certainly a lot of fun, and, 12 years later, the actor's take on Khan is worthy of praise.

Source: Variety