final fanaward

7/31/2019 Final Fanaward

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I heard that when people are happy, they live a longer, better life.

As you have brought a smile to me, I hope your happiness will be rife.


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mmmmmm

Maybe you are wondering why someone would send you this kind of gi(and maybe not; in this case, please feel free to skip this note). As I have atendency to exhaustivity, I will try to keep it short.

I wanted to thank you. Your performances are exactly what I am lookingfor in an actor, and your acting moves me in an unique way, so watchingyou act always makes my day.

They are many people that change our lives, and unfortunately, most ofthose persons are gone. Leonardo da Vinci is dead, dear Van Gogh and deNerval are deceased, and I wont mention them all because its like humanshave a tendency to just stop living at some point.

One of my role models was actually alive during my youth so I entertainedthe hope of meeting him, but then he died. I dont know if youve tried tothank a dead person, its not always as easy as it seems. I also went to

Oscar Wildes tomb and found him a bit unresponsive (I actually suspect hewas out having tea with some of his ghosts friends).

So well. You are alive (apparently), and some of your performanceschanged my way of seeing life, and I had an aernoon o, so I thought Ishould just try to thank you while I was at it. Because I apparently enjoythanking people (usually that means theyve been nice) and also, youknow why not?

Lots of people do lots of nice stu all the time, and never get thanked forit. Its a shame, really, that society spends more time trying to gure outways to punish misbehaviours than to congratulate the persons who madeothers happy. Happier. One of those.

I will not go on about how great you or your acting are, because you willnd it written (repeatedly) in the following pages.

I will, however, point out something fans are not talking aboutthemselves, maybe because some of them did not realise its existence.

You will notice it while reading their letters to you. All their thank you andadvices, their wishes for your happiness, for more people inspiring themlike you do -they all, in their own, very personal way, show how much theycare, and how much they are able, furthermore willing, to love.

That is the wonder I suppose, that in a world where living is not always as

sweet or adventurous as one would wish it to be, so much people could bemoved to love so much, and by only one person.

To me sir, you are an amazing being, not because you are a great actor, orbecause you seem like a nice person -but because by doing what you do,you move people into being someone caring, and most of all into someonewilling to take the risk to show and share this love out in the open.Someone willing to stand their ground and arm themselves through thesimple act of loving.

I will not turn this into a compliment, as no compliment could ever matchthis simple fact: you make people better.

And for that sir, please accept this token of gratitude. Every person shouldbe oered a talisman as powerful as this one; you are apparently one ofthe happy few.

Or, to sum all this up in a more simple manner: thank you.

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happy birthday to you, give you a ower and tell you that you are trulybeautiul and that I love you. Not romantically or platonically or really in anyway that can be properly described outside o the heart, but I do love youBenedict. We all do. I hope you read this and understand that that there are

people in the world who simply think you should know that you are worthsomething to them. I want you to know that I wish you a happy birthday thisyear and that I wish that all the others will be just as good, i not better. I hopeyou get everything youve wished or and that you have a long and ulflling lie,Benedict.

From Canada, with love

-Christina Jules

J

To Mr. Cumberbatch,

I really don't know how to begin this letter. I have honestly never felt soappalled or enticed by someone like you. Actually, I have regained mypassion for acting because of you. I'm still very much afraid of the world oftheatre but seeing every lm or show you play in... it really just takes mybreath away. And I look up to you, I honestly do.

I think, if I ever met you, I would literally cry. Maybe cry the most I have evercried (and pass how much I did with Reichenbach!). I don't look up to many

people, but you really are on my list of people I DO look up to. I hear manysweet things about you even off the camera. You aren't like the typical actor.You're a very charming and beautiful man, might I add. There is somethingabout you that just makes you completely stand out in such a wonderful way.And it's such an overwhelming feeling that I don't know how to describe it

Have a happy birthday, Benedict. You deserve every last second of this dayand everyday! Just more so this day, hahaha. Please take care of yourselfand keep up with the good work. I look forward to the future. And just soyou know, you are never, ever alone. I'm sure you do know that, but there

are tons, millions of fans, that support and love everything you do. So if youever have any day that's too tiring, or any time that you just want to take abreak, please do so. We care about your well-being very much.

Sincerely,Melodie Y.

Rosemont, IL, USA.

J

Dear Benedict,You a ly a amazing peson! Yor acng ki a qi exaodina,an w a no ou eay a abo wha ou do. You eay ice,fnn, inient, an a a aon wondef peson. W lov o, ee

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doing wha ou do! Seeing or wok, or invies, or pictes, or aningela ou a say ak mile!

- Chisn E.

J

Dear Benedict,

Of late, I have become a huge fan of you and your work. Every piece of drama you turnyour hand to is astoundingly well performed. You have a real mesmerizing talent and are,in my opinion, one of the greatest actors Ive ever had the fortune to watch. You areundeniably one of my greatest role models, not only because of your job, but also for howyou handle yourself in interviews and TV appearance. You seem like the nicest guy and I

just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for everything you do,

-Rebecca YatesJ

Dear Benedict,

Id like to thank you for your amazing performances and that you share your work

with the world. You are incredibly talented, maybe me saying so does not mean as

much as an award does, but Ill say it anyway! In everything you do, you either

make me cry or unable to speak, certainly not my reaction to every lm or

performance I watch!

I rst saw you in Sherlock and was captivated; seeing even a photo of you side by

side to a still from Sherlock is amazing because you do not look like the same

person. Nothing about you is Benedict when you are Sherlock, and if Im honest,

Ive never felt like that about any other actor before, always a part of them is

recognizable in the character they are playing. It probably goes without saying

that watching The Reichenbach Fall made me cry, it was incredibly emotional and

a very powerful performance.

And then when watching Frankenstein it was almost surreal as my brain was

telling me this is the same actor as Sherlock, I just couldnt marry the two

together! Im hoping to see Frankenstein again at the encore screenings in June, I

am incredibly sad that a DVD cannot be released due to copyright. I just want tobe able to watch it again and again.

It seems as if you are taking role after role and I do worry that you need a good

holiday! Take at least an entire month o; no working allowed! Not even going

away and then slyly reviewing a book or a hotel. Tut.

I am eagerly anticipating Parades End though, Ive seen some photos from

lming and it looks like it is going to be magnicent.

In short- you are stupidly talented and please take a holiday. Oh, and I love your

sparkly shoes.

Sarah, Essex, England.

J

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To The Benedict Cumberbatch,

Once upon a time there was a perfect person. Her name was Katie. Only

joking, he was really called Benedict Cumberbatch. He was so amazing

that everyone fell in love with his amazing talent.

However, this shouldnt go to your head, and so I will also remind youthat you are not a god, however much people might think you are.

I think Ive rather gone off on a tangent here, so Ill just wish you a happy

birthday and let the talented people take over.

Thank you for existing,

Katie

J

Mr. Cumberbatch (It eels weird calling you Benedict because we havent evermet),

Im a huge an o your work. I know that line sounds cheesy, but there are a lot opeople out there who are just ans o you. Im always impressed with yourperormances, whether you are Sherlock (my avorite character) or Martin Crie (whoisnt even seen!). There arent a lot o actors out there who do television, flm, and stageand Im always in awe o people who can do all o them.

Naturally, Im unbelievably ecstatic to hear that not only will there be a season three oSherlock but also a ourth season o Cabin Pressure! Its brilliant!

You are an amazing person, and I respect you quite a lot.

-Izzy Buchholz

J

You are amazing. I could seriously just stop at that.But Iwontbecause Iamsofascinatedbyyourentirebodyofworkandyouramazingabilitiesintheworldoffilm,theaterandtelevision.IfIcould,Iwouldseriouslylovetomeetyousomedayandjustgettoknowyou. I keep hearing thingsabouthowyouare sovery intelligentandwellread(and Icompletelybelieve that).However, Ialsohear thatyou try tohide

the

majority

of

your

intelligence

as

to

not

put

people

off.

Honestly,

Id

love to have a conversation with you and not hide any part of yourpersonality,especiallyyourintelligence.IveneverbeenmorefascinatedanddrawninbyanybodyfamousthanIamwithyou.And that isbecauseofyourwork, intelligence,yourhumblenessandyourabilitytowearthehelloutofasuit:)HappyBirthday,dearBenedict. I hopeyou haveanamazingdayandareheartenedbyallthe loveyourfanshaveforyou. Illsay itagainbecause itdeservestobesaidalways:Youareamazing!

Muchloveandrespect,RachelAErwinDecatur,IL,USA

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J

Dear Mr. Cumberbatch,

Oh, Lord. at sounds like the beginnings of a summons letter, doesnt it?

How about,Hey there, Mr. Cumberbatch,

Improvement? Perhaps.

Moving on.

