With Benedict Cumberbatch having voiced a character in 'Penguins of Madagascar,' we hope he can now say the word 'penguin'!
Benedict Cumberbatch, the talented British actor who shot to fame with his stellar performance as Sherlock Holmes, is undoubtedly a man of many skills. From acting in critically acclaimed movies to lending his voice to popular animated characters, this man can do it all. However, there is perhaps one thing that seems to be tripping him up - saying the word "penguins" correctly.
Yes, you read that right. The word "penguins" seems to be quite the tongue-twister for our beloved Benedict. According to Vanity Fair, in a BBC Two documentary called "South Pacific," he was required to talk about the royal penguins that inhabit the islands. Unfortunately, the word "penguin" came out as "pengwing" and thus began the birth of a new Cumberbatch meme.
Now, if you are a fan of the actor, you might be thinking, "Oh, but it's just a harmless mispronunciation. Why make a big deal out of it?" Well, my dear friend, that's because the internet never forgets. Once something becomes a meme, it's there for life. And boy, has the internet gone wild with this one.
It's #WorldPenguinDay which gives us an excellent excuse to look back at the time our @UoMAlumni Benedict Cumberbatch couldn't pronounce penguin. pic.twitter.com/46xGPtZvXb
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) April 25, 2021
benedict cumberbatch learned how to pronounce the word "penguin", i'm so proud of him 😭 pic.twitter.com/rlJWh0rySR
— déia (@midnightmarvl) March 10, 2023
therapy: expensive
— déia (@midnightmarvl) October 17, 2021
benedict cumberbatch trying to say penguins: free pic.twitter.com/MIuWHI36Qq
Social media is flooded with hilarious memes of Cumberbatch struggling to say the word "penguins." Some have even gone to the extent of creating videos where he repeats the word over and over again. It's safe to say that the actor's pronunciation has become an internet sensation and fans can't get enough of it.
But let's cut the man some slack, shall we? It is not as easy as it sounds to pronounce "penguin" correctly. In fact, it is a word that even native English speakers struggled to say.
However, he must've had to practice pronouncing the word penguin since he voiced the character "Classified" in the 2014 movie "Penguins of Madagascar." It would be quite the irony if he were to mispronounce it again, given that the movie is all about penguins. But knowing the actor's dedication to his craft, we can be rest assured that he has given it his all.
In the end, it is important to remember that actors are human beings too. They make mistakes, they mispronounce words and they have their quirks. And sometimes, those quirks become the stuff of internet legend. So, let's embrace Benedict's "pengwing" pronunciation and enjoy the endless memes that it has spawned. And who knows, maybe one day "pengwing" will make it into the Oxford English Dictionary as a valid alternative to "penguin."