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Benedict Cumberbatch might be one of the most polarizing leading men of the last decade. The Internet loves him and the Internet also hates him. Whether or not he’s your cup of tea, you’ve got to give it up for his outrageous talent. In just a little over a decade, the man has portrayed such varied roles as Stephen Hawking, Sherlock Holmes, Smaug the Dragon and an all-American Oakie loser.

In honor of Cumby’s 38th birthday this weekend, we’ve compiled 10 essential Cumberbatch performances you need to check out.

Hawking (2004)

Benedict Cumberbatch made his first real splash when he starred as a young Stephen Hawking in the appropriately titled Hawking. Watch it if you want to see an utterly fantastic performance or if you’ve ever wanted to see Benedict Cumberbatch in a bathtub.

GoWatchIt: Hawking

Starter For 10 (2006)

Cumberbatch gives a hilarious performance as an uptight college quiz team captain in Starter For 10, an absolute weird little gem of a film. The British comedy is also noteworthy because it features performances from young, and then unknown, actors named James McAvoy, Rebecca Hall, Alice Eve, James Corden and Dominic Cooper. Oh! And Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) is in it.

GoWatchIt: Starter For 10

Atonement (2007)

Savvy British television and theater fans might have known who Benedict Cumberbatch was prior to 2007, but America didn’t get a good look at him until he co-starred as Paul Marshall in Atonement. Maybe all you can remember about Atonement was the hot library sex scene, but Cumberbatch got Sherlock show runner Steven Moffat’s attention with his performance as a super creepy chocolate heir who was a bit too into underaged girls.

GoWatchIt: Atonement

Sherlock (2010)

Benedict Cumberbatch became a literal overnight superstar in the UK when he starred as a modern Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock. The series surpassed the BBC’s wildest expectations and Cumberbatch became an unlikely sex symbol. If you still haven’t dipped into it, you really have no excuses now. It’s streaming exclusively on Netflix and it’s so good that we were tempted to make this entire list out of single Sherlock episodes.

Watch it on Netflix

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

After Sherlock, Cumberbatch appeared in a flurry of film, television shows and hoity-toity theater productions. However, we’re going to say that you should skip the ponderous War Horse in favor of the slick and smart Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

GoWatchIt: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Parade’s End (2012)

Cumberbatch got blasted by the British tabloids when he cast shade on Downton Abbey, by saying his epic British period drama, Parade’s End, was a lot smarter. Here’s the thing: Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of a Ford Madox Ford masterpiece is a lot smarter than Downton Abbey. It’s also rather sexier, too.

Watch it on HBOGo and Amazon Prime.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Yes, Star Trek Into Darkness was a disappointment in comparison to the absolutely perfect joyride that was J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek reboot. However, Cumberbatch gives an absolutely electric performance as “John Harrison.”

GoWatchIt: Star Trek Into Darkness

12 Years A Slave (2013)

Have you seen 12 Years A Slave? Benedict Cumberbatch is in 12 Years A Slave. You should see 12 Years A Slave.

GoWatchIt: 12 Years A Slave

August: Osage County (2013)

Between Stephen Hawking and Sherlock Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch was carving out a niche for himself playing eccentric British geniuses. So, he mixed it up and played an all-American loser in the star-studded adaptation of August: Osage County. And we have to say, he makes a rather adorable all-American loser.

GoWatchIt: August: Osage County

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Andy Serkis isn’t the only actor who can pull off a motion capture performance. Benedict Cumberbatch writhed around the floor for a few weeks and provided the gravely growl for Smaug the dragon in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. We bet Bilbo wouldn’t be so scared if he had seen Smaug behind-the-scenes.

GoWatchIt: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug