One of the most iconic characters in pop culture is Sherlock Holmes, and there have been a slew of actors that have played the role in the last several decades. While some iterations of the character were lackluster and missed the mark, others will be remembered for a long time to come because of the incredible talent behind them. Here are ten of the best actors to play Sherlock Holmes on TV or in movies.
Robert Stephens – The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
If you want to see Sherlock Holmes at his most sarcastic, look at this iteration performed by Robert Stephens in 1970’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Stephens was a wonderful actor with a Shakespearean background, and in this film he utters some incredibly memorable lines. When Benedict Cumberbatch played Holmes in Mark Gatiss’ reboot, Robert Stephens’ interpretation served as inspiration for the role.
Ian Richardson – The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four
Ian Richardson played Sherlock Holmes in two films, but you may remember him best as the man who was featured in the Grey Poupon advertisements on TV. That stint came well after he took on the role of Holmes, wherein he gave a performance that showed the character with a can-do attitude and chipper mindset. Richardson was slated to star in four other films which never came to fruition, but he did make a comeback years later in the 90s when he appeared in the UK’s original version of House of Cards.
Ian Richardson – The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four
John Gielgud was one of many Shakespearean actors to play Sherlock Holmes, and he’s arguably one of the most well spoken of the bunch. The way he delivered his lines was itself an alluring part of his character, and paired with another Shakespearean great — Ralph Richardson, who played Dr. Watson — and Orson Welles as Professor Moriarty, this 1950s radio show was a hit. Listening to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is pretty much like hearing a spot-on adaptation of the original stories.
Christopher Plummer – Murder by Decree
Robert Downey Jr. recently brought an action hero like flair to the role of Sherlock Holmes, but the person who did this first was Christopher Plummer back in 1979 in Murder by Decree. This was the second film where Holmes went after Jack the Ripper, and it also starred James Mason as Dr. Watson. What was especially interesting about the movie was its plot angle of the government possibly covering up the Jack the Ripper controversy, and Plummer executed his role well. This movie also inspired Eddie Campbell and Alan Moore’s graphic novel From Hell.
Vasily Livanov
The most watched television shows in the history of Russia had Vasily Livanov playing Sherlock Holmes from 1979 to 1986. Don’t think it was only Russians who took note of his brilliant acting or thought the character was well played — Livanov did such a fantastic job that he was given the honorary MBE title in Great Britain, which was unprecedented when it happened. You can still see Livanov’s movies online today, complete with subtitles, and each is definitely worth a look.
Nicol Williamson, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
For Nicol Williamson’s performance as Sherlock Holmes in the 1976 movie The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, he drew inspiration from the Holmes novel written by Nicholas Meyer. This is one of the most unconventional portrayals of the character ever performed, but it worked. The film shows Holmes as being cocaine addicted, violent, anxious, and paranoid, which is definitely a departure from what fans of Holmes were used to. Still, with Laurence Olivier as Moriarty and Robert Duvall as Dr. Watson, this movie was excellent.
Peter Cushing – The Hound of the Baskervilles
When Peter Cushing was set to take on the role of Sherlock Holmes in 1959’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, many questioned if the horror film favorite could really make the leap. He ended up exceeding expectations by giving an outstanding performance. The movie was notable not only for Cushing’s performance, but for being the first color version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Interestingly, when Peter Cushing later played Sherlock Holmes on BBC TV he ended up hating his performance, and it definitely wasn’t on the same level of his first stab at the part.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock
One of the best actors to play Holmes in any television series or movie is Benedict Cumberbatch, who has positively owned the character during his stint on BBC TV. He plays Sherlock Holmes as a young man and the vibe of the show is definitely post-modern. Cumberbatch’s iteration of the character is seen as being dreamy, yet Holmes has never been any sort of heartthrob. That aside, he does a superb job on the show and his performance is bolstered by fantastic writing and Martin Freeman playing Dr. Watson.
Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in 14 movies between 1939 and 1946, and during the same time he also played the character on the NBC Radio show The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Rathbone was the first actor to play Holmes as a time-shifter, which was a risky move by the writers that ended up paying off. He enjoyed playing Holmes at first, but dropped the role after he started being typecast far too often.
Jeremy Brett, Sherlock Holmes
Jeremy Brett deserves recognition as playing the role of Holmes very close to canon — you should watch his series that was on the air from 1984 to 1994 if you want to see a show that’s faithful to the original stories. Brett was vehemently dedicated to studying the original character and he compiled a huge notebook of details that helped him accurately fulfill his role. This is the tragic Holmes with peculiar mannerisms and a haunted past that many will recall from the novels that started it all. What’s remarkable about Brett’s performance is that he did such an amazing job while silently struggling with bipolar disorder.
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