Why Did Benedict Cumberbatch Call Hollywood A ‘Grossly Wasteful Industry?

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch called out Hollywood for being a "grossly wasteful industry," specifically when it comes to food waste, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Recently, he appeared on Ruthie's Table 4 podcast, where he discussed seeing wastefulness firsthand, such as the strict diet he had to follow to undergo a "body transformation" for his role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Although Cumberbatch shared that he likes the physical transformation aspect of his job, he also recalled having to eat five meals a day to meet his calorie intake goal, in addition to snacks like boiled eggs, crackers, almonds and cheese, which he called "horrific."

"The exercise is great, and the end result is that you feel strong and you feel confident. You hold yourself better. You have the stamina to endure the exercise and the food that enables you to last through the gig. But it is horrific," he shared, adding, "I don't like it personally. I think it's horrific, eating beyond your appetite," as per the outlet.

Cumberbatch added, "Going back to responsibility and resourcefulness and sustainability, it's just like, what am I doing? I could feed a family with the amount I'm eating."

However, the actor said that it's not just food waste that makes the film and television business a "grossly wasteful industry," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Think about set builds that aren't recycled, think about transport, think about food, think about housing, but also light and energy. The amount of wattage you need to create daylight and consistent light in a studio environment. It's a lot of energy," he said, as per the outlet.

Cumberbatch shared that actors regularly get criticised when they speak out on "climate and excessive use of things" in Hollywood. But as an actor and producer, that hasn't stopped him from trying to "push the green initiative" and sustainability on sets.

"Whether it's just a gentlemanly discussion about, 'Can we not have any single-use plastic? Really, I think we're beyond,'" he said. "You don't have to give the crew plastic bottles.

If you're in the middle of a desert and you can't get glass bottles there, fair enough, but we're in the 21st century," as per The Hollywood Reporter.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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