Benedict Cumberbatch gave 'Sherlock' second thought

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he nearly turned down the offer to play popular fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock", but agreed to it after giving it a second thought.

"My reservation was 'Well, this is a very iconic character, there will be a lot of attention on it'," Entertainment Weekly quoted Cumberbatch as saying.

"This was before I had had any significant success, (but) I knew there would still be a lot of focus on it. And while I had done work, it wasn't stepping into the populist limelight like playing a character like Holmes. So, I did have a pause for thought," he added.

Cumberbatch acts alongside his "The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug" co-star Martin Freeman, who plays Dr. John Watson in the series.