BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The mysterious villain, was: Who plays Moran?

**Posted by silverblaze** January 4, 2014 12:14 am

He's not credited but I swear I've seen him before. Did anyone recognise him/find it on the web?

Last edited by SusiGo (December 17, 2014 11:45 am)

**Posted by SusiGo** December 17, 2014 11:49 am

I just changed the title of the thread because this had no answers and needs to be discussed. People have tried to find out who the uncredited actor is, without success. And this is Mark in the TEH commentary:

Mark: “He’s very good, that guy – Moran. I shot those bits, incidentally, on the bed with the suitcase.”

So he shot those scenes himself and does not mention the actor's name? Calling him "that guy"? Really? I think we all agree that TEH's Lord Moran has nothing to do with the Colonel Moran character from Canon - the way he is presented so far. Could it we will learn more about him?

**Posted by Vhanja** December 17, 2014 11:52 am

He was sent of to prison, wasn't he? I don't think we will hear more from him.

**Posted by SusiGo** December 17, 2014 11:54 am

Yes, but that was not my question. They usually give the names of all people involved in the credits, mention them in the commentaries … but not him. As far as I know, this has never happened before, especially not with the (admittedly not very interesting) villain of an episode.

**Posted by Vhanja** December 17, 2014 11:55 am

Hm, true. He's just one of the rats.

**Posted by tonnaree** December 17, 2014 12:57 pm

I did not realize this. He's not listed at IMDB or anywhere?

**Posted by SusiGo** December 17, 2014 1:37 pm

I did not search myself but many others did. Looks as if they could not put a name to him. And Mark very conspicuously avoids his name. Why should he call a fellow actor "that guy"?

Here is the IMDB page. Not a word about him. And they list really everyone.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189771/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

Last edited by SusiGo (December 17, 2014 1:44 pm)

**Posted by tonnaree** December 17, 2014 2:32 pm

That is very cuirious.

Do we think there's any chance that actor could pop up again?

**Posted by nakahara** December 17, 2014 2:38 pm

I will be wildly speculative now but - what if he isn´t even an actor?
Maybe somebody wanted to appear in Sherlock and they allowed him for some reason?
(Or is it some Richard Brook wannabee?)

**Posted by SusiGo** December 17, 2014 2:45 pm

Might be. Knowing the Sherlock fandom I am sure someone would have found him. Agencies like CVGG e.g. publish pictures of the people they represent on their websites.
So he might return or we get another Moran character in one of the next episodes, a right hand man/woman. (Or we have already one, just saying. Great shot. Empty house).

Last edited by SusiGo (December 17, 2014 2:46 pm)

**Posted by maryagrawatson** December 17, 2014 2:46 pm

There's an interview where Gatiss talked about Moran and said that they just used the name for 'that guy' in TEH and that's it. The interview is quoted here.

Here's the relevant bit:

Sebastian Moran is the sort of baddie in the original story of The Empty House and he’s Lord Moran in there, it’s just a tiny glancing reference really. We talked a lot about this, Doyle had it himself, Sebastian Moran is assuming quite big proportions in the world of Sherlock, but really he’s just Moriarty’s henchman, there’s not much more to it.

I find it suspicious that the actor doesn't get any credits at all...

Mary

**Posted by SusiGo** February 20, 2015 8:20 am

Here is an interesting meta on Moran:

http://finalproblem.tumblr.com/post/111503755745/look-at-the-scenes-with-lord-moran-look-at-them

**Posted by mrshouse** February 20, 2015 8:24 am

Hm, this gets weirder the more I think about it....

**Posted by SusiGo** February 20, 2015 8:27 am

Indeed. IMO it could mean two things - he either comes back (which I am not sure of) or someone takes over/has taken over the role of Moriarty's right-hand/kill-shot character from Canon.

**Posted by SolarSystem** February 20, 2015 9:54 am

Interesting indeed, although I don't completely follow the logic of the argument in that meta. Making sure that "this man barely exists in our minds" has nothing to do with the fact that he didn't have any scenes with anyone from the regular cast ("... they never put Moran in the same room with other main actors"). Is the author talking about our minds or also about the minds of the other actors? To keep us in the dark doesn't mean that he can't have any scenes with anyone from the regular cast, as long as those scenes aren't shot in public places.
But yes, on the whole it's all a bit weird.

**Posted by nakahara** July 17, 2015 11:58 am

An interesting theory about the identity of a man who plays Moran in this episode:

http://fandeadgloves.tumblr.com/post/124201463984/who-is-lord-moran

Don´t know if it´s true, but I love it!

**Posted by mrshouse** July 17, 2015 12:17 pm

Oh, this would be so great!

**Posted by tonnaree** July 18, 2015 5:09 pm

Swanpride wrote:
I am still convinced that the guy in the episode was NOT Sebastian Moran, but his father Lord Moran, who, according to the stories, is an ambassador. Meaning we haven't seen Sebastian Moran yet (who is still, Imho, the most likely candidate for a season 5 villain). And that might be the reason why he isn't credited. Because if they had him credited and hadn't written "Sebastian Moran", fans might have gotten to the same conclusion I did immediatly.

That's how I see it too SP.

But should we notify the PTB that we have already cast Michael Fassbender in the role?

**Posted by Davina** July 27, 2015 7:59 pm

My vote would be for Fassbender too. Spartans were soldiers right? (300 reference).

**Posted by tonnaree** July 27, 2015 9:54 pm

Davina wrote:
My vote would be for Fassbender too. Spartans were soldiers right? (300 reference).

Oh God Yes