Even after all the great roles he’s taken since, for many people, Benedict Cumberbatch will always be Sherlock Holmes. It was the part that took him from ‘that actor with the weird British name’ to global megastardom, and launched the desires of millions of Cumberbitches all around the world. But while his performance in Sherlock is currently the standard by which contemporary takes on the role are judged, there’s one person who didn’t entirely approve of his casting.
In an interview with GQ, Cumberbatch explained that his own mom had a pretty funny reaction when he broke the news to her, telling the outlet the following:
“The first thing my mother said when I mentioned to her that I’d got the part was ‘You don’t have the right nose.’”
Now, I’ve had a second look at Cumberbatch’s schnozz and I don’t see anything particular un-Sherlocky about it, so I don’t know where she’s coming from on this. My only theory is that she was a big fan of Jeremy Brett’s classic take on the role, but his nose isn’t that striking. Anyway, it’s a good thing Benedict didn’t listen to his mother, as Sherlock‘s been a really invigorating take on the iconic detective.
Sadly, while its highs have been high, it’s not the most consistent show. The first and second seasons were great, but since then it’s been gradually disappearing up its own arse as characters return from the dead (sorta), the detective work becomes ever more unlikely and the over-arching plot becomes incomprehensible. It’s deservedly received a lot of criticism, too, so hopefully showrunner Steven Moffatt will have taken that on board when he gets around to making a fifth season.
That being said, at the moment, there are no plans for any future episodes of Sherlock. Cumberbatch’s star (and Martin Freeman’s) has precipitously risen since the first season and I imagine there are some major scheduling conflicts to work out before things can be set into motion. Still, it seems that Cumberbatch wants to return to the role at some point in the future, so fingers crossed that we get more.