Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman on-set tensions put friendship to test

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman’s friendship entered uncharted territories for a while as the duo took after roles too much.

The Sherlock Holmes actor revealed that while playing the characters of Theo and Ivy in their band new movie The Roses, the two would fully get into the characters’ dynamic, which was a couple deciding to get divorced, resulting in a fiery legal war.

Although the 49-year-old actor and the 51-year-old actress would enjoy mainly insulting each other on set, the Doctor Strange star worried that things were going too far.

In speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, Benedict stated, ‘There was one speed bump where it started to get a bit toxic, and I was like, "I might need to check in with you as a friend, because this is getting a bit nasty now,” referring to Olivia.

However, he continued, “but after that, it was just a lot of fun insulting each other and making it up [to one another].”

Meanwhile The Crown star noted that she knew that they were just pretending, and didn’t take things too seriously, adding that the duo would just cuddle after scenes like that.

When did The Roses release?

The Roses, which is a remake of the 1989 movie The War of the Roses, hit cinemas on August 29, 2025. 
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