Okay so since I’ve had success in both sending and getting a reply (screams) from benedict, I’ve been asked how I did it and where I sent my mail to. I’ve decided to make this post to help other people do the same, although I can’t guarantee that these addresses will work because I’m not sure how frequently he visits either place.
Basically, I think maybe I just got lucky, and i’m really grateful.
Before I sent ben a letter and some pictures that I hoped he would sign, I found a couple other tumblr users that had gotten replies from ben before. Now it’s important to note that they had written to him in 2012, back when he was filming Star Trek in LA, and I think most people who’ve gotten replies wrote to that filming venue. So that being said, I wasn’t sure that ben would be replying to fanmail in the UK due to his Fifth Estate and now Sherlock filming schedule.
Now on to what I sent/how I sent it:
So basically what I sent to ben was a large manila envelope, on which I wrote the address I wanted it sent to, as well as my return address, like you would any normal letter. I put my letter that I had written (basically me telling ben how lovely he was and how much I appreciate him while trying not to sound like I wanted to have his babies) in there, along with a couple of photos that I had of him, and I asked him in the letter to sign them if he had the time. (which, at this point, I was just hoping he’d at least receive my stuff and I totally didn’t expect him to actually write back). Now here’s the important part: make sure you place another envelope inside, with your address in the reciepient section, so that ben can send you stuff back. I don’t think you have to write anything in the sender’s section because I didn’t and ben didn’t so I don’t think it matters. ALSO, make sure you attach a couple of international reply coupons (2-3), which you can get from your local post office! That pays for the stamp that will bring your reply from the UK to the US (or any other international country, I think. If you live in the UK, good for you! I don’t think you have to get any IRCs then).
As for the addresses that I sent the mail to, I used two seperate addresses.
The first one is benedict’s official UK fanmail address, which is:
Benedict Cumberbatch
c/o Conway Van Gelder Grant
3rd Floor, 8-12 Broadwick Street
London W1F 8HW, UK
People in the past have said that they’ve written to this address and have never gotten a reply, most likely because there are probably stacks and stacks of letters and some just get lost in the piles. However, I think that if you time your sending of the mail to when you think ben is in London, you’ll have a a better chance of getting a response. I believe that he does read them and write back, but he probably only gets through so many each time he goes there. So hopefully yours will be one of the letters on top!
And the second address I sent mail to is Roathlock Studios, where i’m guessing (but not sure) where the 221b scenes are filmed. That address is a bit harder to find but is also online, and follows:
BBC Roath lock Studios
Roathlock/Porth y Rhath
Cardiff Caerdydd
Cardiff Bay, CF104PA, UK
I’m not sure if that is where they actually film scenes for Sherlock there, but like I said before, because I sent stuff to both addresses and there wasn’t a return address on the one I got back, I can’t be sure which one was the successful address.
Now I’m sure you all want to see pictures of what ben sent to me. Pics or it didn’t happen, right? Haha.
Well here you all go:
So in my letter I asked ben what his favorite things to do in London were, as I’m going to Europe this summer, and he wrote back on THREE different photos!! (I had sent several different photos so he could pick which ones he liked and I was totally only expecting one, if any, back, BUT BEN IS SUCH A SWEETHEART ISN’T HE. Wow, I love this man.
Here are some other shots:
Whee he actually spelled my name with two L’s (SOMETHING HALF MY TEACHERS CANNOT EVEN DO)
In which he says something about “…Hyde Park, Soho for…” (I assume he’s recommending places to go but I’m still in the process of trying to decode the message. beN YOUR HANDWRITING SIR.)
In which he continues on about what he likes to do in London, and this one’s a bit easier to read. I think he says “Thanks Lillian, go to Waterloo Bridge, the National Theatre, stroll along the South Bank, go to the British Museum. Get lost in the best city in the world. Yours, Benedict Cumberbatch”
can I just scream a little and say “YOURS”. “YOURS”. /SQUEALS!!!!!!!!!!!!/
All in all, I’m so glad that I took the time to write to ben and this just proves to me even more what a great guy ben is. He actually takes time to write back to fans?!?!?!?
And if any of you guys are planning to send stuff to ben, I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you don’t have to wait too long before you get a reply :) (I sent him mail around 3/12 and today is 4/12 so it took around a month)
I DON’T THINK I WILL EVER GET OVER THE FACT THAT BENEDICT FREAKING CUMBERBATCH READ MY LETTER AND WROTE BACK TO ME SDKKKKKKKKKKFHDGJDFAA
The ever so helpful idol that plans your holidays for you. Precious!
