Actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter are expecting their second child, it has been confirmed.

The couple, whose son Christopher Carlton was born in June last year, appeared together at the premiere of his latest film, Doctor Strange, in Los Angeles on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the Sherlock star said: “Everybody is absolutely thrilled.”

Benedict Cumberbatch and fiancee Sophie Hunter
Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Benedict, 40, and Sophie, 38, married on Valentine’s Day last year after announcing their engagement in a notice in The Times newspaper.

Following the birth of Christopher Carlton, a spokesman for the couple said they were “delighted” by the arrival of their “beautiful son”.

Benedict, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, has previously spoken about the joys of fatherhood.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter
Benedict and Sophie (Ian West/PA)

In an interview with Vanity Fair’s November issue, he said: “Having a baby – it’s massive. And on a very unexpected level. Suddenly I understood my parents much more profoundly than I ever had before.”

Benedict also told the Graham Norton show: “I’ve become a father and a husband, and in the right order. I might go for a (Cumber) batch of boys!”

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Championships (Anthony Devlin/PA)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter at Wimbledon (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Benedict and Sophie met when they appeared together in the 2009 film Burlesque Fairytales.

Sophie’s stage productions as a director have included the Britten opera The Rape Of Lucretia. She previously had acting roles in Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and the 2004 film version of Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon. She also recorded a French language album in 2005 called The Isis Project.