Young Blood

Hero Fiennes Tiffin slips into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes-in-the-making, playing the budding sleuth as a 19-year-old studying in Oxford, in Prime Video’s eight-episode series Young Sherlock, that premieres on the streaming platform globally on March 4. Directed by Guy Ritchie — whose Sherlock cred includes the hugely popular films Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Arthur Conan Doyle-created character — Young Sherlock follows the origin story of the beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character’s early days.

In Young Sherlock, Holmes is a disgraced young man — raw and unfiltered — when he finds himself wrapped up in a murder case that threatens his liberty. His first-ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy that changes his life forever. Unfolding in 1870s Oxford and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Over a recent video call, t2oS engaged in a freewheeling conversation with Hero Fiennes Tiffin on what being Sherlock means to him, the impact that previous iterations of the detective’s adventures have had on him, sharing screen space with his uncle Joseph Fiennes and the origin story of his unique name (for the record, the 28-year-old actor’s full name is Hero Beauregard Faulkner Fiennes Tiffin).

In a separate interview, we also conversed with Irish actor Donal Finn, who plays James Moriarty in Young Sherlock, with this iteration depicting Moriarty as Holmes’s best buddy who would, of course, go on to becoming his most dreaded nemesis.

You have already screened Young Sherlock to a select audience. What have the reactions been like?

We had a screening in New York and it was really fun. I had seen it once before at a cast and crew screening, so it was nice to be in a theatre and watch it with people who weren’t involved with the making of the project and listening to their reactions... they were laughing in the right places and were quiet in the right places. It was a real treat.

Do you enjoy watching yourself on screen? A lot of actors are critical and don’t like watching themselves at all...

I do like watching myself. Well, sometimes I don’t enjoy it (smiles), but it is something that I feel is important. Especially while filming, if I feel that a scene is not being executed correctly, it is really valuable for me to go to the monitor and replay it. It may seem like there is quite a bit of vanity involved, but I have become de-sensitised to that and my approach is a bit more methodical and objective when it comes to watching myself. It also depends on how well I think I have done. Some of my new work has been easier to watch. I really enjoyed watching Young Sherlock. I think all the other actors have done a sensational job as also have other heads of departments. It is a beautiful show to watch.

What for you has been the highlight of the Young Sherlock experience?

A lot of things. One of the major highlights has been working with my uncle Joseph Fiennes. I have always loved the idea of working with Joe or Ralph (Fiennes) or other members of my family who are in the industry, but specifically those two. Having the chance to work with Joe at this point in my career — after having practised and developed my acting skills on other (acting) jobs — was perfect.

At the start of any job, I do feel a certain level of imposter syndrome and nerves and I wonder why the hell anyone trusts me to do this job! (Laughs) But I keep it to myself and I do my best. With Young Sherlock, I did get quite a bit of positive feedback and by the time Joe came into the series, I was feeling quite confident of myself. But as soon as we had our first scene together, all that confidence left and I sat thinking: “Oh my God, I hope Joe thinks I am not a terrible actor!” (Laughs) I just wanted to make him proud. He has been super supportive and I very quickly became comfortable with him.

It is also a proud and happy moment in my career to be able to tell this story. I have always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. He was the only detective that I knew of and loved growing up.

Ralph and you did star in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but since you played the younger Voldemort (Tom Riddle) to his adult Voldemort, you, of course, didn’t have any scenes together...

Yes, but most people naturally assume I have worked with him, but we haven’t. It is really good to tick Joe off the list, and I guess that leaves Ralph next.

What kind of impact did Sherlock Holmes, the character, and his world have on you when you were first introduced to it?

My dad has always been a big Sherlock fan. The first time I watched any iteration of Sherlock on screen was Guy Ritchie’s films with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. And then Benedict Cumberbatch in the iPlayer version... I absolutely fell in love with, and I have seen it about three times.

