Quote

When I was a kid I joined the circus. I did that. It is true. But it's not like you think. There was a guy, he had his own circus. His name was Carol Jacobs and he owned it. It was a small thing.

When I first got out of drama school, my original manager tried to get me to change my name because people were having trouble spelling it and saying it.

People think that I changed my name. I could've been an actress, a superhero, or a stripper.

My stage name is actually my nickname given to me by my dad when I was a baby.

The stage calls my name.

I don't want to end up being a circus act, doing my most famous tricks when I'm 70.

I'm always very nervous about the word 'dancer' next to my name because anyone who's really trained in dance will go, 'This guy's fudging so badly.'

My first agent dissuaded me from calling myself 'Cumberbatch.' I had six months of not very productive time with her, so I changed agents. The new one said, 'Why aren't you using your family name? It's a real attention-grabber.' I worried, 'How much is it going to cost to put my name in lights?' But then I decided that's not my problem.

Having a stage name is like having a Superman complex. I go into the telephone booth as Eric Bishop and come out as Jamie Foxx.

People who have witnessed all the years of me playing, they bring their kids and say, 'I used to see this guy when I was fourteen!'