"A Mask For Something More Sinister": Watson Creator Explains Surprising Casting Choice For Moriarty

This article contains spoilers for Watson.

The creator of the new CBS drama, Watson, explains the surprising casting choice for Moriarty, which was kept hidden until the premiere. Making its debut on January 26, with The Resident's Morris Chestnut in the titular role, Watson unfolds one year after the apparent death of Sherlock Holmes at the hands of his archenemy Moriarty. Since then, Dr. John Watson has resumed practicing medicine and opened up the Holmes Clinic in Pittsburgh. Despite his plans to move forward, Watson is haunted by the possibility that Moriarty is still lurking and ready to resurface.

In an interview with Deadline, series creator Craig Sweeny discusses the casting Fresh Off the Boat and WandaVision star Randall Park as Moriarty. He spoke about how he reached out to the Ant-Man actor and how he received a lot of interest for the crucial part:

I had a pre-existing relationship with Randall, not a huge one, but enough that I had his number in my phone, and we were friendly. I was getting a lot of interest in the role of Moriarty from great actors, but people who are more traditional villains. And I was just interested in the idea of really inverting his persona, the idea of what if Randall Parks’ affability and smile and his famous and completely genuine niceness were a mask for something much more sinister.

Sweeny, who was an executive producer on the Sherlock drama Elementary, talks about the process behind casting Park. In the quote below, Sweeny confirms that Park will return throughout Watson season 1 and sheds light on what the comedic actor brings to the iconic antagonist:

I thought that was a really interesting writing challenge and a really interesting way to present the character of Moriarty and that performer as well. I sent him a text and said, would you want to do that? Obviously, there are negotiations that needed to happen but there was interest right from the get-go, we’re very fortunate. He comes back quite a bit over the course of the season.

What Park's Casting As Moriarty Means For Watson

The Hidden Casting Was A Great Decision

There are several interesting ways that Watson plays with the expectations of viewers when it comes to Moriarty. Some of that subversion occurred before the series even premiered, with most of the Watson cast of characters getting confirmed in reports. That includes Rochelle Aytes, Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Inga Schlingmann, and Ritchie Coster. They each play a member of Watson's team at the Holmes Clinic, most of whom are picked for reasons unclear to them. In the case of Aytes, who recurs on the CBS series S.W.A.T., she plays John's ex-wife.

Watson: Cast & Characters
Actor	Who They Play	Character Description
Morris Chestnut	Dr. John Watson	A former London-based consulting detective and current physician.
Eve Harlow	Ingrid Derian	An aloof, skilled neurologist with a mysterious past.
Peter Mark Kendall	Stephens Croft and Adam Croft	Identical twins who are infectious disease and functional medicine specialists.
Inga Schlingmann	Sasha Lubbock	A specialist in rheumatology and immunology.
Ritchie Coster	Shinwell Johnson	A former criminal from London who works at Watson's clinic.
Rochelle Aytes	Mary Morstan	Watson's ex-wife, a surgeon who is also the clinic's medical director.
Randall Park	Moriarty	Watson's nemesis.

The series premiere, written by Sweeny, with Larry Teng directing, keeps the subversion going right up until the moment that Park actually appears. First, as Watson is describing Moriarty, it sounds doubtful that such a mastermind would exist. Then, when the villain finally does appear, seemingly conspiring with Watson's associate, Shinwell remarks that Moriarty does not look how he expected.

That may well be intentional. Considering that Park is confirmed to appear in more episodes, it makes sense to bring in a familiar performer to do a different take on a legendary character. Park, who is known for comedies like Netflix's Always Be My Maybe, is an instant signal to the audience that this Moriarty won't be like the rest. Even in his brief interaction with Shinwell, there's an everyman menace that gives Watson a leg up compared to other Sherlock adaptations.

Our Take On Park Joining Watson

He's An Inspired Choice

There is another tweak to Moriarty that makes him stand out. He has a tech company, Always & Everywhere, which carries the same menace that he does. Because he's credited as a special guest star, and because he's a frequent actor, whether leading comedies or having key supporting roles, I'm not sure how long Park will stick around on Watson. But he's helped make it more intriguing.

Watson returns to CBS in its regular timeslot at 9 PM ET on Sunday, February 16

Source: Deadline