BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Benedict Was Almost Afraid to Play Sherlock...

**Posted by This Is The Phantom Lady** February 21, 2014 8:40 am

I'm glad he did do it in the end; I honestly don't think it would have the same appeal to me. Benedict is talented and I feel so connected to his version of Sherlock. It has many layers to me and it takes a really good actor to do it.

The sexy voice and his good looks is an added bonus; and I better admit it is also, along with the above what I love about Sherlock

Last edited by This Is The Phantom Lady (February 21, 2014 8:40 am)

**Posted by Tinks** February 21, 2014 9:05 am

I've got to admit that when I first watched season one, I wasn't sure about him or about how he was playing Sherlock - and to be really honest, I think as time has gone on he's made the role his.
I think he was absolutely outstanding in season 3 - I found his performance in some scenes just mesmerising.

**Posted by besleybean** February 21, 2014 5:10 pm

I had never even heard of Benedict before Sherlock.
I heard him interviewed on the radio, about playing the role and thought he sounded good.
Then even after viewing the trailer, I thought he looked the part.

**Posted by Harobed** March 1, 2014 2:38 am

Is anyone surprised that even the most "brilliant" talents in "the biz" can miss it sometimes?
We never truly know just how far our talents can take us, until we throw off the covers & try!
Plus, yes, each of us sees beauty through our own lens, thus seeing some as monsters...&...others as georgeous!

**Posted by nakahara** March 6, 2014 12:17 pm

veecee wrote:
SherlocklivesinOH wrote:
http://www.eonline.com/news/500606/why-benedict-cumberbatch-almost-turned-down-sherlock

Do you know, someone mentioned to me that BBC had their doubts about whether he should be cast...because they afraid he wasn't sexy enough?
Mofftiss laughingly mention it in the commentary following the Season 3 episodes (at least in the US). Then it cuts to some screaming fans outside 221B. Cute.

For the record, I think George Clooney is superattractive, but in a more conventional way.

I rarely swear but this article sounds like a complete „bullshit“ to me.

As it happens, BBC produced some Sherlock Holmes adaptations and films before „Sherlock“. The first one was an adaptation of „Hound of Baskervilles“ (2002) starring Rixard Roxburgh:

The second one was an uncanonical story „The Case of Silk Stocking“ (2004) with Rupert Everett in the main role:

No offence to both actors, but the way they portrayed Sherlock Holmes was as unsexy as it could be, they both looked gloomy, sullen, apathetic and unatractive in those productions.

Yet no BBC executive seemed to care about such things at the time, because, honestly, Sherlock Holmes was no Adonis in canon and there was no need to portray him as such.

Then enters Benedict Cumberbatch and suddenly everybody is sooo concerned about how Sherlock is supposed to be sexy.

That only happens because Benedict Cumberbatch single-handedly made that fictional character sexy, energetic and charismatic (possesing those qualities in spades). If another boring bloke like the two mentioned above was cast as Sherlock, no one would bother to point out if he was sexy or not.

Last edited by nakahara (March 6, 2014 12:22 pm)

**Posted by SherlocklivesinOH** March 8, 2014 3:27 pm

nakahara wrote:
veecee wrote:
SherlocklivesinOH wrote:
http://www.eonline.com/news/500606/why-benedict-cumberbatch-almost-turned-down-sherlock

Do you know, someone mentioned to me that BBC had their doubts about whether he should be cast...because they afraid he wasn't sexy enough?
Mofftiss laughingly mention it in the commentary following the Season 3 episodes (at least in the US). Then it cuts to some screaming fans outside 221B. Cute.

For the record, I think George Clooney is superattractive, but in a more conventional way.
I rarely swear but this article sounds like a complete „bullshit“ to me.

As it happens, BBC produced some Sherlock Holmes adaptations and films before „Sherlock“. The first one was an adaptation of „Hound of Baskervilles“ (2002) starring Rixard Roxburgh:

The second one was an uncanonical story „The Case of Silk Stocking“ (2004) with Rupert Everett in the main role:

No offence to both actors, but the way they portrayed Sherlock Holmes was as unsexy as it could be, they both looked gloomy, sullen, apathetic and unatractive in those productions.

Yet no BBC executive seemed to care about such things at the time, because, honestly, Sherlock Holmes was no Adonis in canon and there was no need to portray him as such.

Then enters Benedict Cumberbatch and suddenly everybody is sooo concerned about how Sherlock is supposed to be sexy.

That only happens because Benedict Cumberbatch single-handedly made that fictional character sexy, energetic and charismatic (possesing those qualities in spades). If another boring bloke like the two mentioned above was cast as Sherlock, no one would bother to point out if he was sexy or not.

Believe it or not, the original Sherlock Holmes had quite the female fanbase. Doyle got letters from women....surprised me, too, I admit, when I first heard that.

**Posted by besleybean** March 8, 2014 3:31 pm

I would have been one of the letter writers.

**Posted by Zatoichi** March 8, 2014 7:04 pm

If I hadn´t been around 12 at the time I read canon I would have been one of the letter writers, too. I was utterly fascinated by him..

As I read it, when Moftiss first tried to sell their idea for another adaptation to the BBC they said they´ll give them a sexy Holmes this time. So the BBC executives quite cared about the actor being sexy for the new series.. I´m glad Ben convinced everyone! They probably all went through something similar as the well-known 6 stages.. http://fuckyeahcumberbatch.tumblr.com/post/18445307408/the-six-stages-of-becoming-a-cumberbitch

**Posted by Harobed** March 15, 2014 8:42 am

Well, let's not exclude Sir Basil Rathbone whom I find to be both a sharp cut of Thee Cunning Character...AND...quite attractive in his smooth, indominitable way...!