In the BBC’s recent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes saga, Sherlock, Irene Adler deliciously croons “brainy is the new sexy.” She is referring, of course, to the show’s titular character, magnificently brought to life by Benedict Cumberbatch. His Sherlock is tall, dark, and handsome—brilliant and sneeringly superior, yet totally irresistible. Cumberbatch’s turn as Sherlock and his entire body of work are critically acclaimed and voraciously loved because he has tapped into a vein of the…