Benedict Cumberbatch Emailed By Wikileaks' Julian Assange Over Fifth Estate Film Role [VIDEO]; "Considered, Thorough, Charming and Intelligent" Ten Page Email Didn't Dissuade Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch got an email from Wikileaks' Julian Assange over his portrayal of Assage in the movie The Fifth Estate.  
Benedict Cumberbatch said of the Assange email: "It was a very considered, thorough, charming and intelligent account of why he thought this was morally wrong for me to be part of something he thought was going to be damaging in real terms - not just to perceptions but to the reality of the outcome for himself,"

"He characterized himself as a political refugee, and with [Chelsea, formerly Bradley] Manning awaiting trial, and other supporters of WikiLeaks who have been detained or might be awaiting detention, and the organisation itself - all of that being under threat if I took part in this film."

Julian Assange called the film "a massive propaganda attack"
The Fifth Estate, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange, is based on two books, by the German technology activist Daniel Domscheit-Berg and by Luke Harding and David Leigh of the Guardian, former collaborators with whom the Australian has now fallen out.
Benedict Cumberbatch said he made repeated unsuccessful requests to meet Assange before beginning filming. He has defended the project, saying the film 'shows his ideas and integrity and self-sacrifice'.
The actor said he thought twice when he received the email because 'I'm a human being'. Wrestling with his reply for four hours, he told Assange the movie would portray his deeds as being nothing but positive and that he would give as 'much complexity and understanding' of Assange in the role as he could.Benedict Cumberbatch did admit to partly taking on the role because "I'm a vain actor"  - but insisted he was not "acting in a moral vacuum".

Watch Benedict Cumberbatch Fifth Estate Interview About Julian Assange Here:  

Asked about Manning - who was sentenced last month to 35 years in prison for leaking documents to WikiLeaks, after which she announced she wished to live as a woman - Benedict Cumberbatch said he was not convinced that the army private should be granted the presidential pardon for which she has now appealed, on grounds she took and broke an oath.

While alarmed by the revelations of state surveillance disclosed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden, Benedict Cumberbatch admitted he was also ambivalent about disclosing secrets. 

"If they are saving lives, how can we say that's less important than civil liberties? You don't have any civil liberties if you're dead."