Mark Gatiss: ‘Mycroft is even cleverer than Sherlock’

The actor reveals more about the brothers' relationship in hit series

Mark Gatiss has revealed more about his portrayal of Mycroft Holmes in Sherlock.

The actor, also a co-creator on the show, plays the detective’s older brother and shadowy government official in the BBC update. And in a new webchat with the show’s US broadcaster PBS, Gatiss said that he would like to explore the relationship further in future series. But he also said that scene was cut out from the episode ‘A Study In Pink’ because it revealed too much.

Gatiss said: “It’s far better to leave things in everyone’s imaginations. It’s nice to give little hints here and there but never a full answer. Why are the Holmes brothers the way they are? What are their parents like? Maybe we’ll see one day.

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“We actually cut a bit from ‘Pink’ which gave a bit too much away about the obvious frission of animosity that exists between them. It’s not there in the original stories. It comes entirely from Billy Wilder and Izzy Diamond‘s brilliant Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes and Christopher Lee‘s cold, disdainful Mycroft. If you haven’t seen it – do!”

Gatiss added that Mycroft “really does care about his brother” and explained: “All he wants to do is to bring him into the fold. To stop him being a loose cannon. I’d like to find a way of showing more than we actually have that he’s actually even cleverer than Sherlock – but the deductions are hard enough as it is!”

He added that he is totally different from character is real life: “I wish I was half as clever, but glad I’m not detached like him. He and Sherlock have both clearly decided that they mustn’t get involved in human relationships. They perceive them as weaknesses.”

Sherlock will shoot new episodes in early 2013.

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