Doctor Strange Actor Benedict Cumberbatch Says He’s “Mortified” By Character’s Spellcasting Hand Movements

John F. Trent |

May 9, 2022

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Benedict Cumberbatch attends the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness World Premiere at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 02, 2022. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Disney)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness actor Benedict Cumberbatch recently claimed he finds making Doctor Strange’s hand movements “mortifying.”

Cumberbatch’s comments came during a Twitter Q&A sessions where user Ali_Parker asked, “For Benedict: How do you make all of those magical hand-movements without laughing or making sound effects?”

“It’s difficult,” Cumberbatch replied. “I don’t find it funny anymore. I find it kind of mortifying.”

He continued, “I realize that very cool stuff will manifest ultimately with them. So you just, as you do, being a kid in the bedroom just making stuff up. You just kind of have to believe in it.”

“However, making sound effects is a bigger problem especially when doing fights,” he added. “You end up going ugh, ahh, tch, geh. Some of which is needed, but most of which is not.”

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Cumberbatch previously discussed the hand movements during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

He told Fallon that he’s been trained “endlessly” on how to perform the choreographed gestures. He also detailed that it’s “hard work.”

However, the interview quickly spiraled into a comedy bit with Cumberbatch saying that he actually doesn’t perform the hand gestures anymore when Fallon asked him to teach him a couple of the hand gestures.

Cumberbatch stated, “I think the best way to do this, probably, because this is, like the sixth time I’ve played him. So, you know, you get some perks after awhile and one of them is that I don’t actually — I don’t do the hand moves any more. In this film Sam Raimi does them.”

Cumberbatch then proceeds to demonstrate how the hand gestures are done with him embracing Fallon from behind and having his hands act as Fallon’s hands that eventually culminates in Fallon drinking water from his coffee mug.