Tumblr Husband Benedict Cumberbatch Was Once Deemed Too Unsexy for TV

There are three key facts a person must know about Benedict Cumberbatch: He is an actor, he loves Kangol hats and practically the entire internet invites him to GET IT.

Over the past couple years, Cumberbatch has emerged as one of today’s most loudly celebrated heartthrobs. There are literally millions of fan sites celebrating his existence and countless memes are created in his honor. But here’s a scary thought for all you Cumberbitches out there: If the BBC had their druthers, ol’ Benedict wouldn’t be nearly as famous/visible as he is today.

After Cumberbatch had been cast as the titular role of BBC’s Sherlock, network bigwigs were greatly concerned that the actor wasn’t sexy enough for the part.

During the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, Sherlock/Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat told the audience about the resistance faced both when casting Cumberbatch in Sherlock and David Tennant in the BBC miniseries Casanova:

“They said of casting David Tennant as Casanova, ‘Damn, you should have cast someone sexier’. With Benedict Cumberbatch, we were told the same thing. ‘You promised us a sexy Sherlock, not him.'”

Ultimately, the BBC (like the general public) was overwhelmed by the slow role of Tennant and Cumberbatch’s appeal and caved. For that, Tumblr is forever grateful.