William Ford

"I cannot hear this"

-William Ford refusing to believe Solomon Northup when the latter insists that he is a free man, not a slave.William Ford is a fictionalized version of the historical figure of the same name who appears in the 2013 movie ''12 Years a Slave. ''He is the first of Solomon Northup's two slave owners, and though less vicious and sadistic than the second owner (Edwin Epps), he is nevertheless still an unrepentant slave owner who also refuses to listen to Solomon when the latter tries to convince him that he is, in fact, a free man and not a slave.

He is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who also voices Smaug in the Hobbit movies and Dormammu in the Doctor Strange movie.

History
After Solomon Northup is kidnapped by slave traders, he is sold to William Ford, who in his own way takes a liking to Solomon (though he still expects him to work for him). When Solomon works hard and impresses Ford, the latter (who is by now aware that Solomon has musical talents), presents him with a violin as a gift. However, as tensions mount between Solomon and a white hired hand who also works on the plantation, Ford concludes that the only way to keep Solomon "safe" is to re-sell him. Solomon tries in vain to convince William Ford that he is a free man who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Ford refuses to believe him (and in fact refuses to even listen to him), and sells him to the more brutal and vicious slave-owner Edwin Epps.

Trivia

 * Ironically, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor would work together again three years later in Doctor Strange, this time with Cumberbatch as the hero, and Ejiofor as the villain (although he does start out as a positive character).
 * Benedict Cumberbatch said that his taking on the role was done as a form of "making up" for how his family fortune owed itself to the owning of slaves.