Benedict Cumberbatch prefers yoga and meditation to drinking alcohol.

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch

The 41-year-old actor - who has sons Kit, three, and Hal, 14 months, with wife Sophie Hunter - is vegan and leads a "near-sober" existence, which he's very happy with, but he does have the occasional "blow out".

Asked if he's ever been addicted to anything, he told Radio Times magazine: "No. I've had the opportunity, but even with that thing of having a glass of wine when the kids have gone to bed, I'm like, 'I'm quite tired and I don't really fancy that glass of sugary alcohol', boringly.

"I'm very happy with near sobriety. I have the odd blow out, now and again - a big birthday or a crazy weekend at a festival - but I prefer yoga and meditation."

The 'Avengers: Infinity War' actor is happy to have some career downtime coming up because he wants to spend as much time as possible with his young sons, even though he thinks work makes him a "better" person.

He said: "I know everyone thinks I'm in everything but I actually have quite a few lovely spaces now. Because [their childhoods] are such a precious time and you want to be there for every heartbeat.

"Work makes me a better person - but I also want time when I'm just focusing on them."

The 'Patrick Melrose' star does get recognised when he's out in public, but he doesn't tend to mind the attention because it isn't disruptive or unkind.

He said: "If the average day is me at home in the morning and evening and working during the day, the cab driver will be like, 'Oh it's you.'

"And if I'm walking down the street - I mean, on the way here, I had someone do a double-take and walk into a lamppost, which is always funny.

"Most of it is benign. It's not like walking onto the Internet - where it feels like there's a constant queue of people waiting to throw rotten tomatoes at you.

"I prefer the real world to the internet. It's much kinder."