Damon Lindelof and JJ Abrams on Benedict Cumberbatch

[katikat]

The Lost co-creator first saw Benedict Cumberbatch on the first season of the British TV show Sherlock — which stars the English actor as a quirky, antisocial yet exceedingly brilliant modern-day version of the detective — and recommended his buddy, Star Trek director J.J. Abrams, take a look at Cumberbatch to play the villain of his sequel.

"When he came to meet us in L.A. for the first time, they had shot the second season, and I begged him for a DVD," Lindelof says. "He gave it to me and said that if I lost it he would have to kill me, at which point I fell deeply in love with him."

(...)

While most of Cumberbatch's roles tend to be dunked in gravitas, Abrams appreciated the balance of his self-deprecating humor off-camera and that seriousness on.

"When someone's going to be playing a role in a movie like Star Trek, you need actors who are going to commit to this as if they're doing the most grounded true-story drama," the director says. "You can't have people going into this in the campy, silly way. You have to really sell it because if you don't, the audience will feel there is a disingenuous, by-the-numbers approach. And Benedict every day brought a respect to the character and the audience."

Source

There's also a wonderful small sneak peek at a scene from the movie on said site. If you want to watch it without the ad, you can see it here. Yes, it's spoilery, but gosh, his VOICE, HIS VOICE!!!