Benedict Cumberbatch was on cloud nine yesterday when he received two Screen Actors Guild nominations and described it as an ‘amazing early Christmas present.’
Cumberbatch picked up a nomination for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading role for his central role as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, and a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for Sherlock: His Last Vow.
This is the first solo Screen Actors Guild Awards that the actor has received - however, he was part of the 12 Years A Slave and August Osage County casts that were nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture earlier this year.
And the British actor is thrilled with the nominations for both the big and the small screen. He said: "I'm over the moon. And so delighted to receive recognition in such esteemed company for both 'Sherlock' and 'The Imitation Game' by my acting peers.
"What an amazing early Christmas present! Thank you to all who voted and watched both pieces of work."
However, should Cumberbatch get his hands on the SAG award he is going to have to see off the challenge from Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Michael Keaton (Birdman), and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).
The TV category is also a tough one as Cumberbatch is nominated alongside Adrien Brody (Houdini), Richard Jenkins (Olive Kitteridge), Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart), and Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo).
The Imitation Game is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2014, and saw Cumberbatch tell the true story of mathematician Alan Turning, who played a central role in the cracking of the Enigma Code in the Second World War.
The role of Turing is the biggest film role of Cumberbatch’s career and has sent his star rocketing even further. He is hotly tipped to also bag his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance.
The Imitation Game was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
The SAG Awards will be held on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles.
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