BBC 'Sherlock' Season 4 Air Date & Premiere: Benedict Cumberbatch Discusses Gay Fan Fiction & Being Out in Hollywood
BBC star Benedict Cumberbatch is set to appear in "Sherlock" Season 4, but before that, he appeared on the cover of "Out" magazine's November issue, which hit newsstands Oct. 21
In anticipation of the upcoming film "The Imitation Game," about heroic mathematician Alan Turing, who was gay, Cumberbatch chatted with "Out" about needy fans, the genius of Turing, homosexuality in Hollywood, the sexualization of "Sherlock" and Sherlock/Watson homoerotic fan fiction.
Cumberbatch, who plays the lead in the beloved BBC series "Sherlock," discussed the obstacles faced by gay men in Hollywood. He stated that gay men often find that their sexual identity an obstacle when seeking a lead role. Sexual and gay right movements, as well as human rights movements, have encouraged social progression, but "there's still a lot work to be done."
"People are being beheaded in countries right now because of their beliefs or sexual orientations," Cumberbatch told "Out." "It's terrifying. It's medieval -- a beheading! I'd take up arms against someone who was telling me I had to believe in what they believed or they would kill me. I would fight them. I would fight them to the death. And, I believe, the older you get, you have to have an idea of what's right or wrong. You can't have unilateral tolerance. You have to have a point where you go, 'Well, religious fundamentalism is wrong.'"
Additionally, Cumberbatch talked about "Sherlock" fans' desire to turn the detective into a sexual icon, and turn Sherlock and his colleague/side-kick, John Watson, into more than just partners.
"People keep coming up to me and saying, 'Oh, he's so sexy, do you think [Sherlock would be] interested in me?' Do you not think he'd just look at you twice and tell you everything you hate about yourself and crumple you up like a little bit of paper and flick you away?" said Cumberbatch. "He's a machine and brutal and ruthless and has no time for the distractions of your fawning. Because, you know, they either want to make John [Watson] into a sort of cute little toy, or me into a cute toy, or we're f**king in space on a bed, chained together."
The actor continued: "It's always, like, one of them is tired, one comes back from work, the other is horny, a lump appears in his trousers, and then they're at it. It's usually me getting it -- I'm biting Watson's dog tags."
So it seems that a sexual relationship between Watson and Sherlock won't likely happen in season 4 of the BBC hit series.
Look for "Out" to find out more about Benedict Cumberbatch, and gay & lesbian travel, fashion and culture.