Watch Benedict Cumberbatch Try to Read a Yelp Review in a Brooklyn Accent
Benedict Cumberbatch is an incredibly successful actor. He captivated audiences with many characters from the genius Alan Turing to his eccentric, witty portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes in the eponymous BBC series, and earned superhero status when he joined the Marvel universe as Dr. Stephen Strange. Earlier this week, Cumberbatch went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss his latest role as Thomas Edison in The Current War, and how much he enjoyed the challenge of bringing the icon to life. However, before he got to talking about the movie, Kimmel, who is taping a week of shows in the host's home borough of Brooklyn, dealt him a challenge of his own—mimicking a Brooklyn accent.
About three minutes and 30 seconds into their chat, Kimmel asks Cumberbatch if he can do the accent, since he was impressed by his Thomas Edison accent in the movie. Cumberbatch jokingly tries it out, and then Kimmel tasks him with using it to read a Yelp review of Di Fara, one of the most beloved pizzerias in the borough. The end result definitely wasn’t your classic Brooklyn accent, but it did get a lot of laughs.
“The pie was a masterpiece,” he started. “The crust was thin, but not too thin, with the perfect balance of cheese and sauce.”
The way that Cumberbatch says “sauce” in his pseudo-Brooklyn accent sounds a whole lot like how I, a born-and-raised New Jersey resident, say sauce too—with an “aw” tone—so I had to laugh. But the best was yet to come. In the next bit, “basil was garnished on top,” he pronounces basil like “basilisk,” from Harry Potter, much to Kimmel’s amusement. The review concludes with, “this is a classic slice. If you want artichoke, duck, or pine nuts on your pizza get the f*ck out of here! You’re wasting space on the line.” Which hey, to each their own with pizza topping preferences—we're fans of all different kinds of recipes, from cacio e pepe pizza to pizza covered in fennel and sweet onions.
Previously, Cumberbatch had also appeared in a video for Omaze, an online fundraising platform, in 2018 to do a dramatic reading of “I’m a Little Teapot” complete with poignant orchestral music in the background and a very emotional ending. The stint was to encourage viewers to donate to charity in order for a chance to attend the Avengers: Infinity War premiere with a friend and have a tea party with Cumberbatch himself—and it showed us that, between this and the Di Fara review, he certainly has range.