Im including myself in this because, well why not? Its not often one gets to be a part ofa birthday book. ats a beautiful idea, isnt it? A birthday book. All people should getbirthday books. A book of people who love you, writing to you for the sake of remindingyou just how important you are.

Tangent. Moving on,

I guess what Im really doing here is this: thanking you. People always talk, and say that ifthe opportunity ever presented itself, theyd thank the people that had impacted their lives.So here I am, giving my thanks, to you, for just being well, you. I mean yeah, it could beargued that I dont know you. And the argument wouldnt be too far o of right. But therehas to be a leasta littlereality to those interviews, right? So thank you. For being a lovelyactor. And for being a lovely person as well. And for having really good taste in music.Heres hoping thatsomedayI may say it to you personally.

And, of course, Happy Birthday. May it be the best there ever was, and let there be many

more to come.

And be careful on that motorcycle.

Love(lovelovelovelove),

- Ali H.

xxx

J

Dear Benedict,

At the time I have written this to you, Sherlock is not broadcasted where

I live. Thankfully, I have the power of the internet, and after hearing of

Sherlock from several of my online friends, I decided that Id give it a

chance. I have never been so glad I listened to them in my life. In the little

time I started watching the show, Ive grown obsessed, nding absolutely

everything you do incredible! Its not just Sherlock; its everything about

you. Youre incredibly talented, and I just want to thank you for

everything youve done.

With love,Sam Davis

MA, USA

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J

Mr. Cumberbatch,

I would just like to say that I apologise on behalf of the fans who have made youfeel.awkward, or uncomfortable. We really do just enjoy your work. Youre an

amazing actor, and an amazing person. Im not the only one who thinks so, I know Imnot. From Third Star, and Hawking, and Sherlock, I can tell you put everything into

your acting. You become everyone you play and you do a Very nice job pulling it off.

Youre a really big inspiration for me. You seem like such an optimist, and youre

Beautiful. I know you dont think youre all that attractive but you are. Anyone who

says any different is either jealous and denying it, or Blind. Haha, Im just

kidding.Sort of

But yes, Please keep doing what youre doing. Im anxious to see your upcoming films,

and Im really looking forward to Sherlock, (Because Sherlock needs to tell John.Seriously, John has been through enough. He needs his best friend back.)

Again, Please keep doing what youre doing.

Youre Amazing

-Kat Covington

J

Hello Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch,

I really love your name even though some people may get it wrong.

It sounds so British (like you are so). Anyways, I started

watching Sherlock and at frst I really thought you were not greatlooking (sorry. but I didnt take much time to correct that

mistake). Ater watching the second episode I became mesmerized by

everything you did. All your actions and expressions are great.

You truly captured the character. You became the character like

some people say.

You are a abulous actor. I even watched Third Star and I couldnt

stop crying. I had to pause the movie like 10 times.

I hope you continue to do such great work. Im a big an! And Oh

God! Your EYES!!

I really really love you! (bit much, I guess)

With lots o love and aection,

Kriti

Mumbai, India

J

Benedict Cumberbatch,

Happy Birthday! I am a huge fan of all of your work that I have seen, especiallySherlock which is what I first saw you in. I may be a little too obsessed withSherlock seeing as this is the first fan letter I've ever written and I created a fanaccount on twitter for you (@Sherlock_Canada). There's nothing wrong withme! (Sorry I couldn't resist)

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Now that you think I'm completely insane I just want to say thank you for howpassionate you are about all your work and how dedicated you are toeverything you do. I'm sorry that we, your fans, the 'Cumberbitches', come offas overwhelming at times but we just don't know how to express our gratitudefor everything you do.

I can't wait to see in Star Trek and the Hobbit and of course more Sherlock andwhatever else you are working on. I hope you will continue acting even ifStephen Spielberg doesn't offer you another job. I love everything you are inbut I must say after Amazing Grace, Third Star and Sherlock I don't think I canhandle watching you die again!

Thank you for taking the time to read these letters as they were written withlove and each word was carefully selected in the hope that you might read it.

Have an amazing birthday and enjoy each and every moment knowing you arean important part of the world around you!

Erin Kiyonaga - Simply0Suki

Alberta, Canada

J


Maybe I should start with the fact that I sat here for far too long trying to figure out somethingto say that wasnt placating or dull. I dont know if I will/have succeeded but I shall attemptanyways.

You have an amazing gift. The ability to shed ones own skin to take one the persona of

another is not an easy skill to come by, and you do it so easily. It amazes me. I first wasintroduced to you in Amazing Grace, which was fantastic by the way you should wear thepowdered whig more often. :P Inseparable made me cryas did Third Star. Sherlock iswellIpromise I know how to use adjectives, theyve just all escaped me at the moment. And letsnot forget Cabin Pressure, another fantastic job. (Can hardly wait for season 4!!)

I guess I just want to say that you are amazingly talented and your work brings joy to many,many people around the world. Dont ever let anyone tell you differently. I hope you have a

wonderful birthday and this year brings you lots of laughter, opportunities for growth, andmany blessings.

Sincerely,

KaitlynJ

Dear Mr. Benedict,

Thank you so much for being such an inspiration-your dedication to yourwork and boundless energy are truly amazing, and its so wonderful to seethe fruits of your labours on the big screen. I am so happy for yoursuccess, so grateful for what you have done for Sherlock Holmes and actorseverywhere, and I really hope that someday we may meet.

All my love,Kit Simmons

J

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Dear Mr Cumberbatch, (Come on, how else am I supposed to start? Icant exactly be all Oh, hey Benedict, howre you doing?, can I? I dont evenknow you.)

Happy birthday! What am I, about the 628,364th person to say that to you? Ah, but

how many of the previous 628,363 actually sang Happy Birthday? No, neitherdid I. Sorry. The neighbours might have thought Id nally cracked.

To be quite honest, though, you do deserve to have a happy birthday. I mean, Ihave no idea if youre a good person or not, but think about it. Anybody in thepublic eye can become a role model, or an inspiration, or a source of hope. Andyoure there. Just by continuing to put your best foot forward, you inspire eachand every one of your fans to do the same, in whatever it is theyve chosen to dowith their lives. Its good. Its a wonderful thing, to be able to do that for people.

I mean, you really are quite impressive. I rst saw you (doesnt that sound a littlebit creepy? Its not meant to. Honest.) in Van Gogh: Painted with Words, and I have

to admit youre excellent. Youre incredibly talented. Never before have I been sooverwhelmed with affection towards a character (or historical gure portrayed inlm, as the case may be) in that way. That takes skill, and talent, and somethingspecial. Youre fantastic at what you do, and I hope you continue (and continue toenjoy it) for many years to come.

(I need to get this situation with the brackets under control, dont I?)

Sorry for the overly conversational tone. Im just really, really bad at writing letters.Again, happy birthday! And if Ive wasted a chunk of your time, I apologisewholeheartedly.

All the best,

Kate(Manchester, in case youre keeping a note of where your fans are. Hey,

you should, if youre not. It might be interesting. I was talking to a girl from Israel,the other day, who adores Sherlock. No joke.)

J

Dear Benedict,

Thank you for being such an inspiration to me! You are truly amazing, handsome andyou seem like such a generally nice man! I hope maybe one day I will be able to meetyou, You are amazing in every part you play and I love how you add something extra toevery part! I can't begin to describe how much I look up to you. So I will just say thankyou! Thank you for being awesome!

Love Alice Needham

J

Hello Mr Cumberbatch,

my name is Stefania, italian, too old to tell. I just wanted to saythank you for your work, thank you for your efforts and your talent. Maybeyou will really read this and it maybe mean something for you but let me tell

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you something: everytime you will feel sad or underpressure, please, try tore-read this and remember how much you are loved around the world.

WellI dont know, I just wanted to say thank you for teaching meenglish, helped me to discover a new world full of stories, smiles andbeautiful places. You are wonderful.

Andhappy birthday

-SiR from Italy

J


You must hear this a lot, but here I am, saying it again:

You really are a brilliant, brilliant actor.

You give all of your different characters a uniqueness that makes them seem so veryreal, and the emotion that you can bring into the part is just stunning.

When I watched Third Star for the rst time (and all of the other times Ive watched itsince, really), I kept having to pause it to try to calm myself down so I wouldnt end upcrying too hard. Of course that whole plan completely failed because I always end upcrying like a baby.

With talent like you have, you should be known a lot more than you are now.

Although, with Star Trek in lming, and The Hobbit coming up, youll probably bebumped up quite a few spots on the A-List. Of course, when/if that happens, I hopeyoull be able to retain some sort of private life, because I know that most of the timewhen people get reallyfamous, they cant breathe deeply without there being aheadline about it.

So, what Im trying to say is basically, I love your acting, and I hope you get all of therespect you deserve and more.

Also, I truly hope youre happy.

