Benedict Cumberbatch Guarantees the BAFTA New York 'Fun'

Benedict Cumberbatch earned his first BAFTA nomination in 2005 for portraying Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking. He’s added three more since then and on Thursday, at The Standard High Line, he will be in a sense returning the favor(s).

Cumberbatch is the first participant in the newly launched New York leg of BAFTA’s “In Conversation” series. The event is also being married into The Standard chain’s “Standard Talks” initiative and will be moderated by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg:

“I am thrilled to be kick-starting this series of informal conversations with British talent for BAFTA New York and The Standard team,” said Cumberbatch. “The association with BAFTA is a great honor.”

“And Manhattan, a city I dearly love, is an inspiring location. I think it’s going to be great fun and a terrific way to explore film and television and those who make it. While the focus is on British talent; to be in this most iconic of cities is a real marker of the ongoing synergy of our cultures and artists in the traffic of what we do between the U.S. and Britain. And, hopefully it will be fun. Oh. I said that already… That’s guaranteed then!”

The Cumberbatch event, for BAFTA members, was quickly filled. However, the good news is that BAFTA New York will be posting video of the conversation online next week.

Update (February 12):
Via Twitter, @BAFTANY has been soliciting for several weeks now questions for Cumberbatch from fans, using the hashtag #BAFTANYTalk. Here are a few of our personal favorites:

Update (February 15):
THR has posted a brief two-minute teaser clip of the Cumberbatch conversation. Watch it here.