The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Benedict Cumberbatch’s wife is Sophie Hunter, a theatre and opera director who also worked as a performer. The two met while acting in the 2009 film Burlesque Fairytales and married on February 14, 2015. Her professional life stands on its own: she is known for directing plays and operas, not only as the spouse of an actor.
Who Sophie Hunter is professionally
Hunter came to directing after training as a performer, and the Guardian’s 2015 profile of her centres on that directing work. At the time, her focus was opera and classical music. TIME’s 2014 engagement-era profile likewise describes her as an Oxford graduate known in theatre for directing both plays and operas, and it notes her acting in films including Burlesque Fairytales.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Moonwalk: A Memoir | $23.38 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir | $8.24 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic – A Modern-Day Memoir from the Trailer Parks of Vegas... | $15.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography | $15.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Book of Sheen: A Memoir | $17.50 | Buy on Amazon |
Training: Oxford and Jacques Lecoq in Paris
Hunter studied at Oxford, then trained under the mime artist and theatre director Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Lecoq’s physical-theatre method, which emphasises movement and the body as the basis for performance, is a common foundation for directors who work with non-naturalistic staging. The sources do not describe how long she trained or which courses she took.
Directing debut: The Terrific Electric
According to the Guardian, her directorial debut was The Terrific Electric, which she co-directed at the Barbican Pit in 2007. That date places her directing career well before her marriage, a point worth keeping in view when reading about her as a public figure.
#1 Best Overall
Selected stage work
The Guardian’s 2015 profile cites several productions as examples of her work:
- The Terrific Electric (2007, Barbican Pit): her co-directed debut.
- An Ibsen revival: described in the profile, with the production details not given in the source summary.
- Lucretia: a performance work discussed in the profile.
- 69° South (also called Shackleton Project): premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and later toured North America.
These are past productions, described in a 2015 profile. They should not be read as a current listing of her engagements, and no current schedule is established here.
How they met and married
Hunter and Cumberbatch met while acting in Burlesque Fairytales, which both the Guardian and ABC News connect to their first meeting in 2009. The public record gives a clear sequence for the engagement and wedding, but it does not establish when their romantic relationship began. A meeting on a film set in 2009 is not proof of a relationship starting that year.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Hunter and Cumberbatch meet while acting in Burlesque Fairytales | ABC News; The Guardian |
| November 5, 2014 | Engagement notice appears in The Times | ABC News |
| February 14, 2015 | Marriage, reported as surrounded by family and friends | ABC News |
| June 2015 | Birth of their first child, as recorded by Biography.com | Biography.com |
The sources do not establish how many children the couple has, so this article does not give a current count.
Recommended Free Tools
In her own words
In the Guardian’s 2015 profile, Hunter, identified there as a director and former performer, said: “My job now is to make work, to tell stories.” The remark reflects how she described her creative identity at that time. It is a 2015 statement, not a recent one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reading the public record on Hunter
Most coverage that introduces Hunter through her marriage gives little space to her directing. Her credits, training and the 2007 debut are the most verifiable parts of her profile, and the marriage details are the most widely repeated. Treat the wedding and birth dates as reported facts from the named outlets, and treat the stage work as a snapshot of a career documented in 2015.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
