Andrew Scott as Moriarty in “Sherlock”. (Photo: BBC)
Andrew Scott Pretty Much Made Up His Moriarty
Most actors, when cast in a role based on a well-known piece of literature, tend to respond in the same way. They almost always read the source material in question. But…not all the time. Andrew Scott, who plays Sherlock supervillain James Moriarty, consciously decided to find out as little as possible about his character prior to taking on the role. He didn’t read the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories in which Moriarty appeared. He didn’t watch any of the classic film portrayals of the character either. In essence, he made his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes’ arch-nemesis up himself. He said that not knowing anything beyond what was on the script pages allowed him to take a “freer approach” with the role.
“What I really didn’t want to do was copy any other villain,” Scott said. “So I didn’t look at any of the incarnations of Moriarty before. I kind of took a risk in that sense, by just going with what I thought was the darkness within me.”
Scott’s performance as Moriarty won him a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2012, so he must have done something right. But it’s fair to say that his manic, mercurial, scene-stealing take on the character is something of an outlier in the Holmes pantheon. This fact irks some of the more traditionalist elements of the Holmes fan community, and is likely one of the more widely debated points in the show’s fandom. Ironically enough, Scott’s success in the role will likely greatly impact the presentation of the role going forward – mostly because of those up-and-coming young actors who will view it as an inspiration when they research the role.