Benedict Cumberbatch: Deadly to judge character you are portraying

Benedict Cumberbatch, who will be seen playing Thomas Edison in upcoming 'The Current War,' believes that he will leave it to others to debate whether the light bulb inventor was a genius scientist or a robber baron.

Talking at a press conference at a Film Festival in Toronto, Cumberbatch said, "It's deadly to judge your character if you're portraying someone you have to inhabit with a certain understanding and empathy."

Adding, "I leave it to other people to judge characters I play. I find it very hard not to be defensive. I have no vanity about my characters."

He also expressed sympathy for Edison as he battled the same challenges of celebrity that Cumberbatch knows as a stage and screen star.

The 'Sherlock' star also shared that it was interesting for him to examine ideas of fame.