Hero Fiennes Tiffin opens up about fulfilling his childhood dream and stepping into an iconic role for “Young Sherlock”.

If there’s a theme to Hero Fiennes Tiffin’s life right now, it’s evolution—on the cusp of a transformation in his stature. From seeing him on-screen as Tom Riddle for Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince to his heartthrob role—his true claim to fame—in After, he’s now stretching his acting ability as Sherlock Holmes in Prime Video’s coming-of-age drama, Young Sherlock. The eight-episode series will follow “a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes” who meets none other than James Moriarty, and “finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty”. For the British actor, Young Sherlock wasn’t just another acting job—it was the fulfilment of a dream that began in childhood. From listening to his father’s stories about the brilliant detective as a child, he’s now bringing the formative years of Sherlock Holmes to life. 

In conversation with Hero Fiennes Tiffin and his role in “Young Sherlock”:

Being in Young Sherlock, it’s a big moment. What initially drew you to the role? 

I’ve always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes—growing up, my dad would tell me stories. As soon as I heard they wanted to talk to me about playing Sherlock, I was in, and then they said Guy Richie would be involved, and I said, “I’ve already said I’m in.” It’s a role that I’ve always dreamt of playing. It was a no-brainer. 

Sherlock Holmes has a few adaptations and a devoted fan base. How did you approach honouring that legacy while making the role your own?

Because it’s Young Sherlock, there’s less pressure in the sense of who’s to say what happened before. We don’t have to fill the shoes in a certain way—we have a bit of freedom and licence to play around with it. I feel like I know the character very well—I’ve always been a huge fan. So, although I felt a little bit of pressure, it was more excitement than anything. 

How did you prepare for the role? 

The most interesting thing I did—a friend of mine encouraged me—was to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street. It was quite funny—I felt like I was undercover in a way. They’ve got a wall of everyone who’s played Sherlock, and I was looking at it thinking that maybe soon they’ll have my picture up there. I recommend anyone who wants to go. It’s a good trip out. 

Young Sherlock shows us the formative years of this iconic detective. What aspects of his origin story were most compelling for you to explore?

Exploring the relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft is always going to be fun, but especially when they’re younger. And, trying to play the character in a way that alludes to him becoming the character that we all know and love—the teasing and tempting was fun. There are a lot of funny and iconic lines. It was fun to deliver those lines as if they were potentially the first time Sherlock had said them. 

How would you describe working with Guy Ritchie?

The most notable thing that he does differently from any other director I’ve worked with is how happy he is to change the dialogue. You quite quickly learn that it’s a bit of a waste of time to learn your lines the night before because they’re all going to change, but he always changes them for the better. Other than that, as I said, you never feel the pressure come from him. He’s always very relaxed, and he’s clearly enjoying himself—and that feeling kind of trickles down. 

How has playing this role impacted you personally or professionally?

I feel so happy and fulfilled. I really enjoyed the process. It was a long shoot, and it took a lot out of me, but I’ve seen it all now, and I’m really proud of it. But as an actor, in terms of how I’ve grown, I’m more confident enough to voice my opinions. If you have an idea on set, Guy Ritchie always wants to hear it, and quite often, you can implement it more easily than you think. It just takes a lot of confidence, and I guess he kind of passed that on. 

How do you think people are going to connect with Young Sherlock?

It’s a bit more relatable. I’ve seen multiple people play in different ways, but very rarely seen when he was younger. So there’s definitely going to be an element of nostalgia.