Why 2013 Was the Year of Benedict Cumberbatch

What is it that makes grown women turn into giddy fangirls at the sight of Benedict Cumberbatch? We wish we knew. The actor's irresistibility may have something to do with that guttural voice, commitment to character, charming British wit, or some combination of the three.

It was his role as the highly intelligent, slight neurotic Sherlock that first caught our attention three years ago. The fandom around the show swelled, and Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch had secured his place in the geekiverse as master of the Cumberb*tches (ahem, Cumbercollective? Cumberbabes?), the endearing label that Benedict's female fans have conferred upon themselves, much to his embarrassment. After a series of blockbuster castings, he was perfectly positioned to hit the big time in 2013 — and so he did. This year, we witnessed the rise of Benedict Cumberbatch from niche British television actor to one of Hollywood's most coveted film stars. In what follows, the case for why 2013 was the year of Benedict.

Source: Getty

01
Sherlock Season Three Filming Begins!

Sherlock Season Three Filming Begins!

In March, Benedict and Martin kept it professional while working on the show's third season, which premieres Jan. 19, 2014! This year, we got news that the duo will reprise their roles for a fourth season.

02
Star Trek

Star Trek

It was the Benedict role geeks waited for — the villain in J.J. Abrams's Star Trek Into Darkness. This Summer, he was a scary force against Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and proved he could take on the part of action star.

03
Cover Boy

Cover Boy

Benedict graced the cover of Time for the Oct. 28, 2013 international issue — keyword international. The US edition of the magazine got a cover story about Texas instead, enraging an entire population of Cumberb*tches. It was upsetting, but at least Time offered fans a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot, which features exactly 59 seconds of Benedict looking quite dapper.

04
R. Kelly, Dramatized

R. Kelly, Dramatized

Benedict Cumberbatch went on Jimmy Kimmel Live in December and seduced the entire audience with a dramatic reading of R. Kelly's "Genius." The best part? He winks. The second-best part? R. Kelly responded.

05
Cumberbatch and Clooney, in the Same Room at Last
Getty | Michael Buckner/BAFTA LA

Cumberbatch and Clooney, in the Same Room at Last

At the BAFTA LA awards in September, Benny took home the artist of the year award and rubbed shoulders with George Clooney.

06
The Reddit AMA That Broke the Internet

The Reddit AMA That Broke the Internet

Reddit user _BenedictCumberbatch answered the Internet's most pressing questions during an October Ask Me Anything. Cheekbone-polishing parties with Matt Smith and Tom Hiddleston, what lies beneath his robe, and his weirdest fan encounter were just some of the AMA's hot topics.

07
#AskSmaug

#AskSmaug

Benedict broke the Internet yet again in December, but this time via Twitter. He brought his A game to a Q&A with fans to promote The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (in which, we might add, he is excellent).

08
Sherlocking Becomes a Meme

Sherlocking Becomes a Meme

The disciples of BBC One's hit show starring geek favorite Benedict Cumberbatch turned the leading character's signature stance into a meme.

Sherlocking is the act of pressing one's fingertips together and holding this prayer-like pose against the lips or beneath the chin, preferably while lying down and practicing the art of deducing, scheming, or both. It's like planking without the ab workout, and it went viral.

09
The Fifth Estate
Dreamworks

The Fifth Estate

In October's The Fifth Estate, Benedict fully embodies WikiLeaks editor in chief Julian Assange. His compelling performance does not take away from the issue at hand: is privacy possible in this increasingly digital world?

10
The Imitation Game
Getty

The Imitation Game

The father of computer science, Alan Turing, will finally have his story told in The Imitation Game (hits theaters in 2014), which cast Benedict as its leading man in September. Computer science and Cumberbatch? Two of our favorite things.