Benedict Cumberbatch Gave Himself Nicotine Poisoning While Filming The Power of the Dog

Benedict
Cumberbatch
is
among
the
front-runners
for
this
year’s
leading
actor
awards
for
his
role
in
Netflix’s



The
Power
of
the
Dog.
In
the
movie,
he
plays
a
despotic
rancher
in
20th
century
Montana,
who
inspires
fear
and
awe
in
those
around
him.
Cumberbatch’s
performance
has
been
creating
Oscar
buzz
ever
since
the
film
premiered
at
this
year’s
Venice
International
Film
Festival.
The
film
itself
was
applauded
for
its
themes
and
sustained
tension,
winning
the
Silver
Lion
for
Best
Direction.

The
Power
of
the
Dog
marks
the
return
of
Palme
d’Or
winning
filmmaker
Jane
Campion
as
a
writer
and
director
after
a
decade.

The
Power
of
the
Dog
is
based
on
the
eponymous
1967
novel
by
Thomas
Savage,
and
Cumberbatch’s
character,
Phil
Burbank,
is
described
as
someone
who
doesn’t
wash
often.
Based
on
that,
Cumberbatch
took
some
drastic
measures
to
get
into
character. “I
wanted
that
layer
of
stink
on
me,”
he
said
in
a
recent
chat
with
Esquire.
He
further
added,

“I
wanted
people
in
the
room
to
know
what
I
smelt
like.
It
was
hard,
though.
It
wasn’t
just
in
rehearsals.
I
was
going
out
to
eat
and
meet
friends
of
Jane
and
stuff.
I
was
a
bit
embarrassed
by
the
cleaner,
in
the
place
I
was
living.”

Another
requirement
was
cigarettes.
In
accordance
with
the
source
material,
Cumberbatch
had
to
smoke
a
lot
of
cigarettes,
all
of
them “perfectly
rolled
with
one
hand.”
That
proved
to
be
quite
troublesome,
as
the

Doctor
Strange
actor
recalled.

“That
was
really
hard.
Filterless
rollies,
just
take
after
take
after
take.
I
gave
myself
nicotine
poisoning
three
times.
When
you
have
to
smoke
a
lot,
it
genuinely
is
horrible.”

There
was
a
fair
bit
of
horse-riding
to
do
as
well,
which



Benedict
Cumberbatch
said
came
in
handy
from
his
experience
working
on
2011’s

War
Horse.
He
also
learned
braiding,
banjo,
whittling,
and
ironmongery,
even
gifting
a
self-made
horseshoe
to
Campion
as
a
present.

It
seems
like
Cumberbatch
may
have
been
spending
some
time
with
Jared
Leto
or
fellow
Brit
Christian
Bale,
both
notorious
for
going
to
great
lengths
to
get
into
their
characters.
But
whatever
methods
Cumberbatch
employed,
they
were
effective.
Even
though

The
Power
of
the
Dog
is
being
hailed
as
a
near-perfect
movie,
Cumberbatch’s
performance
is
touted
to
be
his
best
ever.
However,
the
movie
is
more
than
just
the
leading
performance.

Check
out
the
following
plot
synopsis
for

The
Power
of
the
Dog. “A
domineering
but
charismatic
rancher
wages
a
war
of
intimidation
on
his
brother’s
new
wife
and
her
teen
son
–
until
long-hidden
secrets
come
to
light.”

Every
aspect
of
the
film
has
been
praised,
whether
it’s
Jane
Campion’s
layered
direction,
Jonny
Greenwood’s
score,
or
Ari
Wegner’s
cinematography.
And
Cumberbatch
isn’t
the
only
one
who
shines
in
the
acting
department;
the
entire
cast
delivers
fabulous
acting
performances.

The
Power
of
the
Dog
has
a
star-studded
cast,
featuring
Kirsten
Dunst,
Jesse
Plemons,
Kodi
Smit-McPhee,
Thomasin
McKenzie,
Genevieve
Lemon,
Keith
Carradine,
and
Frances
Conroy.

The
Power
of
the
Dog
will
have
a
limited
theatrical
release
on
November
17,
2021,
before
exclusively
streaming
on

Netflix
from
December
1,
2021.
This
news
comes
to
us
via
The
Independent.