Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series that airs on AXN at 10 pm, says that playing the character has been a pleasure even if it has made him a little impatient and intense in real life. He says it is his pairing with Watson which makes the show one of the most popular TV series world over
Why has Sherlock been such a global hitIJ
People just love the relationship between Sherlock and John. They’re both self-aware and affectionate, but also very truthful with one another. There compliment each other. John humanises Sherlock, and Sherlock gives John a shot of adrenaline and adventure and the chance to live a life less ordinary. That’s a very potent combination.
What function does Watson play in the relationshipIJ
Because of how brilliant Martin is as John, he’s a great way in for the audience. They can relate to him as someone of their own world and go on adventures with him. They both suffer and enjoy the intolerable person that is Sherlock Holmes. The relationship with Watson draws Holmes back to the human realm, from which he has been distanced for a big portion of his life. It makes him a better detective and a better human being.
I don’t mean that Sherlock is suddenly interested in holding babies or eating frozen yoghurt. The great gift that Watson gives him is to make him more human. And if you’re a better human being, the more likely you are to empathise and therefore be a more skilful detective.
What are his weaknessesIJ
His most human weakness is not understanding the strengths of being human. He tries to outplay what it is to suffer under the human condition. He’s trying to be Godlike. He can’t engage with love and is not a family person. He’s trying to do something extraordinary with his time on Earth that separates him, not because he thinks he’s better but because he realises that in order to do what he has to do he has to be separate from what the rest of us do. This is not a failing. He is just different.
Watson is getting married. Will Sherlock be jealousIJ
Yes, to an extent, but to talk about it anymore would be to give away what we’re doing. John marries in the books and it works. There’s obviously a change, as there should be. There’s still going to be a lot of John Watson at 221B, Baker Street, a lot of them working together. It’s not suddenly going to be a show about John popping in occasionally for a cup of tea. They are a combined force. I’m very much enjoying the gear change, but I think you’ll see that it’s something that works out very nicely.
What is Sherlock going to be dealing with this seasonIJ
He’s going to be dealing with saying hello again to Watson and also seeing his best friend get married. Those are the two big adjustments — him coming back from a stint of going solo and becoming a team again and meeting this new person in Watson’s life.
How difficult was it to play this new element of Sherlock — season 3IJ
It’s been a joy, actually. As an actor one crave’s for a character to have a developmental arc. The wonderful thing about television is that it affords you that over a period of time as opposed to the contractions of the massive story arc of a novel in two hours of a film. But the writers are very alert to that and they know what our strengths are and wrote very much to them in the second season. With the new season they’re trying to test us and shift us in a new direction.
Sherlock is a very special role. Any preparationsIJ
I always go back to the books because they are an endless goldmine of reference and character observation. Beyond that I try and memorise things, to try and be a little more alert to things, whether it’s short or long term memory. I look at my diet which is very helpful for clarity of mind. There’s exercise as well and I try to meditate if I can.
Are there a lot of similarities between you and SherlockIJ
There probably are a few similarities. My mother says I can be very impatient when I’m playing Sherlock. He’s a very intense character, and I don’t want to carry that around me.My memory does sharpen when I play Sherlock because of the amount of text I have to learn. Also I find myself looking at people’s shoes and body language and try to deduce things.