While praising the slew of resources given to actors during filming, including personal, health-centered chefs, Benedict Cumberbatch also noted that Hollywood is riddled with environmentally-wasteful practices.
“It’s a grossly wasteful industry. You think about set builds that aren’t recycled, the transport, the food, the housing, the light and energy,” Cumberbatch said while appearing on Ruth Rogers’ food-focused podcast “Ruthie’s Table 4.” “The wattage needed to create consistent daylight in a studio is massive. So when actors speak out about climate or excess or systemic issues, they get slammed because they’re seen as hypocritical.”
The actor, who is known for and enjoys physically shape-shifting into various roles like Doctor Strange and Sherlock Holmes, opened up about how studios foot the bill for actors to receive first-class care while performing. Some of the benefits range from speciality cooks that track their calories through the meals they prep.
“It’s this amazing setup—they calculate your calories, how many meals you need a day, maybe five meals with a couple of boiled eggs in between or a high-protein snack like cheese and crackers or almond butter and crackers. Crackers—lots of crackers,” Cumberbatch explained.
He added that over time, he’s realized the how the process encourages, gluttonous, wasteful eating habits.
“Personally, I think it’s horrific eating beyond your appetite. It feels wrong. It makes you think about responsibility, resourcefulness, sustainability,” Cumberbatch shared. “I’d think, ‘What am I doing? I could feed a family with the amount I’m eating.’”
As a response, Cumberbatch said he’s become more mindful about ways he can be more climate-friendly, mentioning that he also pushes for more sustainable initiatives on set.
“As a producer, I’m really hot on that. I try to push green initiatives into every agreement I can,” he explained. “Even if it’s just a simple conversation— ‘Can we please not have any single-use plastic?’ I think we’re beyond that now. People have water bottles. You can provide a tap or water urn instead of handing out plastic bottles—unless you’re literally in a desert with no other option.”
You can watch the full Benedict Cumberbatch interview in the video above.