Sincerely,

A fan,

Meghan Doyle

J

Hi Mr. Benny C!

Firstly, can I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Birthday & hope you have a

great day! 36 glorious years & you dont look a day older than 20!

For some reason its quite difficult typing what I want to say than actually saying it toyou in personsaying that ill probably never meet youBut here goes. Can I start by

saying youre an amazing actor. Im sure you hear people tell you this all the time, butIve been a fan since Fortysomething & I feel as if Ive seen you grow over the years

into an amazing actor who can pull of any role whether its a physically disabled person(Hawking) with language difficulty, a gay Spy (TTSS), a man dying from Cancer

(Third Star), a stern Major (War Horseloved the tash by the way) or a highly

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I hope to see many more seasons of Sherlock featuring you and Martin. I couldnt

think of a better team.

-Sincerely

Aden

J

Dear Mr Cumberbatch,

I would Like to thank you more than anything, you are a terrific

actor and I can tell you are a lovely lovely man. Sherlock is my

all time favourite telly show and I loved your performances in

Third Star, Atonement, Starter for 10, War Horse, TTSS and

many more! Oh and your French accent on Cabin Pressure was

hilarious! (in a good way) They are all completely differentcharacters but you seem to bring them all to life perfectly! Your

performance as Stephen Hawking was fabulous and very

touching and believe it or not I actually learnt something! Win

win!

I go on about this to my friends all the time but I thought I

would mention that I tweeted Derren Brown saying..You should

be friends with Benedict Cumberbatch because I love him too.

x and he did infact reply with I already am I hope that issatisfying for you! I bloody hope its true Ben!

So anyway thank you for being you, I would love to meet

you and Derren one day but Im sure that wont happen (you

being a big star now and all that) but if we do I will probably

faint, cry or be sick out of joy of course!

Lots of love Livvy Hercules Perci xxxxx

@LivvyHercules

J

Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch,

I am so sorry and I am so proud. Ive never written to any celebrity before(except for Santa), and I guess I just wanted to tell you that we are all soproud of you and we are all so very sorry. Im sorry for how crazy we get, andIm sorry that you werent voted the Best Actor (yet. You will be, trust me).But, we are all so very proud of you. You give kids hope and you saved myfriends life. He was stressed out and depressed from some of the things that

happened to him. I started going over to his house and watching Sherlockwith him and he fell in love with it. Hes currently very happy and he lovesyour show. I cant thank you enough for keeping him happy.

You are a fantastic actor and we love you.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Cumberbatch.

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mmmmmm

- Delaney Clark; IL, USA

P.S. - I love your eyes.

J

Dear Benedict Cumberbatch,Hi! My name is Enya, and I am a Cumberbitch. No really, I am! Honestly, I justwant to say that I have come to adore you so much, though I don't really knowhow it happened. And it's not because of your looks that I love you (well, I loveyour looks too obviously, but that's not the point). I love your work so much. Ilove how amusing you are, on and of set. I love how you encourage your fellowactors through good and bad times. I love how... okay you get it by now.

Moving on,

Everytime I hear your name (which is unique in a very positive way) I feelhappy. I hope that's not to creepy for you to read, if you're reading this that is.

- EnyaJ


Too formal? This wont be long because I dont actually haveenough words to fully describe how awed I am by your acting. Ithink all I would like to say is that I appreciate your talentsand you have inspired me to refine my own as I struggle toward anacting degree. I would consider it an honour if I work with youin the future, but I shall keep a level head until it happens -if it happens.

Thank you for doing your job!

From Hannah Clara Mills

J


Ive only recently discovered your talent, but Im so enamored withyou already. I discovered you through Sherlock and I was instantlyhooked - not only to the show, but to you. Youve quickly become myfavorite actor, and Im hellbent on nding everything youve been in

so I can watch.Your talent is phenomenal; you are one of, if not the, best actors ofyour generation. You bring every character you portray to life sobeautifully, and it takes my breath away each and every time. Yourealso a physical beauty to behold. Everything about you is gorgeousand unique.

I so look forward to your up and coming roles and discovering moreof your wonderful work. Please, never change. You are perfect justthe way you are.

Love,

Destiny

J

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Happy Birthday ! I hope you have a really great day, and that you will have manymany more.

I just want you to know that you are an idol to me and I am a huge fan of your

work. Unfortunately, I havent had the opportunity to see any of your theatreworks yet :(. Though I really hope that I will sometime in the future.

You are amazingly talented. I only hope that one day I will be, even slightly, astalented and as good a person as you are.

Dont stop being awesome :)!

With love and respect,

Chloe Johnston.

J

Dear Mr Benedict Cumberbatch,

First off Happy Birthday!!!! Hope you have a wonderful day. :)

Here goesI know you probably have heard this a million times so I guess onemore time wont hurt. I just want to say how wonderful you are as an actor.

I always nd it amazing how certain actors can take on a role so completelyand create something already unique but even more so. You do that while justdelivering a single line or with a look. Its an amazing gift.

Being a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories I have to admit I was prettyskeptical about a modern day version with all of the gadgets etc but as soon asI saw Study in Pink I was hooked. I just love the show! I am in awe ofeverything you do.

Plus Im hoping that there will be another season of Cabin Pressure because Icannot tell you how much that radio show has made me laugh. The entire castand writing is beyond amazing. You have a distinctive voice that can take a atword on a script and instantly awaken it. There are truly no words to describewhat a talent that is.

You deserve all the credit you are getting. I cannot wait to see you in TheHobbit. (Im a serious Tolkien and LOTR fan so Im a tad, Okay I lie ImREALLY excited!) and then of course Star Trek.

I hope you keep doing what you are doing and bringing to the world suchinspirational and fantastic performances that keep the audience captivated andwanting more.

Above all just be you and keep wearing awesome shoes because I loved thosesparkly shoes!! OH and be happy because you deserve every happiness

because you rock.

Love and respect

Isobel Brown izzybee25.tumblr.com

J

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Benedict!

Im sure everyone will find some fantastically woven words tosay to you, so Ill just be a loon and do it a little different. ITSYOU BIRTHDAY WOOOO! YEAH! HOORAY! GADZOOKS WHAT AGLORIOUS DAY!

And there you have it. Have a good one, and many more,sir.

Rio Givens

J

Dear Benedict.

Happy Birthday!! I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart for making

such an impression on my life. Your acting abilities, and personality (from what I have

seen on screen) has made the biggest dierence in my life. You mean more to me than

just a favourite actor, you are an inspiration and I owe a lot to you, even if you are notaware of this. I really could go on about this, and explain everything, how I discovered

you at just the right time and how I can watch you and leave this world which is what

I need so often.

Tis isnt really so much of a happy birthday message as a thank you so far.

I hope you have an amazing day, you deserve it. I hope all goes well and your career issuccessful. I would also like to take the time to reassure you that you are not horse

faced or wooden. In fact, Ive never seen a man quite as good looking as yourself.

So please, ignore these comments. You may be famous but youre still human and

words get to people.

Once again thank you, and best of luck for as long as you need it.

Lots of Love.

becausenothingelsematters

England.

Lulworth.

xxx

J

To Benedict Cumberbatch,

As you know already that most people are astounded by your acting skills and

professionalism upon every role you play, I was similarly starstruck, everyperformance in whatever you played- Peter Guillam in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock, James Kimberley Grith in Third Star- all areunique, extraordinary and you have shone extraordinarily in each. You as your own

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person is also fabulously unique and everything of what you do continues toinspire and awe people. You do so much that is just general human behaviour- youare dedicated to your work, you are kind, smart,humble and much,much more. The

quintessential of your class some might say- and a charming man to know, even ifI as a fan do not know you personally.

Blessings be with you, sir.

J


I haven't known about you or your work for very long, really only a few short months.I couldn't be bothered with Sherlock at rst, but from the moment I watched the rstepisode, I was hooked. You're probably tired of hearing this, but you are a wonderful

actor and I'm sure an even more wonderful person. Since watching Sherlock Ive spentlots of time on Netix and have seen To The Ends of the Earth, Fortysomething, andThe Last Enemy. Outside of Netix Ive watched The Other Boleyn Girl and ThirdStar. In every role you play, no matter how small, its not hard to tell that you investevery ber in your body to that role, you give 110%. I dont feel like Im watching youportray a character, I feel like Im watching a real person who just happens to look likeBenedict Cumberbatch. James in Third Star taught me to appreciate life in a wholenew way and to not be afraid of dying. Sherlock helped me become comfortable withusing the term demiromantic to label myself during this stage of my life, and to knowthat Im not crazy or abnormal because my hormones arent raging as much as they

apparently should be. Being a 16-year-old girl in the States, its hard to nd a celebritythat you can nd yourself looking up to. But not only are you incredibly talented, youseem very humble and intelligent. You are a breath of fresh air for someone like me,and I look up to you immensely. Thank you for all that you do, have a wonderfulbirthday, and keep being fantastic!

