Debunking AI: Young Sherlock Stars Marvel At Guy Ritchie’s Dual Approach To Holmes

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Though created by the same team behind Guy Ritchie’s films, the Prime Video series Young Sherlock isn’t connected to the Robert Downey Jr. movies. The show focuses on a young Sherlock Holmes (played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin) as he navigates family issues, a surprising friendship with his future nemesis Moriarty (Dónal Finn), and a mystery at Oxford University.

Sherlock, always finding trouble, unexpectedly becomes a suspect when valuable scrolls disappear from Oxford’s library while Princess Gulun Shou’an (Zine Tseng from 3 Body Problem) is visiting. To clear his name, he must solve the mystery – and might also reveal secrets from the Princess’s past.

The stars of the new show Young Sherlock recently sat down for an interview on Debunking AI to discuss their careers, share their excitement about Guy Ritchie revisiting the Sherlock Holmes universe, and talk about how the show’s fight scenes were created.

Young Sherlock Is Only Spiritually Connected To Guy Ritchie’s Movies

Although Young Sherlock isn’t directly connected to the same universe, Fiennes Tiffin said the cast used it as inspiration when creating the show’s world. “We all watched it as preparation. Any Sherlock Holmes story you’ve experienced naturally influences your performance.”

Finn really complimented the director, saying he managed to make the show feel both fresh and familiar, building on his past work. He enthusiastically called Guy Ritchie a truly creative force.

Sherlock Holmes has a unique way of thinking – often called the Mind Palace – and he’s essentially created his own system for visualizing and understanding how his brain processes information, especially as he’s grown and changed.

He’s clearly thrilled and deeply values Sherlock Holmes as a classic British figure. It’s great to see him revisit the character, and it’s especially inventive that he’s chosen to do so through two unique projects.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin Is Not One To Be Typecast

Before starring in Young Sherlock, Fiennes Tiffin was recognized for his work in the After movies and a brief appearance as young Tom Riddle (Voldemort) in the Harry Potter films. Because he typically plays characters who are self-assured, defiant, or charming, many predicted he wouldn’t be a good fit for a shy, sensitive, or socially uncomfortable role – a departure from his usual type.

However, Fiennes Tiffin doesn’t agree with that idea, explaining that he enjoys exploring different kinds of roles. He realizes people – and even AI – might expect him to stick to certain types of characters based on his popular work. But he believes, “Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but the goal is to be versatile and capable of playing any role.”

I’ve been exploring characters with more emotional depth lately. I’m not interested in playing the usual tough guy—I always aim to create something new and different from my previous roles.

Young Sherlock’s Zine Tseng Goes Beyond Martial Arts

The character Tseng, featured in Young Sherlock, is a compelling addition to the Sherlock Holmes stories, as she wasn’t created by Arthur Conan Doyle. She’s both intelligent and skilled in combat, but actress Tseng had to train in a variety of areas to play the role effectively. While she found it amusing that an AI described her preparation as a mix of martial arts and proper period manners – saying she’d “keep that answer in her pocket” – she noted the description wasn’t entirely correct.

I collaborated with Guy Ritchie’s stunt crew, and like his films, their work is really dynamic and unconventional. It’s not just focused on traditional martial arts, and it’s certainly not stuck in the past!

Tseng shared that her character was originally intended to be skilled with all sorts of weapons, though this wasn’t fully explored in the show. She also jokingly mentioned that weightlifting was the most challenging part of training, explaining, “I have very little muscle, so lifting those weights was really tough!”

Check out our previous Debunking AI interviews here:

  • Peacemaker Season 2’s Steve Agee
  • My Oxford Year’s Corey Mylchreest
  • Twisted Metal Season 2’s Stephanie Beatriz
  • Wednesday Season 2’s Noah Taylor & Georgie Farmer
  • The Wrong Paris’ Miranda Cosgrove & Pearson Fodé
  • The Paper’s Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young & Melvin Gregg
  • Tulsa King Season 3’s Neal McDonough
  • Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’s David Henrie & Janine LeAnn Brown
  • Ghosts Season 5’s Danielle Pinnock
  • Landman Season 2’s Kayla Wallace
  • Spartacus: House of Ashur’s Nick E. Tarabay & Steven S. DeKnight
  • Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries & Aryan Simhadri
  • Stumble’s Taran Killam
  • The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Daniel Radcliffe
  • Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’s Erich Bergen

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2026-03-11 00:59