Benedict Cumberbatch opens up to Ellen Monday about his heroic turn when he intervened in a mugging in London last November.
In the incident, the Patrick Melrose star, 42, said he emerged from an Uber he was in to thwart an attack on a bicycle delivery man, inserting himself into the tense situation.
‘I tried to calm the kids down who were riled up, tried to calm him down, he looked like he was about to fight for his life,’ he said, ‘and didn’t really think about knives or acid or any of the other things that can be part of that situation.’
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The scoop: Benedict Cumberbatch, 42, opens up to Ellen Monday about his heroic turn when he intervened in a mugging in London last November
Cumberbatch said he ‘literally got in the way’ and sought to stop traffic to attract the attention of motorists in hopes of producing additional witnesses quelling the situation.
Ellen asked the Academy Award-nominated actor to what extent the Uber driver, later identified as Manuel Dias, came to the aid of the bike delivery man.
Dias told The Sun ‘it all got a bit surreal’ when he realized it was Cumberbatch involved in the situation.
Straight from the source: Ellen pressed the actor about the incident, in which the Patrick Melrose star emerged from an Uber to thwart an attack on a bicycle delivery man
Caution to the wind: The actor said he ‘didn’t really think about knives or acid or any of the other things that can be part of that situation’
‘Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just round the corner from Baker Street,’ Dias said. ‘I had hold of one lad and Benedict another.’
The Doctor Strange star told Ellen of the driver’s account: ‘This is where it gets a bit embarrassing,’ noting many aspects of the situation had been ‘exaggerated’ by the time details in the media.
Also appearing on the Ellen show Monday is Cher, who participates in a bit called Five Second Rule, in which she’s asked to quickly name three singers she would like to participate in a duet.
Call for help: The Doctor Strange star said he did his best to diffuse tensions in the incident
Overblown: The actor said some aspects of the incident were exaggerated in reports
Packed show: Ellen also welcomes Cher on Monday’s episode of the talk show