BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / How old are Sherlock and John supposed to be?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 7, 2012 8:04 pm

Late 20s?? And how many years older than Sherlock is Mycroft?

**Posted by Davina** March 7, 2012 10:06 pm

I reckon mid 30s. If Carl Powers was killed twenty years before and Sherlock was a teenager himself then that would make him at least 30. Does that make sense?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 13, 2012 2:26 pm

Just found out through reading ACD that Mycroft is 7 years older than Sherlock.

**Posted by Davina** March 13, 2012 6:17 pm

In the ACD canon he is also corpulently fat! Mycroft, that is, not Sherlock.

**Posted by jenosborn** March 13, 2012 10:36 pm

I love how the BBC series continues to allude to Mycroft being on/off a diet or gaining/losing weight, nod to the canon.

Brilliant to have Sherlock and John as young men. That way they can age nicely, as they did in the stories, well into their 60's.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 14, 2012 12:02 am

Oh right yeah, I've only just made the connection between the ongoing diet joke and the fact that he's "corpulent" in the canon. Awesomeness Moftiss...

**Posted by kazza474** March 14, 2012 4:45 am

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
Oh right yeah, I've only just made the connection between the ongoing diet joke and the fact that he's "corpulent" in the canon. Awesomeness Moftiss...

Yes, Mark Gatiss laughs at that. He said it will allow him to not have to watch his weight so much between series, lol.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 14, 2012 8:08 am

I'm just reading the stories that feature Mycroft at the moment. There's this funny bit where he refuses to scale some railings and I just thought "yeah that's so Mycroft". Gatiss plays him really well, and I love the fact that his character is explored in more detail in the series.

**Posted by kazza474** March 14, 2012 8:17 am

Mycroft Holmes from the Strand Magazine

" While he does occasionally exert himself in these stories on behalf of his brother, he on the whole remains a sedentary problem-solver, providing solutions based on seemingly no evidence and trusting Sherlock to handle any of the practical details. In fact, Mycroft's own lack of practicality is a severe handicap despite his inductive talents: in "The Greek Interpreter", his blundering approach to the case nearly costs the client his life." (from wiki)

In the Jeremy Brett era

And in the BBC series

**Posted by kazza474** March 14, 2012 8:20 am

"Heavily built and massive, there was a suggestion of uncouth physical inertia in the figure, but above this unwieldy frame there was perched a head so masterful in its brow, so alert in its steel-gray, deep-set eyes, so firm in its lips, and so subtle in its play of expression, that after the first glance one forgot the gross body and remembered only the dominant mind."
From the Greek Interpreter.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 14, 2012 2:20 pm

Hahaha, Mycroft Holmes doesn't give a shit - love it!

**Posted by TooManyFandomsToFunction** March 15, 2012 6:47 pm

Mycroft can be a BAMF too.
Anywho, Gatiss stated that John was about 37 in Series Two, I think. He also stated that Sherlock was 12, but that might not be a joke, he could actually be referring to the very beginning of HoB, with the flashback, which would make him about 32, if we follow the canonical birthday. The other option is that Sherlock is about the same age as Benedict Cumberbatch (35).

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 15, 2012 7:03 pm

Yeah that would work out OK with the dates if he was 35. Sherlock sometimes acts like he's 12, like a big petulant child!

**Posted by horserider99** October 15, 2012 4:21 am

Were there dates on his supposed "tombstone"?

**Posted by 221B Baker Street** October 15, 2012 4:32 am

I don't remember how it was in canon, but due to BBC Sherlock series:
Sherlock looks to be ~27-29
John ~35
Microft ~33-35

At least for me they look this age

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** October 15, 2012 6:18 am

221B Baker Street wrote:
I don't remember how it was in canon, but due to BBC Sherlock series:
Sherlock looks to be ~27-29
John ~35
Microft ~33-35

At least for me they look this age

I would say they look slightly older than that, especially Mycroft.

As Davina already mentioned, Sherlock was a teenager in the late eighties when Carl Powers was murdered, so he must be older than thirty (27 would mean he was only born in 1985).

Mycroft's behaviour and social status seem more fitting for an older man, although he obviously cannot be a lot older than Sherlock. I don't think there would be such a strong sibling rivalry between the brothers if Mycroft was 10 or more years older. The 7 years from the canon seem about right for me, making him ca. 40-42.

**Posted by besleybean** October 15, 2012 6:27 am

The writers have said they chose the actors who were about the right ages.
Sherlock is supposed to be about 30 at the start of the stories.
Depending on the BBC timeline, Sherlock would be about 33 by series 3? So Benedict is only a few years out.
Yes, Mycroft is supposed to be several years older, which would make him 40(He's actually nearly 50!) next series- if not already.
I would put John a few years younger than Mycroft...kind of between Mycroft and Sherlock. So Martin is a tad older than he should be.

**Posted by Sherlockita** October 15, 2012 6:32 am

I will go with Davina's logic..
Sherlock appears to me 32-32 types
Mycroft .. 40-42
John: about 36

**Posted by Sammy** October 15, 2012 11:54 pm

monitaa wrote:
I will go with Davina's logic..
Sherlock appears to me 32-32 types

Soooo... he's 32? Haha, sorry

Always figured they would be about as old as their actors, maybe a few years younger.

**Posted by The Doctor** October 16, 2012 4:19 am

I understand Sherlock is around 36 years, John around very late 30s and Mycroft, well, 7 years older than Sherlock..