Benedict Cumberbatch Says He Regrets Playing ‘Controversial’ Character

Benedict Cumberbatch is reflecting on a controversial role from his past that he now admits he wouldn’t take on today.

In the 2016 comedy Zoolander 2, Cumberbatch played All, a non-binary fashion model. The role sparked backlash when a 2015 trailer for the film was released, with LGBTQ activists calling out the jokes made about the character’s gender identity. In a recent interview with Variety, Cumberbatch, now 48, acknowledged the criticism, saying, “It’s a difficult one to talk about.”

“I’ve had to apologize for that quite a lot,” he added, recalling the controversy. While he appreciated working with director Ben Stiller and the star-studded cast, including Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell, he admitted that playing All “got complicated and it got misunderstood,” which led to upsetting many people. Reflecting on it now, he said, “I probably wouldn’t do that again.”

In a separate interview with Variety in 2022, Cumberbatch shared that he understood the discomfort surrounding the role, especially in today’s more conscious era. “In this era, my role would never be performed by anybody other than a trans actor,” he said, acknowledging the shift in attitudes toward casting and representation.

The controversy surrounding Zoolander 2 didn’t stop with Cumberbatch. Director and star Ben Stiller also discussed the film’s mixed reception in an interview with PEOPLE last year, admitting that the negative response was “blindsiding” and left him questioning his sense of humor for a while.

Despite the past controversy, Cumberbatch has continued to thrive in his career, with several exciting projects lined up. He recently premiered The Thing with Feathers at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and has upcoming roles in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and Jay Roach’s The Roses.