- Michelle Libby

J


I want to start by frst apologising or some o our andom that make you, andother members o the cast, eel uncomortable. The majority o us arent like that,in act, the Sherlock andom in particular are very talented. The dierent artwork,story writing, digital painting etc. Ive seen since joining this andom canmatch processional works in galleries or publishers. They are absolutelyphenomenal. I personally like making graphics.

Anyway.

You are a lie changing man. Literally. A group o riends and I heard about yousupporting an AIDs oundation and it inspired us to go out and help raise money

or it, money I hope will be used to change lives, because o you.Your acting is absolutely superb, you were outstanding in Sherlockobviously, butI thought the emotional depth in your portrayal o Peter Guillam in Tinker, Tailor,Soldier, Spywas excellent. I also had the pleasure o watching Third Starrecentlyand I never knew a flm could be that unny yet also that moving. Brilliant.

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wish that I am someday fortunate enough to witness more of your stage work,

preferably live. Theatre is a scent that you must be in the room for. Seeing itonscreen is better than nought, but it is rather like a scratch and sniff card by

comparison.

You have a million of these messages to read, so I shall stop now.

Have a good birthday.

sincerely and respectfully,

Susan Rosengaard

J

Hi Benedict Cumberbatch:D

I just love saying that hehe. I do wish i was saying that because i was meetingyou (id love so much to meet you one day:P) but im so happy that i can sendyou this!

You are the most talented and gifted actor, when im older id love to be anactress, anywhere near as good as you would be argh amazing! Youreabsolutely brilliant at playing Sherlock, in my opinion and lots of otherpeoples, youre the best sherlock! Youre amazing in everything else you dotoo, I love cabin pressure, its hilarious! Anyway, to sum it up, youre my

favourite actor, youre so so talented, inspiring and handsome;P A very happybirthday to you, have the best day ever:):)

ps. sorry for my babbling!!

much love,

katie s xxxxxxxxxxx

J


Why are you so awesome? I mean really. Every single flm you

show up in is guaranteed to be amazing. Just everything. I

thought that Sherlock wasnt going to be good, then my riend

inormed me that you were in it, now I have watched every single

episode. I was so sure that Painted with Words was going to

bomb, then all o a sudden, you were in it. I am not even British. I

am not even part o that continent. But you have made me all in

love with it.

From,

Ashley

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J

Dear Benedict,

I apologize in advance if this is kind of awkward, as Ive understood, apparently thatsthe way I do most of things. Here goes.

I wasnt really familiar with your work until Sherlock. Which isnt bad. Sherlock is a

brilliant show. And so are you in it. Not just in Sherlock, pretty much everywhere.

I think it was in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, though, Im not certain, but it really doesnt

matter much. I read how your fellow actor had to do a scene in water, and to support

him, you went in first, although you didnt even had to. It was freezing, but you went,because youre a good person. And you really are.

Everywhere I see you outside the camera, you seem so kind and charming and lovelyand funny, and I wish there were more people like you in the world.

Ah, your talent. I have liked every single one of your roles, some more, some less, butyouve never disappointed me.

And your name, I know how everyone just go What? after hearing it, but honestly,

for some reason I remembered it the first time I saw you. And its not that bad at all, I

like it. Benedict is a beautiful name and a beautiful meaning - blessed. And you reallyare blessed with an amazing personality, brilliant acting skills and a wonderful

appearance.

Speaking of your appearance, Ive decided to dedicate a whole paragraph to it. Of

course, you cant please everyone, its like that even with ones appearance although

everyone knows very well that ones born with it and theres nothing one can do, they

still choose to judge. Its like that for everyone, including you. There are people whohave found your appearance strange, and there certainly will be more, but theres a

lot a lot a lot of people who think you are absolutely gorgeous. I mean it, and they

mean it, too. You look like a Greek god with your high cheekbones and lovely curls,

you have the most beautiful eyes and really, I believe I speak for every single one of

your fans if I say that I still cant fully comprehend what colour are they. In studio light,

they appear sort of silver/icy blue, when they catch a bit of sunlight, they turn into this

fresh kind of green that I really like and on some occasions they just appear lovely sky

blue.

Long story short, I appreciate you and wish you the best birthday in the whole wide

world. Thank your parents for me, for bringing such a talent into this world, and letsomeone give you a big birthday hug for me, or at least a friendly handshake and a pat

on the back, wishing you lots of love and only the best.

Jane from Estonia.

PS. Remember those otters? You know, the ones that looked like you? The

media interpreted it as mocking or something along the lines of it, but I can assure you,

none of your fans meant any harm with it. It was rather adorable, actually. :)

J

Dear Mr CumberbatchI can only begin to imagine how surreal and crazy it must be to have so manycomplete and total strangers adore you in this internet world. (And, ugh, onthe street!) I hope it doesnt annoy you terribly most days and youre stillenjoying the ride. You are almost unfathomably talented, clearly hard working,and appear to be a genuinely humble, thoughtful, intelligent person to boot.

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(And, wow, can I fangirl for a sec here, beautifuldont even believe anynutter who says you are funny looking!) Have a wonderful birthday and keepon rockin. Your work entertains, expands the arts, and you are an inspiration.

Sincerely,

Jenna (NYC)J

Dear Benedict,

I was introduced to your work quite recently by a fellow Englishmajor, when we began discussing the work of Sir Arthur ConanDoyle in class. Since then, Ive discovered that I have never foundan actor who I admire and respect more.

Everything youve done has been so far beyond phenomenal theyhavent yet created a word to describe it. From Sherlock, to TTSS,

to your heartrending role in Third Star, you have a gift in displayingthe truth of a character, the soul of the person youre playing.Very few actors have this gift so consistently and that is yourgreatest strength. Never let anyone tell you dierently.

I look forward to seeing what you do in the future, as I knowwhatever you do, it will be amazing.

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays,

Chelsea

J

Mr. Cumberbatch,

Maybe I should be ashamed that Ive fnally become one o those ans, but Ithink I deserve this one instance o an-girlery (??). Ill just start by saying thatyour acting has gotten me the only real riend Ive ever had. She was talkingabout Sherlock, I overheard, decided to join in (as I had loved the movie tobits), and the rest, as they say, is history. I was the only sel-proclaimed nerdin the school and was avoided like the plague. Still am, actually, but now I

have someone to ace it with me. In a world o cookie-cutter classrooms,painully conormist leaders, and unacceptance (god, I sound like the ad or acheesy action ick.), I have too much hatred or humanity than a child o my

age should, and too ew riends and role models. That conversation, thisriend, may have changed all that. I dont know i well last, i shell decidethat Im just too much o a reak or her and leave me alone again, but thankyou or that opportunity. You probably think this has nothing to do with you,and that Im reading way too ar into this, and why am I doing this in the frstplace? -but I just wanted to say thank you. This riend may have saved my lie,and now, thanks to you, I have something in common with someone who

doesnt (yet) think that Im a reak. Thank you or existing, thank you oracting, thank you or my riend.

J

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From Spain with love

Dear Benedict:

My name is Araceli y I am a Spanish woman of 41 years.

I am very happy to have the opportunity to send a message for your birthday, but Ireally would have liked to write an entire book.

I follow from that aired in Spain Sherlock , I read everything that appears on the

internet about you and your movies, and I appreciate your work as an actor.

I bless God for your birth.

I want you to be happy , and that your life is full and satisfying at all .

As a gift I dedicate the song : Lionel Richie Say you , say me , I like long;

I would like to send a video singing it myself, but as I sing badly and I can not speak

English, so it would not be a good gift if I sing it .By the way, your fans will love to hear you speak Spanish in Spanish from time to time ,

if you want to learn Spanish with a good teacher I offer to teach to you. Spanish

classes would give my birthday gift to next year .

I wish you a happy birthday with all my heart. With all my affection:

Araceli Serrano

Crdoba ( Spain )

J

Dear Benedict,

You are an inspiration in every way. Truly the gi that you have is beyondwords- or at least beyond any I can think of. With every performance you givefrom your sheer brilliance in Sherlock to your heartwrenchingly powerfulperformance in Third Star (which, to this day, I cannot watch without cryingand Ive tried several times now) you inspire people all across the world withyour ability to perform, to transport your audience into another realm and tomake them absolutely believe in your characters. And youve inspired me ona personal level as well to pursue the career that I love and to forever hopethat one day I will be able to possess just a small slice of the talent that youhave. If so, I shall count myself a very lucky performer.

Before I forget, happy birthday! I hope this project makes you realise howmuch you are loved by each and every one of us and how grateful we are thatyouve shared your incredible talent with the world.

