When Tom Holland approached Benedict Cumberbatch about his problem with crying on-screen, the latter revealed that he doesn’t just channel his personal feelings to reflect convincing emotion while filming — he has a full-blown physical method to get the tears flowing.
Holland explained the process behind Cumberbatch’s crying prowess in his Q&A hosted by The Hollywood Reporter. “The technique that he told me was a thing he’s able to do with his diaphragm, which is almost like laughing,” he said. “He would do this thing where he would simulate laughing and breathe really, really quickly so that it brings the emotion to the surface. Then you take it and ride the wave from there.”
According to Holland, Cumberbatch’s technique was a revelation that completely alleviated his struggles with cry-acting. He is now much more “confident” about filming scenes where his character weeps; adapting Cumberbatch’s method changed how he approaches those sequences. “I don’t have to draw on past experiences or personal matters anymore.”
