Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has taken on a unique challenge for his role in the new Netflix series Eric – running around New York City dressed as a 7ft monster. Cumberbatch plays Vincent, a troubled father of a boy who goes missing on the way to school, in a psychological exploration set in 1980s New York. Vincent resorts to trying to create a real-life version of a monster his son imagined to find his son. The monster represents Vincent’s “shadow self”, according to Cumberbatch, as he spirals downward and becomes more destructive.
The show, written by Abi Morgan, tackles difficult themes including addiction, family breakdown, mental illness, homophobia, racism, corruption, homelessness, and the AIDS epidemic. It also delves into the creative process, which Morgan likens to puppetry and exploring who is pulling the strings.
Cumberbatch, who has been nominated for an Academy Award twice, including for his 2022 role in The Power of the Dog, finds joy in playing complex characters, saying “There’s good and bad in all of us. That’s what makes us human… there’s a huge deal of pain behind the pain Vincent causes.” Gaby Hoffman, who plays Vincent’s wife, Cassie, discusses how not being properly loved as a child and not given the space to discover oneself can lead to struggles later in life.
The show, which stars Olly Taylor as Eric, the monster, has been difficult for Cumberbatch to film. For one, the monster suit weighs 20kg, and the actor found it “ludicrous” to run in. However, wearing the suit also gave him a new perspective on his collaborator’s experience, making him “so sad” for Taylor, who had to wear the suit for several months. Eric is set to be released on 30 May on Netflix
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