Benedict Cumberbatch, a man who is used to playing heroes on big and small screens alike, got a taste of what it was like to be a real life hero after he chased off four muggers who were attacking a food delivery cyclist in London last November.
Cumberbatch, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Strange in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, was riding in an Uber in London when he noticed a food delivery cyclist being accosted by four muggers.
The actor sprang into action according to the Uber driver who was shuttling Cumberbatch and his wife to a club. Manual Dias, told The Sun that when they saw four men pushing a Deliveroo cyclist around, the actor jumped out of the car, ran over, and pulling the men off of him.
"They turned towards him and things looked like getting worse, so I joined in," he said. "He stood there instructing them in the street, shouting, 'Leave him alone. It was only then I recognized Benedict...I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was very brave. He did most of it, to be honest. They tried to hit him but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn't injured. Then I think they also recognized it was Benedict and ran away."
Deliveroo, the company the cyclist worked for, tweeted their thanks to the actor on Saturday.
Thank you Benedict Cumberbatch for your brave actions. Deliveroo riders are heroes - their safety is our priority and any violence against them is totally unacceptable. So on behalf of everyone at deliveroo: thank you.
Police say one of the assailants attempted to steal the victim's bicycle and was punched in the face, the head, and hit with his helmet. Fortunately, the victim's injuries were minor and he did not need to go the hospital.
"He asked the rider how he was and when he said, 'I'm OK.' Benedict just hugged him," Dias said. "The cyclist was lucky, Benedict's a superhero. Benedict was courageous, brave and selfless. If he hadn't stepped in the cyclist could have been seriously injured."
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