Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the best-known actors of his generation, owing to a series of high-profile performances in prestige dramas and his eponymous leading role in the Arthur Conan Doyle update Sherlock. So naturally, when Peter Jackson looked to cast him in his second trilogy of Middle Earth films, the director in his infinite wisdom thought he'd be best off playing a dragon. Admittedly, Cumberbatch does a good job in the second two Hobbit films as Smaug. For one thing, his slightly weird face suits the proportions of a dragon better than it does a human being. For another, his voice works well when it's being all raspy and villainous. Apparently the voice wasn't enough, though. He had to act it out as well. This is all the fault of Andy Serkis. So, whilst The Hobbit featured a majestic, greedy dragon that was several stories tall, it all began with a British actor flailing around on the floor of WETA studios in Wellington, with bits of chewing gum stuck to his face, gurning. Movie magic!
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