It feels like Sherlock has kind of always been a part of my life, and I am really glad that I managed to digest so many Sherlock stories without making the connection to playing him myself. So when the opportunity came to play young Sherlock, I felt like I didn’t actually need to do any prep... it was already there. I could prepare for the role directly from the script.

Guy Ritchie is an old hand at Sherlock Holmes, having helmed two Sherlock films. What did he bring to Young Sherlock that felt uniquely his?

Honestly, Guy is the most suited person I have ever met to being involved with Sherlock. He is ridiculously intelligent and he likes to be spontaneous and create new lines on the day. That is always tempting and helpful and requires a lot of confidence and experience to be able to implement. It is especially challenging for a show like Young Sherlock because you are writing for one of the most intellectual characters that has ever been created. There is a certain pressure to think of the things that Sherlock would think of because you have to be extremely intelligent to do that and I think Guy is definitely the man for the job.

Not taking away from the intellectual side of things, but there has always been an element of action in Sherlock Holmes as well. Guy is really good at getting that balance and making sure that all the action scenes are done in a way that feels entertaining, always fresh and original and has quick cuts.

Young Sherlock has been described as “a cunning series”. Does that come from Sherlock’s smarts as well as the wicked sense of humour that the show has?

I think being able to balance the comedy and the drama of Sherlock is really important and making sure that when you are doing the more dramatic, emotional scenes and then quickly back into comedic light-hearted scenes, you don’t want the comedy to take away from the drama or vice versa. Our writing team did a great job of mapping that out. Sherlock is serious, but also sometimes cheeky and light-hearted and it often feels he can wriggle his way out of any scenario. We needed to create that jeopardy at some point and that has definitely been a challenge.

How did playing Sherlock push you as an actor?

It kept me on my toes. There were some lines in Mandarin that I had to learn and we had a great dialect coach for that. I also had to do horse riding and some action scenes which I am always excited to do. I haven’t done as much action so far in my career as I would like to have. So yes, lots of skills, lots of different accents, especially when Sherlock and Moriarty are undercover. Donal Finn, who plays Moriarty, is an exceptional actor and very good at switching accents.

What do you think accounts for the enduring appeal of Sherlock Holmes?

That is an interesting question. There is a lot to it, but if I had to pick one, it is that he is close to being a superhero, in the sense that he is someone who has supernatural abilities that exceed anything that any normal human being is capable of. But he doesn’t have an extraordinary origin story — like being struck by lightning or being dropped in a vat of acid — that accounts for his “superhero” prowess. Therefore, what makes him so compelling to us all around the world as fans of Sherlock is that he is just a normal human being who has excelled intellectually, right to the limit. That is why all of us are so allured by him. He is the cream of the crop.

You must be asked this all the time, but what is the story behind your name? Does being called ‘Hero’ put unnecessary performance pressure on you all the time?

There is no story really. I have an older brother called Titan and a younger sister called Mercy. My parents are called George and Martha and their dads, respectively, are John and Mark. As kids, we would ask our parents why on earth they felt it was appropriate to give their kids such eccentric, unusual names! (Laughs) I guess it was a chance for them to demonstrate their creativity which I have told them wasn’t the best opportunity to do so. Honestly, I was never bullied for it when I was younger and now, I am actually super grateful for my name because it is a great conversation starter and icebreaker (smiles).

I know that sometimes it can come across as a bit arrogant, especially for those who don’t know me. But I didn’t name myself! I have had a few conversations with my parents, like: “What were you guys thinking?!” But yes, it is my name and I own it now.

Have you ever been to India? Have you had any exposure to Indian culture?

I haven’t been to India yet, unfortunately. But I do eat curry once a week from my local Indian takeaway. I love the food and the culture, and I hope to get to India some day. My mom has been to India quite a few times and has a lot of Indian friends... maybe I will go with her next time.

I watched some Indian action movies when I was a lot younger but I can’t remember their names, unfortunately. Actor Dylan Sprouse, who I worked with a long time ago (in After We Collided) would send me a bunch of brilliant clips of Indian action films. Those were fun! The next opportunity I get, I will be in India!