Since the debut of Sherlock Holmes last year, the re-imagined classic character cum-action film by Guy Ritchie (RockNRolla), there has been rampant speculation about who will play the character of Moriarity in the sequel.  The most common rumor was that Brad Pitt had been tapped for the role, and that he even had a cameo in the original, but nobody ever knew it because he was constantly in the shadows and you could never tell with certainty.  Alas, that was indeed hearsay as the role has gone to none other than, wait for it, wait for it…Jared Harris.  Yes, that household name.

Well, if you don’t know, Harris has had roles in a number of films, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (a Pitt-led film coincidentally) but is most known for his role in AMC’s Mad Men (on the idiot box).  The details via Deadline:

The website Latino Review got the drop on the festering question of who would play arch-nemesis Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2. It will be Jared Harris, the son of Richard Harris and a Mad Men cast member. Rumors were the studio was looking to star cast for the role, with Daniel Day-Lewis and Colin Firth mentioned. Jude Law reprises, while Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry are in the cast, the latter playing Holmes’ older brother…

This has to be a bit of a letdown for many, who were hoping that Pitt or even Day-Lewis would add some star wattage to the sequel, but alas, I guess Robert Downey Jr. will be fending off the villainous ways of Harris instead.  Let me know what you think of the casting choice, since I really don’t know much about the man or his skills.