20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Sherlock

12. The Show Purposely Avoids Big Actors

With the show the eighth highest rated TV series on IMDb you wouldn't be surprised that Sherlock has famous actors queueing all along Baker Street to get in on the action. What is surprising is that they're angling in vain; Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are much more preferential towards smaller, lesser-known actors (see Andrew Scott as Moriarty or Amanda Abbington as Mary) as it keeps the show feeling fresh and a little more real. You may think that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, both pretty big names, kinda disprove this, but before the show neither was too well known; Freeman had played Tim in The Office, while Cumberbatch was only known for a few bit-parts (outside of theatre). This was their (very) big break; they both got their starring roles in various blockbuster franchises off the back of Sherlock.