Benedict Cumberbatch reads the best cover letter ever written
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- In 1934, a New York copywriter by the name of Robert Pirosh quit his well-paid job and headed for Hollywood, determined to begin the career of his dreams as a screenwriter. When he arrived, he gathered the names and addresses of as many directors, producers and studio executives as he could find, and sent them what is surely one of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written; a letter which secured him three interviews, one of which led to his job as a junior writer at MGM.
Fifteen years later, screenwriter Robert Pirosh won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the war film, Battleground. A few months after that, he also won a Golden Globe.
To read Pirosh's amazing cover letter, here's Benedict Cumberbatch (originally performed at Freemason's Hall, London).
Sadly the cover letter did not contain the word 'penguin'... Over this I am glowering.
Now this, made my day!
I know right!!!
#Pengwing!!!
It also omitted “ointment”, an absolute travesty.
That would have meant he would have to decline to read the letter.
😂🤣
For a man who can't say "Penguin" he did really well.
Lol such a under appreciated comment cz people don't know the story 😂
@@abhishekchakraborty135 Let's give the hint of looking at the Graham Norton Show :)
@@WhatforNameIsThat there you go..
🤣🤣🤣
Pengwin
For all those people who say they would listen to Benedict Cumberbatch read the dictionary... this is probably as close as it will get!
I'm the same way with Patrick Stewart.
It was John Hurt or Peter O'Toole for me. RIP to them both.
But to be Richard Burton -he could have read the Yellow Pages and have you enthralled .
@@ronnieince4568 Oh, yes! Or Anthony Hopkins... who actually also does not only a good Burton, but a great Olivier as well!
@@ronnieince4568 This is beginning to sound like a Watch Mojo presentation. "Today, on Watch Mojo, we're going to go through the list of The Man With the Most Enthralling Voice. Our top 20 list was hard to settle on, but that three of them were Doctor Who actors and one played a doctor shouldn't shock you at all...#20..."
Robert Pirosh made it as a screen writer. Night at the Opera, Wizard of Oz, etc. A lot of television. He followed his dream.
Good for him.
so glad he did!
He liked words. 😉
Thank you, great info and gives context.
Even won an Oscar along the way, not half bad! 🤣
(Of course it was for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, 1949)
My last name is Word, and I weigh 300 lbs. I am literally a "fat, buttery Word." I'm glad someone appreciates me.
That's right baby. Get all the love ya can.
Wait... Word was an option?!?!
Word.
UP!
Well here's hoping you have little Words.
could we please take a minute to also appreciate that Benedict gave this whole performance in a solid American accent!!
Amazing talent
He tried....it hurt my ears
@@danielvalleduarte he's come a long way
Sure, with a prominent lisp... At best he sounds like an American with a significant speech impediment
His accent is a bit rhotic but it's still better than my British accent.
In his later years, Robert Pirosh taught screenwriting at USC, where I was fortunate enough to be one of his students. Remarkably, a few years after writing A Day at the Races for the Marx Brothers, he fought in WW2 where he won the Bronze Star for his bravery. In 1949 he won an Academy Award for writing Battleground. Now THAT is a mantelpiece.
... whereas A Day At The Races is silly nonsense brilliantly executed!
Can't seem to find where Robert Pirosh received a Bronze Star for bravery. I did recall that Eisenhower, chief of staff of the Army, authorized a medal for meritorious service for any World War II veteran who had earned a Combat Infantryman Badge or a Combat Medic Badge. Now those badges are reserved for those who were in the real deal; to say the least. Ike's thinking was that these men who liberated Europe should be further awarded. I think that is the award you're referring to. The Bronze Star, the 4th highest award for combat during WWII (in the ETO & elsewhere) are well documented; can't find his name.
@@shoofly529 I defer to you on this. It was a heady time at USC, and we had several Oscar winning writers there teaching us. Pirosh was in the sh*t for sure - I actually met one of his foxhole-mates - but the Bronze Star could have been a fabrication of someone’s fertile mind. Not Pirosh, though, he was a humble man with a very generous mind. Check out actor Benedict Cumberbash reading one of his ‘letters’ on RUclips if you can find it.
Sorry! I forgot this post was actually in the RUclips I mentioned.
It must have been really cool to have been in his class!
Priceless! My AP English teacher would’ve kissed the feet of the letter writer and definitely Benedict Cumberbatch for his inspired reading of those words. For a moment I thought that I was back in her class all those years ago.
