Meet the cast of Sherlock series 4
From the box office blockbusters to the all-important supporting stars, here's who's who in the fourth series of Sherlock and where you may have seen them before
Mark Gatiss – Mycroft Holmes
Meet Mycroft Holmes Sherlock's brother Mycroft doesn't just work for the British government, he is the British government. Using his incredible intellect to monitor and influence world affairs, while running all manner of covert operations, he has a finger in every pie and can prove an invaluable, if begrudging, ally when Sherlock gets himself into trouble. Again.
What else has Mark Gatiss been in? Sherlock’s co-creator didn’t originally intend to appear as the sleuth’s shifty older brother, but once the role was offered, he declared: “No, I couldn’t possibly play him… when do I start?”
Having made his mark as one of pitch-black comedy troupe The League of Gentlemen, Gatiss has spent much of his career indulging various childhood passions, from writing (and appearing in) Doctor Who to presenting BBC documentary series The History of Horror and penning a trilogy of Dennis Wheatley-riffing novels about the dashing secret agent Lucifer Box.
As an actor, he’s enjoyed a successful career on the West End stage while, on screen, he’s specialised in unctuous schemers, from Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall to his modern equivalent, Peter Mandelson, in Coalition. He also plays Tycho Nestoris, of the Iron Bank of Braavos, in Game of Thrones, and was recently seen in the big-screen version of Dad’s Army.
