Who was your favourite Sherlock?
Sherlock is a literary phenomenon, as all us Sherlockians know. There are few characters that are as compelling in the 21st century as when created 130 years ago. His enduring appeal and charming character has meant that Sherlock has notched up a fair few portrayals in both film and television - we just can’t get enough!
Since his creation in December 1887, Sherlock Holmes has been played by over 80 actors, both famous and some less so. These include Sir Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, Peter O'Toole, Christopher Plummer, Peter Cook, Roger Moore, John Cleese, Jermemy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr and most recently, Henry Cavill. In fact it has even been rumoured Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary human character in the film and TV world, a total credit to Sir Doyle in creating such an iconic and entertaining character.
As of 2012, Sherlock had appeared on screen 254 times, a figure that has steadily risen since and does not even consider the times Sherlock has been portrayed in stage productions or audio entertainment.
A Closer Inspection....
The first actor to portray Sherlock Holmes on TV was Louis Hector (USA) in an experimental NBC (USA) production in 1937. Of course, some actors are better remembered than others for their portrayal of the famous detective.
An older generation might favour Basil Rathbone who played Sherlock in a series of 14 films released between 1939 and 1946. Another generation might cite Jeremy Brett who portrayed Sherlock in the TV series that ran between 1984 and 1994.
In an attempt to crown the greatest on-screen Sherlock Holmes a number of polls have been conducted over the years to determine ‘whodunnit’ best. In a vote led by Digital Spy almost a decade ago, (which gathered nearly 2,000 votes) it concluded that Benedict Cumberbatch with 58% was the best Holmes. Followed by Jeremy Brett with 19% and Robert Downey Jr scooping bronze position with 16%.
However in a more recent polls (2020) Britishperioddramas.com the results were much different, with Jeremy Brett securing the top spot with over half the votes.
In an attempt to uncover the greatest Sherlock Holmes impersonation (so far) we have collected a few facts which might help you decide...
The suspects...
Jeremy Brett
Photo credit: British Period Dramas
Unarguably one of the most well known Sherlock portralys was that of English actor Jeremy Brett. Spanning over 10 years Brett appeared in over 36 hour long episodes as well as 5 feature length specials that were adapted from around 42 of Sir Arthur Doyles original stories. Unlike many other Sherlock representations, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was set in the desired time period for the character which is refreshing from the modern day interpretations we are more familiar with now.
One of the reasons Brett may be considered the best Sherlock is just how much of himself he truly sacrificed for the role. Attributing much of his mental health struggles with his clear obsession to the character of Sherlock, Brett admits the similarities between his bi-polar personality and Holmes’. The actor describes crippling nightmares about the detective when discussing his struggles with leaving the character behind on set. For many this all or nothing approach Brett gave to the role is the main reason he is still so iconically linked to Sherlock decades later
Robert Downey Jr
Photo credit: Business Insider
The only American actor to rank highly in previous Sherlock polls, is Robert Doweny Jr. His success is perhaps to do with his already established name in the film industry. His feature went on to earn the movie record breaking box office records and even Golden Globe recognition.
The Sherlock Holmes franchise went on to release a highly anticipated sequel and even it has even been rumoured a third movie is in the works.
Many have mentioned Downey’s ability to portray such a complicated character therefore making him a well deserved runner up.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Photo credit: BBC
Today, the successful BBC TV series Sherlock has ensured Benedict Cumberbatch a place on that list.
Cumberbatch’s success could be attributed to the fact that Sherlock is in his blood. In a twist that is in keeping with the character and his world, ancestry researchers discovered that the actor is related to Sherlock creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. The actor and author are 16th cousins, twice removed, according to Ancestry.com. It states that Doyle and Cumberbatch's common ancestor was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and the fourth son of King Edward III of England, who lived in the 14th century. John of Gaunt was Doyle's 15th great-grandfather and Cumberbatch's 17th great-grandfather.
In an interesting twist, there is also a connection between Sherlock Holmes Tartan and another actor – Nicholas Rowe - who has played Sherlock Holmes on-screen. Nicholas Rowe is related by marriage to Sherlock Holmes Tartan creator Tania Henzell and has played Sherlock Holmes more than once.
Early in his career, he played Sherlock Holmes in Barry Levinson’s film Young Sherlock Holmes. Nicholas returned to the role of Sherlock Holmes 30 years later in the 2015 film Mr. Holmes in which he plays the part of Holmes in a black and white film that is viewed by the ‘real’ Sherlock, now in his 90s (played by Ian McKellen).