I. O. U. so much.

All my love,

Naomi Brown

J


I am something of a new fan, having only recently discovered you in the excellentlm Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; but have since familiarized myself with much of

your other work. My favorite would have to be Sherlock, I just love the writing andacting and your oofy brown hair. Its quite adorable. But thats beside the point.

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I have to say, sir, you are an AMAZING actor, also not to mention ridiculouslyhandsome. I know others have said it and will continue to say, but its true. You arerare in that you have a knack for really putting yourself into the skin of a character,not just being you up there on the screen saying lines. Youbecomethe character, and Igenuinely admire that. Its a skill lacking in many other actors of my generation.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say, I hope your birthday is great! And you get to spend fun,relaxing time with good friends and family and receive lots of wonderful presents andcake and ice cream or whatever your favorite celebratory treat may be.

Yours,

Gabriella Sorrells

NJ, USA

J

Dearest Mr. Cumberbatch,

I am a very big fan of yours. You will probably read this words countless times in thispages, but I hope you'll still appreciate them.

You really are one of the best actors I have ever had the pleasure to see on the screen,and the majority of your works have moved me to tears. Your interpretations are brilliant,and the passion you put in your job is really remarkable. I would like to see you on thestage, too.

I am very fond of Sherlock, the role that made you famous and got your face all the wayto Italy, but I have to be honest: my favorite movie was Hawking, I really loved all of it,and I shall not start rambling about your performance because it was absolutely flawless.

I am also a very big fan of your voice, and your role in Cabin Pressureis as amazing asthe others. It's good for an actor to be able to do both drama and comedy, right?

This message is starting to sound very silly, so I will end it soon I only would like tothank you for your job, and to add that you are also a wonderful person in my opinion.Keep the awesome going, Benedict!

Greetings to you, an happy birthday (as this book should be a present, shouldn't it?) andbest wishes for everything. Remember thatI love you, deeply and forever.

Sincerely yours, and with the hope to meet you one day

Rebecca Arcangeli

(Italy)

P.S.: I would have liked this to be more witty, but It's so strange to think ofcommunicating with you somehow, thinking of you actually reading this things I'mwriting! It's marvelous!

J

Dear Mister Cumberbatch,

Since I first saw you in Sherlock I literally fell in love with you. Youre anamazing actor. And your voice! When I first heard it, the first thing I thoughtabout it was honey and velvet. When you talk, its like hearing a jaguar

purring. Youre just perfect and I wish to meet a man like you in my life!

Samia

PS: You have a wonderful French accent. I think you speaking French wouldbe the sexiest thing in the world!

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J

Lord Cumberbatch,

Can I call you that? Only I feel it suits you so perfectly. I guess all I really want

to say is that you are an amazing actor, everything you have done has neverfailed to amaze me with your skills at completely changing your persona into

that of the characters, it is great to see someone with such skill in this

business and it is a real inspiration.

I dont want to creep you out at all, or make you feel uncomfortable, but i alsoreally wanted the chance to tell you just how much of an impact you have

made in my life. Whenever I feel particularly down or depressed I can pick

myself back up by watching something which you have acted in ( Sherlock

normally does the trick for me, bar reichenbach which produces oods of tears) and i will forget about my worries and the small things that build up to make

me feel a little bit worthless. I hold onto the hope that there really are peoplelike you out there, people that dont judge, people that look out for others and

are just generally good people - like yourself.

And nally - Thankyou. Thanks for being just such an amazing actor, hope and

inspiration in my life. And please, never stop

* love * from

Anttonia Lindup, 16

Cornwall, UK

J


Congratulations on having the best name in history; it is truly a beauty and is

something to be envious of. Although Im sure you hear this a lot, youre a

brilliant actor and you truly have a gift, being able to somehow completely be

enveloped by a character and become them in their entirety. Youre my

favourite actor, and I wanted to thank you for being both inspirational and

incredibly entertaining. You posses the gift to not only make me laugh, but

truly tug at the heartstrings and leave me an emotional wreck, which is not an

easy feat. Thanks for being truly amazing, and Happy Birthday!

Yours fondly,

Britt Carp

J

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DearBenedict,

YouoncedescribedyourselfasHorsefacedandarsenamedTothis,manypeopleallovertheworldlaughed.Notbecauseitwastrue,butbecausethefactthat you couldactually think that about yourselfwas completely insane. For

one, youaremostdefinitelynothorse faced, but the completeopposite!Andsecondly,youhavethemostamazingnameIhaveeverhadthegoodfortunetohear!IlightupanytimeIgettheopportunitytosayit.

Ijustwantedtoclearthatup.But,therealreasonIwrotethiswastosayonething

HappyBirthday!And,thankyouforbeingsucharefreshinglyamazingactor.

Sincerely,

JulietteLennox.

P.S.IthoughtIdattempttodrawyou.TheoutcomedidnotturnoutaswellasId anticipated. So I also drew you a party hat. Because party hats alwaysmakeeverythingbetter.

J


So, the fact of the matter is, youre very nearly perfect. I honestly cannot

remember ever having cried so much over any single work, let alone half a

dozen. What you do cannot be called acting. What you do is an art form that

others could only hope to *try* to replicate. Theres so much *you* in all of yourwork that it honestly hurts when we have to watch you die. But I digress.

As a person, you arent a culmination of your works. As a person, youre a

culmination of your memories and life experiences, of the people youve met and

learned from who have changed your life- maybe in small ways or maybe in great

ways- a culmination of your hopes and dreams and desires, even a culmination

of failures, near-death experiences, surreal moments when you realized just how

small you are in the vastness of everything... As a person, we dont really know

you at all. What we do know is that youre extremely intelligent, youre loving and

fun and goofy, youre calm and composed and yet, you can make us smile at the

drop of a hat, you adore reading as much as most of us do, and you love us as

much, if not more, than we love you.

We wish we understood you even though we dont. But that doesnt keep us from

adoring you and fangirling over every photo, every movie, every audio clip or

answered interview question... You are the very meaning of perfection, and I think

I speak for all of your fans when I say that, someday, I hope you realize just how

amazing you are. Youre far too humble. You have earned everything you have

and so much more that youve been denied. It isnt luck thats brought you this far

Mr. Cumberbatch. Luck played a very minor role if any. You dont get this many

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adoring fans from luck and mediocre acting. Pardon the expletive, but youre

fucking brilliant!

Anyways, I want to wish you a very happy birthday. I hope this year brings you

more blessings than you can handle and a host of good memories to keep yousmiling for years to come. You have earned my fan award. In fact, I think you

deserve every award (except for Martins BAFTA- he deserves that one). You are

my hero, Mr Cumberbatch.

Sincerely,

Alexandria

J

Dear Mr. Cumberbatch


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J

Dear Benedict,

Oh, I hope that isnt too informal. It is, isnt it? Well, it could have been worse. I couldhave called you Ben or Benny. That would have been far too friendly of me,

wouldnt it? Oh, Ive gone and said them all the same. I said when I started writingthis I wouldnt say call you by any nicknames but Im awfully absentminded. Sorryabout that.

I must say, Im rather struggling to figure out how to get my thoughts down on paper.Or, well, type them down on my screen. Well, you know what I mean. If you hadntguessed, Im not the most articulate person in the world, but Ill give it a go, anyway.

Thank you. You have no idea how much I have to thank you for. I first saw Sherlock ata rather difficult time in my life and for the short time the series was showing, it gaveme something to look forward to. Something to keep me going. The way you seemed

to immerse yourself in the role and how dedicated you were, well, it made it easy forme to immerse myself in the show. It gave me an escape, however brief, fromeverything that was going on and I truly needed that. So thank you for that.

Youre an amazing actor. Im repeatedly stunned by how you can portray so manydifferent characters with such honesty and how dedicated you are to your roles. Imust compliment, in particular, your acting in Sherlock and Third Star. Youve hadme in tears and laughter throughout both of those roles especially. You seem like alovely person with an excellent sense of humour, and Im inordinately pleased by thewell-deserved recognition youre receiving.

All the best for your future

-Chloe

J

To Sir Benedict Cumberbatch,

(I just managed to make your name sound even more Britishhaha)

My art teacher once told me that all of someones artwork,that anything they create, is a reflection of who theyare, whether they like it or not. Now, Ive only seen

Sherlock, Third Star, and Starter For Ten, but seeing thecomplexity and depth of your characters be portrayed insuch a brilliant way, and then seeing you act so modestand mature in interviews, I now believe that you are justa genuinely fantastic and beautiful person. You reallyare.

One note about your face: its fantastic. Go thank yourparents for making you look the way you do. Each featureis so striking, and Im truly amazed by your ability tocontrol them and portray so many different emotions and

character. You arent just a pretty face, theres more toyou than that and thats why I (and so many other people)like you so much. Now, if anyone tells you otherwise,ignore them because they obviously have the same amount ofintelligence as Anderson.

