Benedict Cumberbatch was abducted at gunpoint in South Africa

Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken out about one of the most horrific events of his life – when he was kidnapped at gunpoint in South Africa.

In an revealing interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ actor said he was driving North of Durban with two friends (including former Corrie actress Denise Black), on the way back to the set of 2005 series ‘To The End Of The Earth’ when their car got a flat tyre.

"It was cold, and it was dark. I felt rotten,” began the now 37-year-old. “We were wary because that's a notoriously dangerous place to drive. Then, poof, the front-right tyre blows.”

"So we got the spare, but that meant getting all of our luggage out. We were like sitting ducks, adverts for—not prosperity, necessarily, but materialism."

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Sadly, the ‘Sherlock’ star’s fears were justified, as a group of six armed men suddenly ambushed them.

"They were like: ‘Look down! Look down! Put your hands on your head! Look at the floor!’ And they started frisking us and said: 'Where's your money? Where's your drugs?” recalled Benedict. "And at that point, this adrenaline of fight or flight just exploded in my body. I was like, 'Oh f*ck, we're f*cked.’"

Reportedly holding back the tears, Benedict told how the gang then tied up the friends and drove them off in a car – however when he complained the bindings were too tight and he couldn’t feel his limbs, the kidnappers stuffed him into the boot instead.

After some time, the vehicle stopped and Benedict found himself dumped on the ground. "I was scared, really scared,” he continued. “I said: 'What are you going to do with us? Are you going to kill us?’ I was really worried that I was going to get raped or molested or just tortured or toyed with in some way, some act of control and savagery.”

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Surprisingly the attackers then drove off, leaving Benedict tied to his friends on the roadside until a passing stranger rescued them.

"I looked into this black man's face, and I cried with gratitude,” an emotional Benedict explained, saying the experience had a profound effect on him. "It really, really enriches your values in life," he said. “It's incredibly important."

You can see Benedict next in Wikileaks thriller ‘The Fifth Estate’ (trailer below) as hacktivist Julian Assange, out in the UK 11 October, and on Boxing Day in A-list drama ‘August: Osage County’ alongside Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor.