--- title: Benedict Cumberbatch Takes His Role as Internet Boyfriend Seriously description: Internet boyfriend Benedict Cumberbatch is not only aware of his web status, but he takes the role very, very seriously. canonical: https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-04T17:18:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:37:18.340Z og:title: Benedict Cumberbatch: Pleased to Be Ray of Sunshine in Dull World og:description: Here's what the 'Sherlock' star has to say about it og:url: https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt152fa47d2e6b95db/6988a8a2cd1bba784d70293b/benedict-cmberbatch-internets-boyfriend1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Comic-Con International 2016 - Day 4 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Benedict Cumberbatch: Pleased to Be Ray of Sunshine in Dull World twitter:description: Here's what the 'Sherlock' star has to say about it twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt152fa47d2e6b95db/6988a8a2cd1bba784d70293b/benedict-cmberbatch-internets-boyfriend1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Benedict Cumberbatch Remains Grounded Despite the Internet's Huge Crush on Him > Sponsored content. 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(Photo by Araya Diaz/WireImage)Araya Diaz—WireImage  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Oct 4, 2016 5:18 PM UTC [Benedict Cumberbatch](http://time.com/70781/benedict-cumberbatch-2014-time-100/) occupies a space of the Internet’s heart that is also occupied for Doctor Who actors past and present, [Oscar Isaac](http://time.com/4349986/oscar-isaac-dances-twitter/), and [Rami Malek](http://time.com/4141886/rami-malek-interview-mr-robot/) — that is, [the delightful and beloved Internet boyfriend](http://time.com/4511407/tom-hiddleston-benedict-cumberbatch/). However, what makes Cumberbatch an especially devoted Internet boyfriend is the fact that he’s not only fully aware of his status as one of the web’s most beloved, but he takes everyone’s crush on him very seriously. In an interview with [_Vanity Fair_](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/10/benedict-cumberbatch-cover-story), the actor, who shot to fame when _Sherlock_ debuted in 2010 blushed when his interviewer told the actor that a Twitter user shared this tidbit: “Sometimes when I’m sad I picture a shirtless Benedict Cumberbatch slowly eating an apple fritter. Try it!” While he’s happy that his presence can bring others happiness, he tries to stay grounded in spite of all the online affection. “I’m glad I’m bringing a ray of sunshine to an otherwise dull day, being imagined eating fritters shirtless,” he said. “But, I don’t know, it makes me giggle. I don’t look at myself in the mirror and go, ‘Yeah, absolutely! I see what they’re saying!’ I see all my faults and everything that I’ve always seen as my faults.” Cumberbatch’s [new film _Doctor Strange_ ](http://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/)will no doubt escalate his Internet boyfriend status further, so it’s reassuring to see that he’s taking it all in stride, which is what all truly chivalrous Internet crushes would do. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/"},"headline":"Benedict Cumberbatch Remains Grounded Despite the Internet's Huge Crush on Him","datePublished":"2016-10-04T17:18:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:37:18.340Z","description":"Here's what the Sherlock star has to say about it","url":"https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Entertainment","Benedict Cumberbatch","celebrity","Culture"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt152fa47d2e6b95db/6988a8a2cd1bba784d70293b/benedict-cmberbatch-internets-boyfriend1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt152fa47d2e6b95db/6988a8a2cd1bba784d70293b/benedict-cmberbatch-internets-boyfriend1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Comic-Con International 2016 - Day 4","caption":"Comic-Con International 2016 - Day 4","creditText":"Araya Diaz—WireImage","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4518098/benedict-cumberbatch-interview/","name":"Benedict Cumberbatch Remains Grounded Despite the Internet's Huge Crush on Him"}}]}] ```