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And what this certain someone wants to say is thank you, which may sound strange,coming from someone you've never met before, but I'm sure it happens all the timenow, so you're probably used to it. But I want to thank you anyway, because youhave brought me and all of my friends some form of happiness with your amazingwork.

The way you so deeply invest yourself in every character you play gives me a newappreciation to how hard people in your profession work not only to succeed, but tohave the most emotionally gratifying experience while doing so. I respect you so muchfor that, and I hope you can love what you dowhatever it is you decide to dofarinto the future.

And I may not be the smartest person I know, or the kindest, but I do know this: youhave impacted my life in some way, and I believe I have changed for the betterbecause of it, despite us never having met. And I just wanted to thank you for that,because I may never get another chance to.

Thanks again,Daria

Cincinnati, OH, USA

J


I rst want to say that youre my idol. Tanks to you I have nally decided what I want

to do with my life and have now decided that I want to go into the television/lmindustry (although behind the camera).

I would also like to say that thanks to you I have been introduced to so many fantasticnew lms and television shows. Your performances are so moving and on more than

one occasion I have cried (I refer to your particular performances in Tird Star,

Hawking, Sherlock and inker, ailor, Soldier Spy).

I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the work you are involved in in the

future, currently I am patiently waiting (well maybe not patiently) for the release of

the full version of Dark Side of the Earth which looks amazing.

Joyeux Anniversaire (or Happy Birthday). May it be the best.

Again all the best for the future and hello from the other side of the world,Alice Corkill

Australia (previously living in France).

J

Dear Benedict,

Personally Im not a birthday celebration fan, but Ill take advantage of this occasion tolet you know how much I esteem you. Your hard-work and your passion and your strongvalues make you a brilliant actor and public gure. Theyre not something you can easily

nd in this world right now.Congratulations for the work youve done and the accolades you achieved. Many otherswill come, Im sure of that.

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Congratulations also for your gorgeous face and body and the stunning way you usethem to improve your acting. Youre able to express the feelings of your character withjust a tiny eyebrows movement.

I never get enough of Sherlock episodes but its not just about that. I saw how

versatile you are and I cant wait to see you again on screen.Keep on being as you are Im sure you will do great things. I wish you the best.

Thank you for all the emotions.

A very happy birthday.

Gilda. (Italy)

J

Dear Mr Benedict Cumberbatch,

Happy Birthday! I hope the next year brings wonderful things for you.

Youre an inspiration and a phenomenal actor. I guess I could probably gush

for ages about how I loved you in Van Gogh: Painted with Words, or how

badly Third Star broke my heart, or how much Cabin Pressure makes me

laugh even on the worse days, and every other emotion Ive felt from your

impressive resume, but Id probably never finish typing this letter. In the

interest of keeping it short enough to be a letter and not a novel, I can best

sum it up by thanking you and asking the teeny tiny favour that you keepbeing the outstanding, fantastic, brilliant, awe-inspiring, lovely human being

that you are.

Sincerely,

Amanda McLean

J

Dear Mr. Cumberbatch,I would like to start off by saying you are one of the mosttalented actors the world has seen. Your versatile actingstyle has made me a fan of yours. I especially applaudyour work in Sherlock. In my opinion (and Im sure manyothers), you portrayed who a modern Sherlock Holmeswould really be. I also enjoyed your acting in Hawking. Idid not see an actor acting as Hawking, I saw StephenHawking. I felt you did very well in everything youve been

in, not just Sherlock and Hawking.Throughout your interviews, I feel that you are veryintelligent and kind. This makes me even happier to callmyself a fan of yours.

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I hope that one day we may meet so I can thank you inperson for the talent you have brought to film andtelevision.

Sincerely,Chloe

J

to benedict,

well done for getting the best award ever (this)

thanks for your fandom

its stupid but its actually made me so happy!

i was a bit late with rst watching sherlock because i dont watch alot of tv but after the rst

episode i was instantly hooked

after nding out all the other stu you did i had to look it all up!!

carry on the good work :D

oh and i worked out it was the fog ages before sherlock did so maybeyou should hire me ;)

- emma x

J


I have to admit, the rst thing I saw you in was Sherlock and I immediately fell in lovewith your character. Oddly enough, the reason I enjoy it so much, is because I see alot of myself in Sherlock. I myself am not the best at making friends, nor at beingsentimental. Often times Id say things (And still do, sometimes) that I regret. Peoplewould call me a freak or a weirdo, and I have very selective interests, it was nice tonally see a character I could relate to so much.

Your performance touched me, even with the smallest twitch of your face, it was if Iwas Sherlock, feeling those things in that moment, and I am not easily moved by anymeans. So, thank you for that, moving me, that is.

After seeing you in this I decided to watch more of your work (Which is fantastic andvery diverse.), and look up things about you. I was so surprised at what I saw, youseem like such a genuine and honest person, someone who deserves every bit ofpraise and fortune they receive. I would like to say a few things to you though, youseem to not like your face very much, and I want to tell you that theres nothing badabout it. Uniqueness is what makes people beautiful, and you are very unique and

handsome in your own way, so no getting down on yourself! *Insert smiley face here*So, gehnow Im rambling

Anyways, I guess I just wanted to tell those things. OH, and that I am sure youll ndthe one soon and get to be a daddy, no one deserves to be a dad more then you.Keep your chin up and just keep being you, and Im sure itll happen!

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J

Dear Benedict,

Im going to ignore my shy tendencies and come right out and say it. You areone o the most inspirational people I know o, and you are indeed one o myheroes. I frst saw your brilliant perormance in Sherlock, and since then Iwas ascinated by your acting. On screen you portrayed a cold, intelligentasexual, yet o screen you appeared to be this kind and compassionate manwho is doing very well indeed! I then became more interested in your work,and read some (positive) articles about you, and I stumbled upon your story oyour abduction in South Arica. It moved me that you were so brave.

I love watching all o your work, and I look orward to seeing more, hopeully!Anyway, let me fnish gushing over your brilliance or a moment to tell youthat you are the reason I chose to go down the acting path, and I thinkwithout your acting and your stories Im not sure what I would have wanted.So as well as a birthday wish, this is also a letter o gratitude, or without youIm not sure I would have ever gotten what I wanted out o my lie. Dontorget that occasionally you need to take some time o, because you work sohard, it must surely get tiring!

Happy birthday Benedict,

Charis (Pronounced Karis)

Cambridgeshire

J

Benedict,Happy Birthday for starters.

For ages, your name was unknown to me until I discovered BBCs Sherlock.Not only was I amazed by the performances of all actors, but I had neverseen an actor who played Sherlock Holmes brilliantly in modern day!

I thought to myself This Benedict Cumberbatch dude, hes fantastic, Iwonder what else hes been in which led me to watching more and more of

your work, including Hawking, Atonement (which I had seen beforeSherlock, so I watched it again.) Fortysomething, War Horse and TinkerTailor. Needless to say, I was Cumberbatched.

I was priviledged to have been able to see Frankenstein live, yourperformance as the Creature nearly brought me to tears. I felt so sorry for

him!What Im trying to say is:

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Youre amazing, dont ever think down on yourself because your fanbase ismassive and we all love you. Lots.

Yours

Katie Brock-UKJ

Benedict Cumberbatch

This idea seems a bit silly to me, but by some miracle this reaches you

I want you to know that with all my heart I hope youre happy. This

sounds stupidugh. BUT! I really mean it. I see things all the time that

tear me apart inside when people make fun of others, for something

that is just their opinion, or they just dont like someone, and to think

youre a victim too hurts. That and to anyone else who sees this since

its being posted publicly, you should know that so many people love

you, admire and respect you, that it doesnt matter what the others

think. Im sure you know that but, I feel like it needs to be said. Its not

really my place but I wish too that I couldve known you. As a person

you know? I cant stand celebrity status, especially with actors, but you

seem nice enough, and Im genuinely surprised you havent found the

right one for you yet, and although its just a faerie tale, I really think

you will. I wish youll be the happiest person everyday, or maybe thatthis could even make your day. :) So from the bottom of my heart,

from someone who is misunderstood and mocked as well, I hope that

the hate people make up doesnt really offend you, people are

immature and have nothing better to do I suppose. I guess thats all

then, have a great day, everyday. Okay?

RH (welladayseraph)

J

Happy birthday, Mr. Cumberbatch!Hello Benedict,

First, happy birthday! That being said, you should know and not forget, youre one of themost amazing actors Ive ever seen! Also, I love your performance in Sherlock, itsreallyvivid, and realistic. I dont know really know how to put it in words correctly, butyoure really amazing! Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, you are a very handsomeman. Your eyes are absolutely gorgeous. Really, you are an amazing man!