If it makes you feel any better, the letter writer won many awards, including an academy award, if I remember correctly. He also won a Bronze Star, but not for his writing. That would go on to help him write some of his most memorable pieces. You should look him up.
Such a creative cover letter!
Can't imagine anyone saying no to this.
Oh I like words too...but I like them even more when Benedict Cumberbatch reads them!!!
Right on
Amen!
Is it true that women like Benedict Cumberbatch because his last name starts with 'cum'?
You can see why he enjoys voice acting - dragons especially.
... and captains of *very* small airlines
Such an obscure reference and I LOVE it
I thought he was planning to steal Christmas presents again...
I’m reminded of the observation, “To write is to think, to write well is to think well”.
You can really see his passion for literature and performance here
It is a weird letter but it is performance so perfectly!!
It is a fine letter, and inspiring for an actor to read, let alone a potential employer.
@@barryschwarz Agreed. I don't care what I was hiring for, I'd bring that person in for an interview.
And that's why I will never understand why theater plays are being read in schools rather than taking them to a real theater. I bet you a lot of kids will find it less boring.
Weird? You must be very sheltered.
Not only did he go on to become a screenwriter in Hollywood writing movies such as the Wizard of Oz, but he also ended up serving in World War II in the 35th Infantry Division fighting in the Ardennes and Rhineland campaigns. He even led a patrol into the besieged town of Bastogne.
his cover letter has more words than my whole vocabulary just about.
Cumberbatch's very natural way of speaking quickly and clearly for a moment gave me a vision of him playing V in a V for Vendetta remake.
Yes, I could listen to Benedict reading and I would never get bored
He has several free audio books on FB..he has a fabulous reading voice.
@@annmitchell4663 Could you put the address of that fb page ,please? Thanks
Wow that’s such a clever letter! It would also make a good children’s book.
Watched this after halfway doing my cover letter. Guess I need to start all over again.
When my daughter was around 7 years old. We were pursuing a half off book store. She came to me with a 7 inch dictionary with one missing post and asked, ‘Mom can I get this, it’s only $5 dollars?” She still rolls 🙄🙄 her eyes at me when I use the wrong word or in the wrong context. She is amazing 🤩. Proud mom moment!!!
When my grandson was 1.5, his mother was in Afghanistan. I watched him for the year.
One morning he was playing on the floor with his toy. I was sitting in my recliner. He got to his feet and approached me with something in his hand, a wooden block. He extended it to me and said, “ball.” I took the block and looked. Sure enough; there was a picture of a soccer ball.
I was so proud of him.
He then pointed to his soccer ball on the floor and repeated, “ball”
Proud grandpa!
I love that pursuing and perusing both work so well in this sentence 😂 ♥
Written in an era when the majesty of the written word as well as the eloquent delivery of them was revered. . Benedict Cumberbatch has proven himself a master in the delivery of the written word.
he is a professional renowned actor. this is like the one skill i expect from him.
@@dasaggropop1244 But not every professional renowned actor is good - so many are renowned but really middling.
Reply: "Thank you for your correspondence. Due to the overwhelming number of applicants, we cannot personally respond to every letter. Additionally, we are unable to accept non-commissioned screenplays at this time. If you would like to request an interview, please make use of the form on our website."
This was excellent…the animated reading yes, but the letter was excellent!
Wow, and Robert Pirosh probably NEVER imagined how well Benedict Cumberbatch would bring out his letter to life!
Oh Benedict, you beauty.
But the real winner is the letter itself and the person who wrote it. Thanks for posting.
I cannot think of a better cover letter for a screen writer position than this.
I'm a non-native English-speaker and the last 10 entries in my 7-year-old vocabulary notebook are:
spurn - ephemeris - ravine - engrossed - (to) bed down - trawl - jerry-built - hazmat - stingray - campy.
It's as if there's no end to English vocabulary!
Благодарю за новую встречу с Бенедиктом создателей ролика. Не устаю восхищаться его талантом, его чудесным голосом. Какое счастье, что есть интернет и можно каждый день видеть любимых актёров!
This man is an amazing talent he is a fantastic actor
I like animal words, such as penggwuing :-))
I think you mean pengleng
lol those who don’t get this million dollar joke need to find the ‘penguin’ interview BC did on the Graham Norton show.
😆😆😆
@@SM-gm7up thanks for the advise! I didn't know about it.
I love it that someone made the letter public.
