The British A-lister sits down with THR's awards analyst for the first installment of "In Conversation," a new collaboration between BAFTA-NY and THR that offers artists a chance to discuss in-depth their life, work and creative processes.

Why does Benedict Cumberbatch prefer to shoot many takes of a scene? Why did he initially fear that Sherlock would be "cheap and cheesy"? What advice did the greatest actress of all offer him when he asked her to describe her "acting process"? And why does he fear that social media could "take over my life and probably ruin it"?

These are among the questions that the 37-year-old A-lister answered last week over the course of an hour-long conversation moderated by yours truly as part of In Conversation, a new series on which BAFTA-New York and The Hollywood Reporter are partnering -- and which THR is pleased to debut exclusively here. The conversation was taped in front of a BAFTA audience at New York's The Standard High Line hotel.

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There could have been no better a guest for the kickoff installment of this series -- which aims to offer artists a chance to discuss in-depth their life, work and creative process -- than the smart, witty and self-deprecating Brit who burst onto the scene over the last few years, most notably on TV's Sherlock, in Frankenstein on the stage and in films ranging from Atonement to War Horse to -- this year alone -- 12 Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Star Trek Into Darkness.

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We hope you will share your thoughts about this conversation -- and suggestions for future "In Conversation" guests -- in the comments section below.

Twitter: @ScottFeinberg