Have a great birthday!Sincerely,

Rita Sunter from the Netherlands

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J

~ Mr Benedict Cumberbatch

Firstly, well done Sir for everything.

You are a fabulous actor and person, and your talent on screen and stage is phenomenal; youvedone our British industry proud, and brought to life some brilliant roles. Yes Im probably going tomention a few of the ones everyone else has no doubt already said, but it really cannot be saidenough. Your Sherlock is flawless and a joy to watch, you were hilariously quirky in Starter for10, and a superb actor in Tinker Tailer, Hawking, War Horse and other films - Ill save you thetrouble of repeatedly reading them. I look forward to your future roles, in Star Trek, the Hobbit(with Martin who is also fabulous) and of course the new Sherlock series. Honestly, its abeautiful, fantastic, talented series.

I would also like to congratulate you on your face, its lovely, fun to paint and very expressive.Apologies if this is not exactly an accurate resemblance.

Good luck with all future endeavours and choices, take care, and please, keep at it, youre abrilliant man!

Best Wishes, love and respect,

Connie Jenkins-Teague, UK.

J

Dear Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch,

The first movie I saw you in was Amazing Grace, which we watched in class.William Pitt was a lovely character, and I dont think Ill ever forget him theplayfulness, and oh god when he got sick and died, but was still supportingWilberforce Brilliant. Soon after my friends introduced me to Sherlock, andI was smitten with the entire cast (I will never understand how I put offwatching it for so long). The Reichenbach Fall has brought me to tears, andIm very happy that because your role in Sherlock has brought you morecharacters to bring to life. Everyone I know is very excited for The Hobbit andthe new Star Trek movie. Just recently, I got to watch Hawking. I thought Iwas blown away at Sherlock, but oh boy. The way you played StephenHawking was just amazing. Incredible, well done you. I dont cry often. ButI did for your incarnation of Hawking. So remind me why you didnt win the

BAFTAs that year for Best Actor? Because I am still confused. I look forward toseeing you on screen more often in both British and American shows andmovies!

Sincerely, Jessica Tran

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH!! :)

J

Dear Benedict Cumberbatch,

Your name is a mouthful, albeit an amazing mouthful.I am hereby writing to show my appreciation for you, in the formof a drawing and this message. Thank you so much for being suchan amazing Sherlock Holmes, and I wish you the most AMAZING

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birthday that could be wished, along with all these other fans. Ihope you realise the pure brilliance all of your acting gives (andyour Alan Rickman singing is pretty good too!)

Good luck with everything! I hope you have an awesome birthdayand continue to be happy, because you deserve it.

x Emily

P.S. You are genuinely sweet person, and very handsome, nomatter how much you would like to deny it.

J


Well, hello, again. Um, Im quite nervous here. What do I even say? Hmm I hopeyoure having a good day, and that youre very happy. Happy Birthday! May you

continue to have the world in your hands. You deserve all the best in life :)

Youre a brilliant actor and a wonderful person. Youre not horse-faced and ass-

named. Not even a little bit. I have to thank you, actually. I have to thank you

because you made me see that if someone as good-looking as you can think

(incorrectly, I might add!) that hes not good looking. Then maybe Im not quite

so ugly as I nd myself to be.

So thank you, and have a wonderful birthday.

-LJG

P.S. Im so sorry that no one in LA can make a decent cup of tea! D:!

J

Hay bida, Benedict!

Someme e ome along peol a ak ou e in dieentlyan oe doo in e wolds. Tank o, I on mbl, In wil

an haac a ake mile, lah, y an aliva. I ou everent in wildenes a i or mblr andom, pleas only akwi ou amazin, lovin, eav an naaele fnny a ouinsie. Tank ou or being o, an hav a amazing bida.

Hses,

Hann Lo

J

Dear Benedict,

How do I even begin this? Ive been wanting to write fanmail for quite

some time, but Ive had no idea of any means to send it until now. I rst

saw your acting in Sherlock, and from there you quickly became an

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actor I greatly look up to and admire. Your ability to portray so much

emotion in the slightest change of expression is truly amazing to me.

And your performance in Third Star wow. Lots of tissues were used

during that movie. I was so moved by that lm that I had to go back and

watch it a second time the next evening.

You seem like a very wonderful and intelligent person. If I ever met you,

I well, Id probably run and hide, seeing as Im incredibly shy but Id

be amazed to have had the luck to come across you nonetheless. I love

watching anything of yours, whether it be interviews or movies or

behind the scenes clips. I can hardly wait for the next series of Sherlock

to air. I hope you continue to have good luck with casting, but please

dont overwork yourself! Get some rest and take a vacation, for petes

sake! We all really do care about you, and you deserve a break every

now and then.

Have a lovely birthday, Benedict, and may you have many more.

Sincerely,

Caroline C.

MD, USA

J

Hello Benedict Cumberbatch! Im one of your many, many fans and Im writing this inNorthwestern Ontario, Canada. Just wanted to tell you that you are a FANTASTIC actor. I sawyou first in Sherlock, and that lead to me searching out Fortysomething, Cabin Pressure, ThirdStar, and other films/stuff youve been involved with. Ive loved every minute of it. I wishdesperately I could see you on stage sometime, but seeing as you do your stage work in Britainand I am in Canada, probably wont happen. Also, Im a huge Trekkie and I cant wait to see youin the new Star Trek movie. I hope its loads of fun to make, and I hope it makes you incrediblywell known! Please come to Canada to do something anything! Wed love to have you. I speakfor hordes of us, Im sure.

Love and Respect, Laurel from Ontario

J

Hey Benedict.

This is pretty weird, I havent written a fan-letter in about 10 years. Thereare so many projects about for your birthday though so I thought I reallyshould try and take part in as much as I can. Im from Sheffield, where FourLions was filmed. I hope you liked my city, its a lovely place. So nice to besurrounded by countryside even in a city centre.

Ill be honest with you, I had no idea who you were before Sherlock. Ivenever been a big film or TV watcher much to my girlfriends chagrin. Now Iveseen Sherlock, and a lot of your back catalogue Im beginning to realise what

an amazing craft acting is and how brilliant you are in everything you do. Ivewatched more films in the last 4 months than I usually do in a year, so thankyou so much for bringing me into this wonderful art. I know it sounds a bitweird to be discovering stuff this obvious well into my twenties but there yougo. In so many ways youre an amazing beautiful man and this world is a

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better place for it. Please keep doing what you do for as long as it makes youhappy and well be there with you.

All my love

Chad

J


Hello! I wanted to write to you to make you aware of a few things. Mr.

Cumberbatch, you are an amazing human being. I am not exaggerating

when I tell you that you are an inspiration to myself, a mind opener and

great contributor to society itself.

Your acting ability is astounding. I first saw your work in BBCs Sherlock

(shocker there), but I cant tell you have much I respect your work. I didntthink I would like Sherlock as much as I do when I was first watching it. In

all honesty, I dont usually like/watch mystery-based

books/movies/television shows. Even my dad, a former theatre kid, really

likes the show and we have even watched a couple of episodes together.

Your interpretation of Sherlock is so interesting- I never thought I could

have conversations over Sherlocks personality traits, character

development, and have an overall nostalgia over the book plus my own

personal experiences. I honestly thank you for opening myself up. This hasreally changed me, and without you I dont know where else I would have

turned to (Except for chocolates/sweets but that wouldnt be good formyself either!)

Im looking forward to looking at your other works, such as Atonement,

Warhorse, Tinker Solider Spy, ect. Even in a (obviously lower-budget)

television documentary thing where you played Vincent Van Gogh, its

obvious youve brought something to the screen I havent seen in many

other actors. Just everything: the voice tone, the way you express emotion

with your gestures/eyes, the overall connection you seem to get with other

actors characters is moving.

What I really respect about you, is that you are extremely humble about

everything and anything. Again, I normally dont look up interviews, but in

all of them you seem like a proper gentleman. I adore how you can be one

of the few celebrities who act like theyre the big-shots now that they have

fans. I applaud you for doing charity work without trying to gain attention

and you do it because its the right thing to do. Youre also extremely

dedicated and still generally private about all the things you do. Youve

inspired me to try and indulge a little more into my own character and my

hobbies.

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I know youve had a sudden army of fan girls who just absolutely adore

you, and although most likely they will come/go with those ever-so-classy

innuendoes: I want you to know that youll always have a special place with

me for being an amazing man. Truly, you are the ultimate gentleman. I

really wish I could meet you and give you a huge hug for how perfect youare. I wish nothing but peace, prosperity, and happiness wherever life may

lead you.

