Bad Benedict.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, that’s his ACTUAL name), who is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar this year after his performance in The Imitation Game, used the word “coloured” to describe black actors in an interview in which he was trying to express his annoyance that multi-culturalism is under-represented in the UK film industry.

His anti-racism message got him labelled a ‘racist’. Damn.

To see who else is on the list: The Oscar Nominations are here. 

This is what Benedict said in the interview on Tavis Smiley in USA: “I think as far as coloured actors go, it gets really different in the UK, and a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here [in the US] than in the UK, and that’s something that needs to change.

“Something’s gone wrong, we’re not representative enough in our culture of different races and that really does need to step up a pace.”

After social media exploded with outrage at the use of the term “coloured”, Benedict released this statement:

Well said, Benedict. Clumsy mistake, good heart.

If you want to see a more light-hearted interview with Benedict, watch this. He can’t say the word ‘penguin’. It’s hilarious.