At a very young age, my mother always made certain I had something of value to read (in the bathroom, no less) . We were poor, yet I always strived to speak well. I had to because they came from England and half the time had no idea what was said due to the thick brogue. A dictionary and a bible were my first reading materials. Unfortunately, I ended up shocking my grandmother with all the fascinating words I put together from the dictionary! (Mom got the blame for that). lol. My bible is still where I go for daily devotion BUT I SURE MISS THAT DICTIONARY, when I endeavor to get someone’s attention with fluent, comedic sarcasm. All with good intentions, naturally. Now we have Google, Alexa, Siri and many others but they lack a sense of humor when speaking. Think I am misunderstood often yet prefer to laugh at myself since our language is rapidly changing with the technology. Thanks for letting me vent! 🙏❤️😂😂😂😂🤬👍
"Unfortunately, I ended up shocking my grandmother with all the fascinating words I put together from the dictionary!" Don't feel bad about that. Frank McCourt remarked that he learned the word "fornication" as a child, because he was reading the Bible. Then he had to reach for his dictionary.
@@FahlmanCascade Thankyou for such a great story. Cute betond WORDS ! 👍🙏😊
I love speaking with people like you. I am rarely understood by my peers.
"I always strived to speak well". It should be "I always *STROVE* to speak well", so I guess that's a fail. ;)
But seriously, that's a nice story. :)
@@Brievel just saw your message. So sorry you feel u are not understood. No problem here. Know the feeling. Think you are doing just fine. BEST WISHES TO YOU AND YOURS. Thanks for such a thoughtful and kind reply. So nice of you! 🙏👍💖☺️
Watch his smaug behind the scenes. Incredible.
Brilliant performance, and what a creative cover letter.
If I sent out a cover letter like this, I'd get rejected by every publishing house on Earth.
Yes, today you have to say, "I like money. I like fat, buttery money such as krugerrands and silver double-eagles, and I like solemn, angular money, such as crisp stacks of hundred-dollar bills fresh from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing...."
It’s bold & brilliant and if they did not recognize his talent, it’s their loss and tell. Tell meaning: sign of who they are and that is that they are not in the same league as this human.
that letter only garnered three interviews from a laundry list of potential directors, writers, and execs. you don't need to win them all to win at all
Sadly, remorsefully, eloquently, dasdardly, pitifully, hopelessly, perfunctorily, brittle,....your right
@@360.Tapestry It still worked. All it needed to do was get a foot in the door. It did that three times, and one of those times got him hired. And we're all better for it.
I wasn’t expecting the American accent. That man can do anything perfectly!
to be able to express these words like this man is an art in itself
Wow! Loved it and Cumberbatch. I hope the letter writer got the job.
Um, Becky, if you read the blurb beneath the vid you'd see he got three interviews and a gig at MGM.
@@SAHogan-ih3bo Thank you.
@@beckv8526 You're welcome. Anything to help.
If screenwriter did that now they'd get a boilerplate response with punctuation errors, buzzwords and platitudes.
Not to be pedantic, but your post also has a grammatical error. Did you spot it or do you not care before you post your criticisms of others? Are you aware of the edit function? I mean, after all, an editor has a duty to inform, so consider yourself edited.
@@randomspurious1066 You are pedantic, so the rhetoric is redundant. And yes, it is for effect, and also to conform to the style of social media which is hasty and rife with mistakes.
@@CMI2017 Good burn.
🔥🔥🔥
@@CMI2017 Considering your comment, pedanticism in warranted, speaking of which. Your grammar is far too nuanced too be an accurate depiction of social media. So, either A: You have epically failed to conform to it's style or B: You just won't admit you made a simple everyday mistake and instead of owning up to it you formulated a bullshit excuse. If I were a betting man I'd go with B.
He has the perfect cadence of an English teacher reading their favorite piece to their class.
Excellent addition as I learned Robert Porosity was the writer for many TV shows i watched as a kid.
My favorite "modern" Sherlock.
Benedict likes every word except his kryptonite: Pengwing.
I can't stop imagining Smaug saying all those words. lol
I was really looking forward to hearing this in his native accent, but yeah, he nailed it!
He's an instrument a delicious, magnificent, instrument.
Please oh please let Benedict Cumberbatch read the cover letter for Dr Kent Hovinds doctorate, that should have everyone rolling on the floor.
That would be hilarious! I'd like to see that just to see if he could get through it without cracking up.
Is the letter to be found anywhere? I failed...
This was lovely.
How may times you reckon for practiced to avoid ‘pengwings’?
'Burble' . . . one of my favourites. Jabberwocky, oh, my . . . this made me think of Ray Bradbury, too . . .
