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Benedict Cumberbatch has never felt an impulse like he did when he photobombed U2 at this year's Oscars.
The British star had onlookers and fans in fits when he leaped into the air behind the Irish band on the red carpet in March. He appeared to set a trend for the night, as Jared Leto also joined in by striking a humorous pose behind Anne Hathaway.
Recalling the evening's antics, Benedict explained the sensation of pulling the prank was like no other.
"Yes, I photobombed U2! But that was all [host] Ellen DeGeneres' fault because she plied everyone with vodka on the red carpet," he laughed to British magazine Time Out London. "Her team was handing out these miniatures. A friend really wanted me to get a photo with U2. So I just saw the opportunity and I've never felt an impulse like it. I spotted them all
standing around and I thought: Perfect! It wasn't preordained or anything. I just did it."
Benedict has become a Hollywood A-lister thanks to movies such as Star Trek Into Darkness and August: Osage County. But he was still in awe when he was sat next to one of the most famous couples on the planet during the ceremony.
"I sat next to Brad and Angelina, and they were treating me like anybody [else]. They said: 'You know, Benedict, this can be pretty tiresome,'" the actor recalled. "Then after the second award we were up on our feet and dancing to Pharrell. We had a lot of fun."
The 38-year-old's current role is as World War II code-cracker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, in which he stars alongside the likes of Keira Knightley and Mark Strong. Benedict's alter ego has drawn comparisons with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV series, something which he isn't surprised by.
"If I'm playing someone who's smart, suddenly every character I've played is smart. If I'm playing a bad guy, every character is a bad guy," he explained. "I suppose it's that thing where people want to see a through-line to understand you. I mean, you know, I have played pretty ordinary people too."