Benedict Cumberbatch visited a “massage parlor” in Shanghai and these are the (blurry, low-quality) photos. He seems to have gone to the Taipan Oriental Massage & Spa with some friends. Bendy has been in Shanghai for days now – he had a big promotional event for MG (he became a brand ambassador and the face of MG GTS) on Saturday, and he’ll be hosting the Laureus World Sports Awards tomorrow in Shanghai. Apparently, Bendy is also “involved” with the UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange. As for the massage parlor… let’s just be nice and say he received a straight-up massage. And since it’s a spa as well, maybe he also got a mud wrap and a facial. Sure. Why not?

While Benedict was attending the Chinese Grand Prix over the weekend, he spoke to the press about his impending fatherhood and how he’s looking to some of his fellow actors for parenting inspiration.

“I think there are plenty of good actors who are fathers. I mean, you only have to look at Daniel Day-Lewis as an example and a lot of my dear friends: Mark Strong, I mean, I could go on and on. I think what children do is enhance your life, they don’t inhibit it. They don’t limit it, they give you inspiration and depths of understanding of the human condition and what it is to be on this planet and what our purpose is, that goes well beyond anything a childless actor could hope for.

“I’m so excited to meet my child and it’s a huge part of my life and it’ll be the most important part of my life, as it should be. I know, I can speak for many other friends of mine, Martin (Freeman) is another example who springs to mind, who managed to balance a home life and a work life. It’s not easy, but then everyone is doing it, everyone I know who has children is managing it, so it’s not impossible.”

[From ET Canada]

I think he’s genuinely excited about becoming a father, but I also think he’s going to have a tough adjustment, especially since he’s scheduled back-to-back projects for the next year. He couldn’t even stay home and nest with Sophie, that’s how much of a workaholic he is, he just had to fly to Shanghai when Sophie is (likely) ready to give birth any day now. I also think his wording is so strange (DOCTOR STRANGE), from “depths of understanding of the human condition” to “but then everyone is doing it.”

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.