Benedict Cumberbatch and the gang have begun filming on the highly anticipated Sherlock Christmas special, slated to air this fall.

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Admits He's Still 'Bemused' By Success Of BBC Series

Cumberbatch, who plays the titular Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock, is filming the Sherlock Christmas special this week. With photos already released from eagle-eyed fans, there is a certain pressure to keep things a secret.

The actor recently discussed the amount of celebrity Cumberbatch has achieved in the last few years with The Wall Street Journal.

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"When we film on the street for Sherlock, there are groups of hundreds, thousands of people standing and watching us. It's surreal," he revealed. "It's like my day at the office is actually being overtaken by a lot of people watching me send memos and make calls, and I surf the Internet and suddenly every move is being videotaped or analyzed or giggled over. It's mostly benign but the amount of focus is sort of strange. So I guess then you just have to make sure you preserve yourself."

He also observed that it is important to carve out time for a private life even though it can be difficult to do so with such a public profession.

I think it's very important to do that, to remain true to your nature," he said. "Just to be able to have some space that is your own. The more you work, you're in the public focus, but that's obviously what our work's about in a generalized way. We need an audience as actors, doing this kind of art. It sometimes negates the very means by which you can then do your art."

Cumberbatch's star has risen exponentially since he took on the role of Sherlock in 2010. He has since appeared in a number of blockbuster films, such as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Star Trek Into Darkness and he is getting Oscar buzz for his role as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, out in theaters now.

With the Sherlock special expected to premiere in December, season 4 is also expected around the corner in early 2016.

Tags: Sherlock television BBC PBS