Great Scott

Andrew Scott swaps one secretive franchise for another.

There’s been so much speculation about your role in SPECTRE – is that good fun or a hindrance?

Speculation is kind of part of the fun, isn’t it? It’s this weird dance that you go on but I do like it because it means that people are interested. It matters. It’s difficult when you’re in a thing and nobody gives two fucks about it!

You worked with Sam Mendes in theatre – what was it like transferring that relationship to film?

Films are made so much in the edit. I’ve learned not to get too controlling. Sometimes they choose takes that you go, “What about the other one?” But you have to give it up. It’s the director’s medium. It’s why I feel like I have to go back to theatres and be like, “I want it back!” But you feel with Sam that he really, really trusts you. I always felt on the same page, and that’s really nice, because that doesn’t always happen every time.

You must be used to the passionate fan base that comes with Bond, having worked on Sherlock...

People have expectations about [Sherlock] and there’s a lot of interest in it. This is that, on a possibly even bigger scale. But you start to become aware in the lead up to the promotion that it’s a film that a lot of people will see. I’ve been in films that a lot of people haven’t seen!

Steven Moffat said, “Moriarty’s dead, but you can never believe a word I say.” Could Moriarty return?

That’s true, anything he says, he goes, “But don’t believe me.” Then you go, “But that means to believe you.” I’d be open to anything. But speaking about it in general terms, it’d be wrong to say either yes or no, because it would totally depend on what they were saying. JC