Birthday Special: Six times Benedict Cumberbatch amazed us

Year 2015 has been one amazing year so far for Benedict Cumberbatch. The Sherlock star got nominated for the Oscars, he married his girlfriend Sophie Hunter in February, he was named Commander of British Order (Youngest actor to receive the honour) in June and then the same month he became a father.

The actor turns 39 today. The thinking woman's crumpet has some brilliant projects to offer for rest of the year. He will play Hamlet in Lindsay Turner's play at Barbican starting August 5. He is also portraying Bill Bulger to Johnny Depp's Whitey Bulger in Warner Bros Black Mass which is set to release on September 18 this year. On Christmas this year, he is returning to small screen as Sherlock in a one-off episode of BBC's popular series.

Here are a few outstanding performances you cannot miss if you want to enter the Cumber-Collective - 

Hawking - 

It was Benedict Cumberbatch who first portrayed the challenging years of the scientist Stephen Hawking in BBC TV movie. The expressions and the physical transformation of the person, his ALS progresses done by Cumberbatch is outstanding.

Here is a scene on Cambridge station when Hawking realises the explosion, the big bang theory!

Van Gogh: Painted with words - 

Another portrayal of another legend. The movie is about the letters sent from legendary painter Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo van Gogh describing his thoughts about and struggles with life.

Benedict Cumberbatch never fails in a frame to convey the thoughts going through the mind of the then under-aprreciated painter. Especially the end years with the ear chopping off incident and van Gogh's frustration towards the end is a treat to watch.

Third Star - 

Third Star is a story of James (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his three closest friends who go on a trip to coastal area of Barafundle Bay in Wales. The trip addresses the elephant in the room and a story of friendship, love and heroism unfolds.

This is a must watch for the climax scene. Everyone wipes their eyes after learning about the agony of James and helplessness of his friends

Frankenstein - 

Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) Frankenstien is a 2011 play based on adaptaion of Mary Shelley's novel of the same name by Nick Dear.

In the play, Benedict Cumberbatch swapped the roles of Victor Frankenstien and his creature with Johnny Lee Miller. My personal favourite is Cumberbatch as The Creature. And the favourite part is when the creature calls out the inconsistency in the nature of men. Brilliant is the only word to describe this performance. Cumberbatch won Olivier Award for the play.

If interested, people can still watch the play as it has encore screenings all over the globe because of the tie-up with NTLive.

Parade's End - 

Cumberbatch plays Christopher Tietjens, a conservative English aristocrat stuck in a love triangle with socialite wife and a suffragette in the era of World War I.

The BBC miniseries is an adapatation by legendary Tom Stoppard of novels written by Ford Madox Ford. Gone by British etiquettes and what it means by keeping a stiff upper lip can be learned from Cumberbatch's portrayal of Tietjens.

Cabin Pressure - 

The 26 part radio sitcom is written and created by John Finnemore. It's a chronicle of an oddball single aeroplane crew. 

Benedict Cumberbatch played the goofy Captain Martin Crieff who loves flying plane but is let down by his lack of natural ability to do so. The series takes you to an alphabetic tour of the hilarious adventures crew faces being the world's smallest airline!