Benedict Cumberbatch: I'm not intelligent

Benedict Cumberbatch insists he's nothing like his genius character in Star Trek.

The 37-year-old actor played the villainous Khan in this year's Star Trek Into Darkness.

The character is part of a race of genetically engineered super-humans who defy both mental and physical limitations of normal beings.

The film's producer and co-writer recently heaped praise on the actor, saying Benedict brings to life "any character defined by intellect".

Benedict was humbled by the compliment. He also warned audiences should not mistake his apparent intelligence on screen with his real-life aptitude.

"I'm very flattered by being thought of as intelligent on screen," he told Entertainment Weekly.

"But should I ever do a Jeopardy!-type quiz show, I think people would soon see the Swiss-cheese holes in my brain," he mused.

The English actor also recalled playing Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Ferdinand in Love's Labour's Lost on stage in London in 2001.

He remembers the roles fondly because they marked the first time he felt successful as an actor.

"For me, the first time I got paid to do the thing I love was my big break. And I do mean that. It's not just some romantic tosh," he said.

Benedict has several films in the works through 2015.

He will next be seen playing whistleblower Julian Assange in Bill Condon drama The Fifth Estate.