A-list actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he loved his time in lockdown in Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay. Photo NZME
Benedict Cumberbatch "loved" being in lockdown in Hawke's Bay.
The 45-year-old actor - who has children Christopher, 6, Hal, 4, and Finn, 3, with wife Sophie Hunter - was filming Netflix Western drama The Power of the Dog in New Zealand when lockdown restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19
were enforced and "loved" being able to spend time with his family while he learned new skills for the movie.
"I was with my wife and children and my Mum and Dad had come over to have a three-week experience with us and see their boy riding a horse and steering cattle. And then they stayed for five months. We were so lucky. Far away from home, but we found a new one."
Hawke's Bay Today reported at the time that the actor had stayed at the picturesque Summerlee Luxury Retreat in Te Awanga.
The Sherlock star took on the role of volatile ranch owner Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog - which is based on the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage - and chose not to interact on set with Kirsten Dunst, who played his alcoholic sister-in-law Rose. Speaking about how he got into character in an interview with the American edition of OK!, he said:
"He doesn't have anyone to share his love with. His love is dead and denied. The lack of trust and hating on the world is a toxic combination. Hopefully, in the end, we see he's not just an a**hole. He is, but there's a reason why.
