British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who has been portraying “Doctor Strange” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since 2016, recently revealed in a podcast that he consumed five meals a day to play the role and criticized Hollywood’s excessive resource consumption.
In a recent episode of the podcast “Ruthie’s Table 4,” Cumberbatch shared the behind-the-scenes training and meal preparation process while filming “Doctor Strange.” He disclosed that in order to achieve the lean physique required for the character, he had to consume large amounts of high-calorie meals daily to maintain muscle mass.
Specifically, Cumberbatch mentioned that he had to adhere to a strict high-calorie diet plan, forcing himself to eat five full meals each day. Even between meals, he had to consume high-protein snacks such as boiled eggs, almond butter cookies, and cheese for supplementation. This physically and mentally exhausted him, describing the experience as “terrifying.”
At 49 years old, Cumberbatch recalled that to maintain the superhero physique, his eating plan was almost like “force-feeding.” He expressed, “I personally really dislike this kind of excessive eating beyond appetite. The amount I eat now is enough to feed a family.”
Cumberbatch also admitted that while this eating schedule effectively met the demands of the role, he did not enjoy it. He stated, “Exercise is great as it makes you feel confident and strong, but the dietary part is simply torturous,” and he felt that the resource consumption behind the diet was “extremely wasteful.”
Apart from the consumption of food, Cumberbatch also pointed out the “extreme wastefulness” in various aspects of Hollywood. He cited examples of the film and television industry being overly extravagant in set design, transportation, food, accommodation, lighting, and energy use, stating, “It is an industry of extreme waste. The electricity consumption during shooting to simulate daylight and constant lighting is incredibly shocking.”