Whether he’s sucking on hard candy, contemplating suicide, or limping slightly in boots two sizes too big, Rupert Graves is ever graceful. English actor Graves, who dazzled audiences with his first film role in Room With A View, plays Inspector lestrade in Sherlock. Currently filming season four of crime-drama series, the actor talks about the forthcoming season and his part in the series.
What can we expect from lestrade in series fourIJ
I think this might be my favourite series! It sees lestrade become more of a procedural copper. I don’t understand anything about what’s going to happen but it is mind blowing. lestrade in his own lovely little way is struggling to understand what’s happening.
Do you think that lestrade’s presence makes Sherlock show off moreIJ
I can imagine that Sherlock probably couldn’t resist, the thing about lestrade is that it’s quite easy to shine in his presence. I don’t think someone’s of Sherlock’s capacity needs to strain too many mental muscles to preen in front of lestrade.
Does lestrade wish he was more like SherlockIJ
lestrade has a double reaction to Sherlock. He’s obviously phenomenally impressed and marvels at his super brain, and at the same time jealous that Sherlock is infinitely better at his job than he is.
How different was it playing a Victorian version of lestradeIJ
It was fun doing the Victorian Sherlock because I had to reconfigure the character of lestrade. I enjoyed making the choices about what he wears in the modern incarnation but what would be the Victorian equivalentIJ It was fun, doing that. What was most interesting was the fact lestrade and all the characters were projection — it was like looking through the prism of Sherlock’s mind, reinvented not only in a time difference but also through somebody else’s eyes. lestrade only existed through Sherlock’s eyes, that’s kind of fun to do.
How is Sherlock different to working on other showsIJ
We’ve done four seasons and a special — it’s not very often that you do a job — a play or a film or even a TV series that you finish but to keep coming back and see the same people, same art department, same productions, same actors that’s the big difference for me.
Sherlock season 4 premieres on 7th January and will air every Saturday at 8PM only on AXN.