Benedict Cumberbatch jokes about being ‘beat’ by Will Smith at the Oscars in SNL monologue

‘I was beat by Will Smith… not physically!’ Benedict Cumberbatch jokes about losing to Will Smith at the Oscars in SNL monologue

  • Cumberbatch, 45, was joking about how people on the show didn’t seem to know him outside of Marvel’s Dr. Strange
  • Cumberbatch pointed out then that he was nominated for this year’s Best Actor Oscar for the film Power of the Dog
  • ‘I didn’t win. I was beat by Will Smith… not physically! Not physically,’ he joked
  • Cumberbatch lost out to Smith just a half hour after Smith had risen to the Oscars stage to slap Chris Rock, who had just made a joke about Smith’s wife 

Benedict Cumberbatch referenced the infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident in his monologue as he hosted this weekend’s Saturday Night Live. 

Cumberbatch, 45, was joking about how people on the show didn’t seem to know him outside of Marvel’s Dr. Strange. 

He mentioned that he also starred in Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog, which was nominated for several Oscars, but SNL creator Lorne Michaels said ‘nobody saw it.’ 

Cumberbatch pointed out then that he was nominated for this year’s Best Actor Oscar.

‘I didn’t win. I was beat by Will Smith… not physically! Not physically,’ he joked.  

Benedict Cumberbatch referenced the infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident in his monologue as he hosted this weekend’s Saturday Night Live.

Cumberbatch lost out to Smith just a half hour after Smith had risen to the Oscars stage to slap Chris Rock, who had just made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.  

Amid mounting pressure, Smith resigned from the Academy and issued an apology to Chris Rock, who has not publicly responded.

But two weeks after awards night, the Academy issued the actor with a ten-year ban from all of its events, while issuing a statement blasting his ‘unacceptable’ and ‘harmful’ behavior.

Cumberbatch lost out to Smith just a half hour after Smith had risen to the Oscars stage to slap Chris Rock, who had just made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith

Cumberbatch lost out to Smith just a half hour after Smith had risen to the Oscars stage to slap Chris Rock, who had just made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith