Henry Cavill Explains What Makes His Sherlock In Enola Holmes Unique
Enola Holmes 2 star Henry Cavill reveals what makes his interpretation of Sherlock Holmes different from the many other cinematic iterations of the character. He debuted the character in the 2020 Netflix film Enola Holmes, which stars Millie Bobby Brown as the title character. Enola is Sherlock’s little sister and after growing up in his shadow she decides to take mystery-solving into her own hands and discover the reason behind the disappearance of her mother (Helena Bonham Carter).
With that mystery under her belt, she will have established a legitimate detective agency as of Enola Holmes 2, which premieres on Netflix on November 4. The film will see her being approached to help solve another disappearance: this time of the sister of a young woman who works at a match factory. The cast of the sequel will include Sharon Duncan Brewster and Harry Potter’s David Thewlis, along with additional returning cast members Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), Lestrade (Adeel Akhtar), and Edith (Susie Wokoma).
Cavill was the guest on the newest episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, which is hosted by Josh Horowitz. He revealed that when he was first offered the role, he wasn’t sure he would be able to bring Sherlock to life in a way that was different from the many actors who have played him before. However, once he realized that the way the character interacts with Enola is different from the way he presents himself to the rest of the world, that’s when he realized that « there is a hidden warmth to this character » that he would like to play. Read his full quote below:
I thought, ‘hold on a second, why would you want me to play Sherlock?’ It doesn’t seem to fit. And it’s been done so well by so many people before me, and then I got my hands on the script and read it and I realized that this is a Sherlock that exists within a universe where Enola exists, which allows for a very different iteration of the character.
Because yes, his forward-facing self is still very similar to the character who we’ve seen played before, but when it comes to Enola there’s a special something. And then it made sense to me. I was like, ‘Oh OK, there is a hidden warmth to this character.’
The iconic detective Sherlock Holmes is one of the most frequently adapted literary characters in cinema and television, so many actors have played him over the years. This includes more classic portrayals by the likes of Basil Rathbone and John Barrymore to more modernized takes from Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., and even Will Ferrell. Cavill was certainly correct to take the legacy of the character seriously when approaching this new role.
However, as was explored in Enola Holmes and will likely continue with his expanded role in Enola Holmes 2, it’s true that this Sherlock functions entirely differently in the narrative than he usually does. Most of the time, Sherlock takes the lead and his most prominent dynamic is in his superiority over his companion Dr. John Watson. With someone who is both a beloved family member and a wit with the capacity to match his own, that tremendously changes the way his character relates to a mystery, which is likely the reason that fans took to his interpretation of the character more or less immediately.
Source: Happy Sad Confused
