Benedict Cumberbatch has called the Hollywood film industry “grossly wasteful”, taking particular issue with its squandering of resources in the aid of set building, lighting – and bulking up physiques for blockbusters.
“It’s horrific eating beyond your appetite,” Cumberbatch told Ruth Rogers on her food-focused podcast, Ruthie’s Table 4, adding that when he was shooting Marvel’s Doctor Strange, he would eat five meals a day. In addition, he would snack on boiled eggs, almonds and cheese, in order to try to ingest enough protein to transform his body.
“Going back to responsibility and resourcefulness and sustainability, it’s just like, ‘What am I doing? I could feed a family with the amount I’m eating,’” Cumberbatch said.
“It’s a grossly wasteful industry,” he continued. “Think about set builds that aren’t recycled, think about transport, think about food, think about housing, but also light and energy. The amount of wattage you need to create daylight and consistent light in a studio environment. It’s a lot of energy.”
Cumberbatch conceded that actors are frequently accused of hypocrisy when bemoaning the lack of sustainability in Hollywood, but said he does try to “push the green initiative” on sets, in his capacity as both actor and producer.
He cited single-use plastic as an example, saying: “You don’t have to give the crew plastic bottles. If you’re in the middle of a desert and you can’t get glass bottles there, fair enough. But we’re in the 21st century.”
Movies can emit on average between 391 metric tonnes for a small film and up to 3,370 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions for major blockbusters; the equivalent of powering 702 homes for a year.
In 2021, the Producers Guild of America issued an industry-wide call for a transition to clean energy. “Climate change is impacting our productions. Our health and safety, and filming locations are being irreparably damaged by increased pollution, wildfires, floods, storms, and droughts,” they wrote. “The sustainability measures currently being taken in our industry are sporadic and wholly inadequate to meet the current level of threat.”
The Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, which killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures across the city, refocused attention on the film and TV industry’s engagement with efforts to curb its impact on the planet.
Among celebrities whose homes were destroyed in the fires were Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy, while many – including Meryl Streep and the late David Lynch – were forced to make emergency evacuations.
Some studios have made pledges to try to reduce their carbon footprint. The Walt Disney Company aims to “purchase or produce 100% zero-carbon electricity” by 2030, according to its 2023 Sustainability and Social Impact report.
Stars including Jane Fonda, Woody Harrelson and Julia Roberts have been outspoken champions of wider action on environmental issues, while Mark Rylance, Bill Nighy and Hayley Atwell were among those who supported the introduction of a “green rider” to guarantee sustainability on set.
Yet the enormous resources required to make most big budget films, as well as to promote and market them, mean Hollywood is an industry whose logistics and mindset are often at odds with prioritising the planet.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Hollywood’s most high-profile advocate for ecological awareness, established his self-titled foundation in 1998 to help “restore balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants”.
But despite donating money to further these aims, and becoming involved in a number of plant-based companies, such as Beyond Meat and chickpea snack company Hippeas, the actor has been criticised for his conspicuous jet-setting.
Last month, DiCaprio was photographed apparently attempting to hide his face while attending the much-criticised wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice.