One of the best contemporary twists in the BBC's "Sherlock" was the way that the villainous Moriarty used his sexuality to confuse and confound the series' titular detective.

Um, not to mention how the showrunners used that sexuality to make their viewing audience just about lose their damn minds.

Maybe it shouldn't surprise us that Andrew Scott, the actor who played Moriarty, says that being out about his own orientation in real life has been nothing but great for his career.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, Scott -- who came out as gay in late 2013 -- described how things changed for him in the wake of making that move.

"I would never speak generally but since coming out publicly, I've done more Hollywood films than before. It allows me a feeling of freedom," the actor said.

Furthermore, he dismisses out of hand the idea that being out might limit him when it comes to playing straight onscreen.

"Someone could be straight as a die and not be a convincing heterosexual lead. I think sexuality is all about energy. I think knowing who you are is very important in this game," Scott said.

Which is a statement so sensible that is seems like a no-brainer, really. But in a world where people still disagree about whether gay men can convincingly play straight characters, it's nice to have an actor pointing out the obvious: that living authentically off the screen makes it a lot easier to channel authenticity on it.

Meanwhile, little is known about Scott's next role, as one of James Bond's Whitehall bosses in the upcoming "SPECTRE." But whatever his character's orientation, we are seriously looking forward to seeing him exude his particular brand of thespian energy when the movie hits theaters November 6.