20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Sherlock
16. Cumberbatch Read Doyle's Books, Scott Didnt
To prepare for the role of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch did exactly what you'd expect; he read all of the original Arthur Conan Doyle books so he could fully understand the essence of character. When dealing with someone like Sherlock Holmes, who's central character has been warped in the public consciousness thanks to countless reimaginings and incessant misquoting, that's pretty much necessary; how else can you be accurate? Andrew Scott, however, didn't follow suit. Wanting to make his Moriarty a unique take, he ignored all previous material, basing his performance solely off what was in the script. Ironically, with his version now etched into everyone's mind, anyone else taking up the role will have to put extra effort to try and avoid hewing too close to what he did.
