Benedict Cumberbatch thinks homophobia is "terrifying."
The British actor, who plays mathematician Alan Turing, who broke the Enigma code used by the Nazis during World War II and was later prosecuted for being gay, in his new movie, 'The Imitation Game,' says he would fight anti-gay extremists "to the death."
17 October 2014
The 38-year-old star told the November issue of Out magazine: "People are being beheaded in countries right now because of their beliefs or sexual orientations. It's terrifying. It's medieval - a beheading!"
He added: "I'd take up arms against someone who was telling me I had to believe in what they believed or they would kill me. I would fight them. I would fight them to the death. And, I believe, the older you get, you have to have an idea of what's right or wrong. You can't have unilateral tolerance. You have to have a point where you go, 'Well, religious fundamentalism is wrong.' "
Benedict admits he knows lots of actors who are still scared to open up about their sexuality.
He said: "I think if you're going to sell yourself as a leading man in Hollywood to say 'I'm gay,' sadly, is still a huge obstacle. We all know actors who are [gay] who don't want to talk about it or bring it up, or who deny it. I don't really know what they do to deal with it."
He added: "Human rights movements and sexual and gay rights movements have made huge social progress in the last 40 years, without a doubt, but there's a lot more work to be done. I think it's extraordinary that every time we get to a point where there's any kind of trouble in society, people are scapegoated very, very, very quickly."
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