Alan Turing was a British mathematician and computer scientist who, among his many accomplishments, helped break Germany’s “Enigma” code during World War II. He also was prosecuted for homosexuality under an 1885 law, a conviction that the Queen of England only pardoned at the end of last year.
He’s also the subject of an upcoming movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley that’s already been dubbed “Oscar bait” because it’s, well, a World War II movie coming out in the fall, a particularly jam-packed time for award-worthy releases. Though the trailer focuses mostly on his wartime accomplishments, the movie is said to cover Turin’s entire life story.
The Imitation Game opens November 21.
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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com