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Benedict Cumberbatch might not have won the Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards for his nominated performance in The Imitation Game, but he deserves a gold statuette for reportedly sending a personal letter to the family of a late Sherlock Holmes fan.
A funeral for 14-year-old Cumberbatch-Sherlock superfan Eve Shepherd, who died Feb. 1 from breathing complications, took place at Padgate Methodist Church in England on Monday, Warrington Guardian reported.
Though the in-demand actor could not attend the funeral because he was “filming the show she loved,” he sent her family his heartfelt condolences.
“I send my deepest sympathies to Eve’s family,” Cumberbatch wrote. “To lose someone so young who fought for her health all her life must be beyond endurance. … I hope they can take solace from the fact that she was clearly much loved and her support of our show is hugely appreciated and shall be remembered.”
He concluded the letter, which was read aloud to funeral attendees, with “God rest her soul. With all my love and sympathies, Benedict xxx.”
Shepherd’s parents said she was a longtime fan of the show and would have been elated to know that Cumberbatch wrote her a personalized letter.
“Eve would find this funny as she was a big TV and film fan. She would be giggling her head off at the thought that she was in the newspaper,” her father, Mark, said.
The ceremony concluded as a celebration, the processional leaving the church with the Sherlock Holmes theme song playing.
“She would be so happy about the letter from Benedict,” Mark said. “She was a huge fan.”
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