Thank you for your contribution to The Art community and improving

society all together,

Also very happy birthday,

Nyla Evren P. (Chicago-land area, IL, USA)

J

Hello Ben! Im Tara from Canada. First of all I want to say you are an AMAZING actor! Ive

seen Sherlock (its awesome) Fortysomething (hilarious & you were amazingly cute) & Third Star

(brilliant lm, loved it). You are extremely talented, gorgeous, funny & overall just a great person &

dont let anyone else tell you otherwise. Im really looking forward to seeing The Hobbit. Im sure you

are amazing as Smaug & the Necromancer. I wish I could meet you someday & tell you all this

wonderful stuff in person but I guess writing (or in this case typing LOL) to you is second best. I really

wish you all the best in everything on & off set. You deserve all great things

Much loveT. Janzen from Canada


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From Italy, with love

Dear Benedict, (too much informal? Should i call you Mr. Cumberbatch? Ireally dont know)

my name is Emanuela, 29 and im from Italy. Actually, im from Sicily so, ifyou want some cannoli, just ask. Im a big fan of your work and i think thatyou are one of the most talented actors that i ever seen. I also think that youare a wonderful person. I mean, i dont know you personally but, if thethings you say during the various interviews are true (why shouldnt theybe?), you are a very special person. Anyway, just for your information, youhave a LOT of fans over here, very loyal fans and im the proud owner ofyour rst italian fansite. Ill leave you here the address, if you want pass by ;)http://www.cumberbatched-it.net

Happy birthday Benedict!

With a huge amount of love,

Emanuela.

J

Dear Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch,

I dont think theres a thing I could say that hasnt been said already. Youre aninteresting man who plays interesting parts in interesting movies. Youre also

handsome, but Im positive the rest o your lovely ans have let you know thatalready.

But, I think you should know that its not always about looks. I think youve madeit apparent that its what the actor puts into his work that makes him soincredible. The way you go about acting is a truly amazing thing.

Not to say you dont still look incredibly gorgeous. Because you do.

From one little person among the many, many o your ans: have a wonderulbirthday!

- Madyson SuskeyJ


I hope with all my heart you will learn to pay as much attention to all the goodthat is said about you as you appear to pay to the bad. You are an amazingactor, you really bring your character to life. (Especially in Hawking, I havenever cried so much for a person in a lm that didnt even die. I had to suggest it

to all my friends, who loved it, and am now trying to get my physics teacher towatch it.) Dont mind those people who criticize you so much, they just donthave anything better to do with their lives than hate on wonderful people likeyourself. You dont have to try to beat people to the punch and criticize

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I couldI could say all thatand it would all be true.

So thank you. Thank you for being you. And I hope you have one of the greatest

birthdays yet.

Wishing you the best

Helen, UK

p.s. all the cool kids were born in the Seventies ;)

J

Hello Mr. Cumberbatch (that sounds like youre my 50 year old maths

professor, and I am always feeling weird when someone calls me Frau

Herrberger)

Dear Benedict (nope, thats not better. Well I dont know you)

I havent thought it would be this hard to write a letter to someone you dont

know. Maybe its is just strange to dont know one, yet felt with him so many times

before. I felt sad for poor Martin in his attic, shared Sherlocks aversion of stupid

Anderson and Joe/Charlie made me cry in less than 10 minutes and as less as 2

sentences. I guess this really speaks for your talent. Im not one to cry easily but

Im also not one to have a crush on someone famous (Ive made it as a teenager

through the 90s without take that, backstreet boys and the rest, which probably

makes me too old for crushes anyway). Yet here I am writing something of whichI am not sure to hit send afterwards, to a guy I only know from screen and

headphones (nice voice by the way) and who doesnt even know I exist.

So happy birthday (alles gute zum Geburtstag!) and congrats to somehow

weaseling your way into my heart with your talent, intelligence, humour and

philanthropic appearance. Dont let anyone convince you that you are anything

less. I know that its easy to worry about a single bad word said by someone

carelessly. Probably its even worse when youre famous and even more unasked

people feel the need to share their opinion.

Alles liebe/Hochachtungsvoll/Mit freundlichen Gren/Yours (it doesntget easier, at least I didnt have to choose between Sie und Du :-))

Sylvia

J


I hope this doesnt sound strange, but I cant thank you enough for howmuch you have changed my life!

I have always been teased at school about liking the things I like (Sherlock,The Beatles, Doctor Who ect), and it used to get me down; but now, when Isee a picture of you or someone else that has changed my life, I smile,because even though people tease me, I wouldnt give up my feelings foryou for anything in the world!

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I love you, Benedict, and no one can ever change that

Thank you!

Lots of Love,

Zoe-Renea

PS. I have this framed and hanging on my wall.

J

Dear Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch

I shall try my best to sound somewhat educated. I tend to be terrible when it comes totalking to the people I look up to.

Well lets start with how talented you are shall we?

I found you through Sherlock. Which let me tell you has pretty much become my life.You and Martin and everybody else did such a spectacular job in it! I mean you blewme away with they way you portrayed Sherlock, simply spectacular! Ten aerSherlock I ventured o to the wonderful world of the Internet and found more of themovies youve been in which later on I stumbled upon Tird Star. I will say that Ididnt cry because it is pretty much impossible for me to cry at movies, but I will saythat it did touch my heart BIG IME. Te way you played James was brilliant. I cannotexpress in words how amazing you did.

So needless to say. You are amazingly talented and gied and you never fail to blow meaway with it.

Also, I nd you a huge idol to me. I truly do look up to. You are such a wonderfulperson and are always so kind and I hope that one day, I will be just as good as a personas you are.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday Benedict!

Sincerely,

Logan Purdy

WY, USA

P.S. Your eyes are freaking amazing.

J


Im sure you hear this often without me having to say it one more time, but youare an amazing actor and performer. Like many people I first saw you inSherlock, and decided to see what else youve done. Not a thing I sawdisappointed.

Be it Holmes, Rory Slippery, Martin Crieff, or even Smaug, you always manage

to breathe life into a character in such a way that leaves people so emotionallyinvested that its hard to tear away. I feel every tear, smile, and sped upheartbeat when I watch you. And If I might say so, if I were lulled to sleep with

your voice reading any poetry at all, I would have sweet dreams for the rest ofmy life.

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AndI know this will make me sound like one of those starved for attentionfans, but watching you and hearing your voice just makes me happy, and I amnot often a happy person. I have a major inferiority complex, and you are suchan accomplished person in both skill and character, that I feel like I canaccomplish things when I watch you perform. Any self loathing I have goes

away when I see or hear you.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Sincerely - Katharine Baur

J

Dear Mr. Cumberbatch/Benedict (whichever you prefer,)

First, happy birthday. I've been trying to think of what to say to you for the better partof three hours. I could tell you how you've changed my life (which you have,) or thatThird Star will always hold special meaning to me because it makes me think of what

my Mom went through (which it will,) that you're an amazing actor (which you are,)and that people love you (which they do.) Instead, I'll tell you about the first thing Isaw you in. It wasn't Sherlock or War Horse, or Fortysomething. It was on Sparknotes.You were reading The Little Red Hen. I had no idea who you were. Then I found outyou were going to play in The Hobbit, which is one of my favorite books. I think you'llbe great. I started watching Sherlock two months ago. It was brilliant. Then I foundThird Star. I have had four people in my close family go through cancer. Two have diedfrom it. My mom is still going through it. I could relate so much to that movie. It wasbeautifully done and your acting was amazing, not that I'm any judge.

Really what I wanted to say is thank you for the amazing work that you do. I, along withthe rest of the fans, can assure you that you are neither horse-faced or arse-named and

that you have loads of talent. Have a wonderful birthday. You deserve it.

Love,RachelKentucky, USA

J

Dear Benedict,

All I can think about while Im writing this is that even if there is a minusculechance you will read this at some point, I would be extremely happy. Thatwould mean that you received the Fanaward, which means that you will,

hopefully, better understand just how much your work has inspired andawed so many people. Everything being submitted rings true to me, andevery dedicated, appreciative Cumberbatch fan out there can relate.

As with most people, I assume, I had seen you in multiple movies withsmaller supporting roles and only thought to myself Hmm, he has astriking face, or Wow, he has beautiful eyes (both realizations in regardsonly to your appearance, I am ashamed to admit), until I saw you inSherlock. My friend Perry first showed me Sherlock my freshman year ofcollege, one day when we were sitting around being unproductive, and I

was instantly hooked. The show touched me in a way I didnt expect, and Ihad to sit through it three times before it all sunk in. I dont often watch TVbecause it seems shallow, cheap, and overdramatic, but Sherlock was anexception. The way Sherlock interacts with his friends (and archenemies)was so foreign to me, but so realistic. I couldnt comprehend how people

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could neglect to think the way Sherlock did, and whenever Donovanquestioned Sherlocks intellect I wanted to throw her off a balcony. Afterfinishing The Great Game for the third time, like all recently enamored fangirls do, I looked you up on the Internet to get a sense of what you were all

about. First, I was overwhelmed with content of an intensit

final fanaward

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