There's no denying it: Benedict Cumberbatch is one to watch.
From portraying Julian Assange in the upcoming thriller, The Fifth Estate, to morphing into the villain Khan in the summer blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness (and that's only naming a few performances this year), the 37-year-old British star dished to Time about emerging into the spotlight and being recognized in some pretty unusual places.
The actor, who will be seen in the star-studded family drama August: Osage County next year, chatted about his experience filming in rural Oklahoma where he predicted he would be able to blend-in with the locals.
"I thought, Oh, I won't get recognized here," he told the mag in their latest issue. "But the first café I walked into, the waitresses were like"—and here he tries to imitate a gum-chewing Midwestern accent—"‘Oh my God! Aren't you on television? Don't you play Sherlock Holmes?' It's amazing the spread of that thing, it's incredible."
The thespian had better luck in New Orleans, on the set for the highly anticipated drama 12 Years a Slave, where he portrays a softhearted slave owner.
"All that darkness, just outside the city border, [the remains of] steamboats and slave markets, and just extraordinary shops and extraordinary stories—everyone has a passion, and it's all kind of on display," Cumberbatch described his experience in The Big Easy.
And even though you get the impression he appreciates the attention, Cumberbatch admits that being in the spotlight does not allow him to keep his private life, well, private.
"Every time I'm seen at a bar with a girl, I get photographed," he revealed with a sigh. "Anyone who has a computer knows my entire dating history. I get it. Paparazzi is an inescapable, immovable obstacle."