Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed that he underwent surgery following a shoulder injury.

The Doctor Strange star has explained that he secretly had the operation after damaging his shoulder through years of surfing and "overdoing it".

During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, Cumberbatch admitted he is still finding his feet when it comes to surfing.

"I started in my forties, and I'm near the end of my forties, and I'm still feeling like I'm starting," the 49-year-old joked. "But I had a short operation this year, so I haven't done it at all for about six months. But I love it."

The Roses actor, who was seen wearing a sling at the Cannes Film Festival in May, said the injury was the result of several factors, stating, "It's a long time of ill use and a lot of surfing in very bad conditions and overdoing it."

"I had a torn rotator cuff and then also a frozen shoulder on top of it, which I only found when I went into it to do the repair to the rotator, which was a complete tear," he continued. "I lived with chronic pain for about a year and a half, not really realising that you didn't have to."

Speaking about his "love" for the sport, Cumberbatch revealed that he first took up surfing in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, during a shutdown in filming the western The Power of the Dog.

"It was a bit scary to begin with, but utterly magical and extraordinary," the actor shared. "One of the best places on Earth to be, as it turned out. And there was a little right-hand break in Te Awanga in Hawke's Bay. It was where I learned."

The Sherlock Holmes star added that he "fell in love" with "that connection to the ocean" and the surfing community.