When my daughter was a toddler I started reading to her in a British accent to amuse myself and she said, "Mommy, stop." LOL she grew up to like words anyway. Mr. Cumberbatch is delightful, sharp, witty and wonderfully weird.
Nice. I don't have No words at all after what I have seen.. And listening so long... Thx
Angelic. I hope the guy got hired. I feel exactly the same as the letter writer....
This is it, it took me two decades but I found the border. This is where the common roots in latin language can't help me anymore in intuitively know what an english word means.
There's one cover letter that was actually read. When I arrived for the last interview I went to, the manager had printed copies of both by cover letter & resume in front of her. She said "WOW" with a big smile. I hired her immediately.
Brilliant and of course he delivers.😁😁
I like cutie attractive brilliant and smooth words like benedict cumberbatch
one of the best british actors!!!
Does a very good American accent....that can be tough for British actors just as it can be tough for American actors to do some British accents properly.
His American accent is one of the worst of any British actors. I'll just assume you've never seen Dr. Strange.
@@krashd His accent was far from the worst thing about that film.
@@krashd I love this man to bits, he´s one of the best actors of his generation, but I have to agree with you. Not about Dr Strange specifically, but about his American accent in general. He´s a brilliant man, but his US accent is atrocious.
@@krashd he's not bad, it's just British actors in general are too well-trained in this lol
I can't hear the difference between his American accent and some (not all) American people I have heard. Probably if I lived in the US I would hear the difference.
All this from the man who can't say "penguin" 🤣
Robert won an Academy award!!!!!!
Splendiferous!
I'd give that guy a job.
I like words as well, Benedictory Cucumber
I do so love to listen to this man have his way with words
If I didn’t already know Benedict was English I would swear he was American! I love this guy!
I would definitely be giving that guy an interview!
You win this round, RUclips algorithm!
Love his acting too
I also love the restored Father Willis pipe organ shown in the video.
Benedict Crumble-snatch is an awesome actor.
Oh, Mr. Cumberbatch. Your Sherlock is showing...
Who is this Mr. Robert?
lol as close as we will probably ever get to him reading the dictionary
With a surname like Cumberbatch and the letters, it makes for a wonderfully delicious salad...LOL
Close your eyes and imagine suited up Smaug reading this letter
Thanks so much!
For some reason I read the title as 'the worst cover letter ever written'' I was getting towards the end and thinking this is a pretty good letter!
Thats where the "Gentlemen! I like war" speach was coming from^^
Follow your dream, launch prepared.
Robert Pirosh missed the word "Turpulence". ---- "We walk in the garden of his turpulence!!!" ~ A Knight's Tale
That's turbulence
@@Rusvids No. Watch this clip from the movie "A Knight Tale". ruclips.net/video/GY8YvSq3wZU/видео.html
Turbulence. Turpulence doesn't appear in any one of four physical dictionaries at hand (turpitude does), nor does it appear on the internet prior to 2008 (Urban Dictionary) and still not anywhere with reliable etymology, etc.
Now I must beg off... I feel the sudden urge to watch a certain twenty year old movie 😅
Ahhh, my favorite breakfast named person describing my breakfast....
reminds me of Hugh Laurie's Dr House voice
That was my very first thought when I heard Benedict's Doctor Strange voice for the very first time.
"Somebody's acting in here!"
I also like words. 'Up' and 'shut' are good words when arranged into a well known phrase or saying.
OMG .. this is simply mind blowing 😅
Give this man a comedy role!! Strange is too straight laced for him
Benedict Cumberbatch could read the phone book to me
He certainly likes to hear himself talk.
I can't pass the video when it's Benedict
The "I like turtles" kid has come a long way...
I hope 🤞 he plays Nick Drake to tell Nick story and reach wider audience.
"Can you say penguin?" "Penwing??"
I came to see some penguin roasting and wasn't disappointed
English not being my mother tongue, this was not easy to understand, I surely missed quite a few words. Loved it though.
Haha, don’t worry. Most first-language English speakers would also have had a rough time following it. 😉
I like words like ,Free and pay rise.
As a writer, this is hilarious! I should use this for my next cover letter!
As a publisher, if you sent that cover letter to me I'd refuse you an interview because you plagiarised it.
@@21stcenturyozman20 Thanks for stating the absolute obvious
The sound is kind of disappointing. He's clipping a lot. It's distracting me.
One of the best!
I love his voice❤
Loved this👍👍