Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has opened up about the challenge of playing a character with a dark side in Netflix drama “Eric”. Cumberbatch portrays Vincent, a heavy-drinking puppeteer who resorts to creating a large furry puppet named Eric in an attempt to find his missing nine-year-old son. The six-part miniseries takes on a psychological thriller form and is available for streaming on Netflix since its 30 May release.
During an interview with NME, Cumberbatch revealed that he had to gain a deeper understanding of Vincent’s character to portray him effectively. He aimed to avoid making it one-dimensional and wrote, “if there’s not some causality or understanding or empathy for why he is the way he is, then it gets old very quick.” Despite his toxic and self-destructive character, Vincent still manages to elicit empathy from viewers through his internal struggles that are made external through Eric.
Cumberbatch also shared his recent listening habits during the interview, which included music from U2, Max Richter, Elbow, and Polish cellist Dobrawa Czocher. Although “Eric” has received a three-star review from NME and has been criticised for its complicated plot and aloof characterisation, Cumberbatch’s empathetic portrayal of Vincent’s internal struggles has been praised.
To access the inner life of Vincent, Cumberbatch asked “one of the most original reads” he had ever experienced. He also noted that the gift of playing Eric was part of the challenge in portraying Vincent’s character. Vincent’s complex personality presents several societal, family, and personal crises that ultimately cause his collapse, leading to the creation of Eric.
Cumberbatch’s empathetic portrayal of Vincent’s character in “Eric” brings an extra dimension to the show’s psychological thriller format. The internal struggles of Vincent that manifest into the character Eric are a significant challenge for his character portrayal. Despite his self-destructive and toxic personality, the actor manages to elicit empathy from audiences towards the character’s external manifestation
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