Mark Gatiss reveals inspiration behind Mycroft in 'Sherlock'

Sherlock co-creator and actor Mark Gatiss has revealed that his version of Mycroft is inspired by Labour politician Peter Mandelson. Incidentally, the 48-year-old actor is now about to play Mandelson himself in Channel 4's new drama Coalition, reported Digital Spy.

"I based Mycroft on Peter Mandelson. It was explicit even before I was going to play him," Gatiss told Radio Times. "Steven Moffat and I talked about how Mandelsonian Mycroft was... Conan Doyle says Mycroft is the British government. He's the power behind the throne. Both Mandelson and Mycroft are the sort of people who, I think, would sit out a world war," he added. "There's a longer game to be played..."

Coalition charts Nick Clegg's rise in popularity ahead of the 2010 general election and the subsequent forming of a coalition government by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Gatiss recently described the story of the drama as having a "classical dimension". "It's the same story throughout history - it's the struggle for the crown. You can change the clothes - and people don't get killed as often - but it's the same thing," he said.

Coalition also stars Mark Dexter as David Cameron, Ian Grieve as Gordon Brown and Bertie Carvel as Clegg.