Benedict Cumberbatch‘s audition tape for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has been released and it is as awesome to watch as you may have imagined.

While the role of Smaug is mainly featured in the second film of the series, the 38-year-old actor auditioned back in 2010 when they were casting for the full trilogy.

“I did a few head movements and serpentine stuff with my neck and got my shoulders working a bit,” Benedict says in the clip.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is set to be released in theaters on December 17.



Benedict Cumberbatch’s Audition Tape for ‘The Hobbit’