The Caribbean island nation of Barbados, which broke off ties with the United Kingdom and became a republic in October 2021, is campaigning for compensation from the descendants of slaves.
The family of British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who starred in the 2013 movie '12 Years a Slave', which tells the story of a man trying to regain his freedom, may also have to pay compensation because his ancestors owned slaves.
The Barbados government is now tracking down families with historical links to the slave trade. Legal action could also begin for the Cumberbatch Family, who were compensated (about $1 million in today's money) when slavery was abolished by the British government. Although the Cumberbatch Family no longer owned the Cleland farm, they employed some 250 slaves on the sugar cane plantation they purchased in Barbados in 1728.
Benedict Cumberbatch, whose ancestors were 18th-century sugarcane farmers, is under scrutiny for his historical links to the slave trade. The world-famous actor, known for the TV series 'Sherlock' and the movie 'Doctor Strange', who does not deny that his ancestors owned slaves, may soon face legal action because his ancestors benefited from the slave trade.
David Denny, Secretary General of the Caribbean Peace and Integration Movement, which is running the campaign, spoke to The Telegraph about whether the Cumberbatch Family would be targeted.
David Commissiong, Deputy Chairman of the Barbados National Compensation Commission, commented on the legal action plan for the family, "We're just getting started. Much of the history is really coming to light now."
The British actor, who played the role of William Pitt, an abolitionist prime minister in the movie 'Amazing Grace' in 2006 and appeared on camera in '12 Years a Slave' in 2013, spoke to The Telegraph in 2018 and stated that his ancestors were slave owners.
EMMY WINS
Benedict Cumberbatch, who was awarded the Emmy Award for 'Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie' for his role in 'Sherlock Holmes', received an Oscar for 'Best Actor' for 'Enigma' in 2015 and 'The Power of the Dog' last year. had received the nomination.
Who is Benedict Cumberbatch?
Cumberbatch, born on 19 July 1976 in London, is an English film, television, and theater actor. His father, Timothy Carlton, and mother, Wanda Ventham, are also actresses. His grandfathers were noblemen who had served in important positions of the British Empire.
Cumberbatch was interested in theater from a very young age. He started acting in Shakespeare's plays at the age of 12. He studied at a highly prestigious boarding school, the Harrow School. Besides theatre, he was also interested in rugby and painting. After school, he worked as a volunteer English teacher at a Buddhist temple in India for 1 year.
He later graduated from Manchester University, drama department. He continued his higher education at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
He attracted great attention with the Sherlock series, in which he played the character of Sherlock Holmes. He became known worldwide with the character of Sherlock he portrayed. Cumberbatch, who plays in theater plays, movies, and TV series, also does voice-overs in radio theaters and television, and in the world of cinema, he voiced Smaug in the Hobbit movie series. In 2015, he was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the 87th Academy Awards and twice for the Golden Globe Awards for his performance in "Enigma." Named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time magazine in 2014, the talented actor won the Second World War in June 2015. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth for his great contributions to the performing arts and charities.
Benedict Cumberbatch married theater director Sophie Hunter on February 14, 2015. In 2015, they had a son named Christopher Carlton.