Benedict Cumberbatch is already getting a lot of Oscar buzz for his portrayal of code breaker Alan Turing in the newly released movie 'The Imitation Game,' but was the actor's performance so convincing because he is related to the real-life war hero?

Benedcit Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing in 'The Imitation Game'

Genealogists from the family history website Ancestry.com have recently claimed the 38 year-old star is distantly related to Turing, who cracked the Enigma code in the Second World War, with evidence linking the two back to the 14th century.

Researchers from the site have reportedly found a link traced through both their paternal lines, which lands on John Beaufort, the first Earl of Somerset, who was born around 1373, making Cumberbatch and Turing 17th cousins.

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Miriam Silverman, UK content manager for Ancestry, told The Telegraph, "It would seem that there is a flair for espionage and bravery that has descended down multiple generations of Benedict Cumberbatch's family tree.

Adding, "It's amazing to think that when stepping into the role of Alan Turing, he would not only be portraying a world class code breaker but a real life relation."

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Cumberbatch is looking to be an award favourite for his portrayal of Turing, who was also betrayed by the British government after cracking Germany's Enigma Code. Despite Turing's contribution in winning the war, when discovering that he was having a homosexual relationship, he was prosecuted by the courts and ultimately given treatment designed to reduce his ability to have sexual relationships.