Exclusive
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch open up about their sweet 15-year friendship
29 August 2025, 12:02 | Updated: 29 August 2025, 12:06
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch couldn't help but finish each other's sentences as they revealed it was their close bond that sparked their latest movie roles in The Roses.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch have opened up about their sweet long-standing friendship, revealing it was actually their close bond that acted as the catalyst for their latest movie roles.
The Broadchurch actress, 51, and the Sherlock star, 49, play seemingly-perfect pair Ivy and Theo in their new film, The Roses, which follows the married duo's eventual downfall after they relocate to the States.
"It's about a very impulsive couple who leave a life in England that's not satisfying them, find their dream in America, and it's about that dream going wrong when ones fortune goes down and the other goes up," explained Benedict.
The British icons sat down with Heart's Jamie Theakston and Zoe Hardman to discuss the flick, but also delved into their off-screen chemistry, which was undeniable as they chatted on the breakfast show.
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch share their first memories of meeting each other
Likening them to a real-life married couple, the presenters asked if they had learnt anything about their own marriages from their dynamic in the film.
"Don't have hard fruit on the counter, simple things like that," laughed Benedict.
Their rapport in the subversive rom-com is obvious to see, and it all stems from their real-life relationship, which first blossomed over 15 years ago.
Speaking of the hilarious moment they met, the former Peep Show favourite described meeting her beloved friend 'Ben' for the very first time.
"It was either a radio advert we were doing or a radio play – that sounds classier doesn't it, let's say it was that – and Ben had scruffy long hair, he was unshaven, and had this long jumper with big holes in it, and his thumbs came through the sleeves.
"He was bouncy and tiggery and he came in and said, 'Hello! Hi!'," cackled Olivia as she performed an impression of the Doctor Strange star.
Reliving the same meeting from his perspective, the award-winning thespian poked back: "Olivia was just sat there calmly on a cushion meditating going, 'Hello, how are you? I don't move much".
The co-stars described how they had been wanting to work with each other for many years and often chatted about starring in something together during hazy pub visits.
Benedict revealed: "I have lots of memories of Olivia, some of them are a bit blurry because we used to have a lot – well we still do have a lot of fun – and at those moments we said 'we should work together, we should take this friendship to work' and then we'd wake up in the morning and forget about it, hence it has taken so long... and we've been a but busy."
Now, the Hollywood pair have realised their dream, he added: "This has been a wonderful treat and I can't wait to work with her again."
