According to several sources, the coveted role of Moriarty in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel has gone to Mad Men star Jared Harris, who plays the tweedy, penny-pinching Lane Pryce. It’s something of a surprise announcement, given how many big names have been bandied about for the role in the past year—including a laughably A-list roster of dream candidates such as Brad Pitt and Daniel Day-Lewis. The decision to go with Harris—a solid character actor with an esteemed pedigree (he’s the son of lauded Irish star Richard Harris, and for a brief period, English actor Rex Harrison was his stepfather) but not much acclaim of his own yet—is certainly unexpected: Other than Mad Men, Harris has yet to really break through in America, outside of small parts in big films like Lost In Space and Resident Evil: Apocalypse. But it also shows that Guy Ritchie and Warner Bros.—who recently made another smart if unconventional choice in Stephen Fry—are dedicated to populating the next Sherlock Holmes with people who can actually inhabit their roles, instead of just flashy names that look good on a poster. So hooray for that. Chocolate bunnies for everyone.
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