WORLD EXCLUSIVE “THIS

WORLD EXCLUSIVE “THIS IS MY HOME TOWN AND IT’S JUST AWE-INSPIRING UP HERE. EVEN IN THIS DIFFUSED LIGHT YOU STILL JUST CAN’T HELP BUT BE BLOWN AWAY BY THE SCALE OF THIS GREAT CITY” BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH Nationality: English Age: 38 Job: Actor Other interests: Resting, reading and driving F-TYPEs We’re halfway up Western Europe’s tallest building inside one of the plushest new hotels in London waiting for one of the world’s most famous actors. If we were in any doubt about the former, a brief glance out of the corner suite’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows across the Capital’s massive cityscape banishes it, while the image staring out from today’s edition of England’s most established newspaper The Times, confirms the latter. But although 38-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch might be front page news, when the quintessential English actor of his times does enter the suite of the Shangri-La at The Shard, there’s less fanfare than you might expect. Casually dressed with an ‘incognito hat’ he says a quick hello all round and after a quick brush with the stylist and make-up artist jumps into the lighting-quick lift up to our exclusive photoshoot. With the The View from The Shard platform 244 metres above ground all to ourselves – bar camera crew and staff – the open-air, 360-degree panorama of London can be appreciated in rare and splendid isolation. For an actor who would seem to have the world at his feet, his first visit up this already iconic building, officially opened in 2012, is still a humbling sight. “This is my home town and it’s just awe-inspiring up here. Even in this diffused light you still just can’t help but be blown away by the scale of this great, great city.” To say things are going well for Cumberbatch’s career right now would be an understatement. Following his film breakthrough in Atonement (2007) he went on to take the leading role in global TV hit Sherlock, feature in critically-acclaimed films like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 64 j THE DYNAMIC ISSUE