“F*** you!”: Benedict Cumberbatch Stood Up for His $233M Movie Co-star to Save Her from an Embarrassing Question
Rachel Ellis
Updated on April 03, 2026
Co-stars often end up becoming close friends because acting typically requires spending a lot of time together on set. Consequently, it makes sense that so many actors are eager to defend their co-stars because close friends naturally support each other, especially during awkward interviews. Oh, exactly, just like Benedict Cumberbatch stood up for his The Imitation Game co-star to protect her from a humiliating question?
Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley starred in Morten Tyldum’s 2014 biographical thriller, The Imitation Game. The movie, which received eight Academy Award nominations, was based on Andrew Hodges’ biography, Alan Turing: The Enigma (1983).
And in a touching act of friendship and camaraderie during the promotion of this 2014 film, Cumberbatch stepped up and saved his co-star, Knightley.
Benedict Cumberbatch Stood Up For Keira Knightley In Joint Interview
During a joint interview in 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch defended Keira Knightley when the interviewer said the actress appeared exhausted. Well, what could have been a simple and uneventful session was abruptly ended by an interviewer’s attempt to put the Colette actress on the spot by asking an inappropriate question.
The 38-year-old actress was remarked upon by the interviewer as looking “a little worn out”. Meanwhile, her co-star, who played Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock replied:
“That is not a nice thing to say to one of the most beautiful women on the planet.”
The Atonement actress, who was obviously irritated by the question, followed Cumberbatch and yelled at the interviewer:
“F*** you!”
But, Knightley, who was at the time donning a pretty white lace dress with black polka dots on it, later clarified that it was likely because she was extremely hungry. As the Doctor Strange actor was laughing next to her, she added.
“I’m just basically really hungry. It’s like hunger range that’s about to come out in this nasty demon. I know that no one thinks i do eat but I do need food every now and then.”
Keira Knightley Discussed Her Friendship With Benedict Cumberbatch
In the 2014 film, The Imitation Game, Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch shared a leading role. But the actress claimed that her co-star has evolved into more than just a fellow cast member and has become a close friend.
The 38-year-old praised the handsome 47-year-old actor, in an exclusive interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK in 2014. When discussing their friendship, the Pride and Prejudice star said:
“There have been moments in our friendship when I have been going through tough times and he has been right there, taking me out to dinner, coming round to the house, being the one who listened. I appreciate that hugely.”
Knightley continued, stating her love for Cumberbatch’s company, and said:
“Needless to say, Benedict is a very good dinner companion: always interested and interesting, up on politics and the news (so he’s got an opinion) and always ready with a story, although occasionally you have to pin him down to one subject because he tends to veer off in all directions. He is also caring.”
Despite their on-screen chemistry, the actress also claimed that their friendship was truly cemented during their off-camera interactions.
“I loved our scenes together [in The Imitation Game]. But my favourite moments were those we shared off-screen, like when we snuck outside and illicitly smoked cigarettes.”
The actor has put a lot of effort into his successes, according to Knightley, who also praised him as:
“He is really enjoying his success. He is 38, and has wanted this for such a long time and has worked so hard. More importantly, his love for acting is something I haven’t seen in anyone else. He has found the one thing in life he is singularly passionate about and he is making the most of it…”
For the unversed, The Imitation Game became the highest-grossing independent movie of 2014 after earning over $233 million worldwide on a production budget of $14 million.
So, why not watch The Imitation Game, which is streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and FuboTV?
Source- Daily Express
