Actors Who Have Played Sherlock Holmes

[billy farmer]

I thought i would start a new Thread to see how many Actors Brit Movie Members can think of that have played Sherlock Holmes in film, Television, Stage and Radio, i thought that once with the help of Brit Movie Members when the list of Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes is hopefully near-complete i could do two posts, one listing British Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes and another one listing non-British Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes, there is a good list on Wikipedia of Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes - List of actors who have played Sherlock Holmes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, below are two YouTube Videos featuring Basil Rathbone (my favourite Movie Sherlock and also the Actor who introduced me to the world of Sherlock Holmes) and Jeremy Brett (my favourite TV Sherlock).

[Gerald Lovell]

Although Basil Rathbone was indeed British - and it's rumoured he was knighted in around 1951, although this never seems to have been advertised - he was born in South Africa. I think Nigel Bruce was born in Mexico.

[alan french]

Hi,
As there may be a number of answers to this question, I will say that one actor who was in a television series, but is very rarely remembered for the role, is Alan Wheatley.

I think it could be mainly due to the fact that it was when there was only one television channel in the country. And possibly not everyone could receive broadcasts.

Alan French.

[Gerald Lovell]

Hi,
As there may be a number of answers to this question, I will say that one actor who was in a television series, but is very rarely remembered for the role, is Alan Wheatley.

I think it could be mainly due to the fact that it was when there was only one television channel in the country. And possibly not everyone could receive broadcasts.

Alan French.

I think also, alan, he's not so well remembered as Holmes as no telerecordings were made of his series, which is therefore "lost". A great shame as I believe Alan Wheatley was the first BBC tv Sherlock Holmes.

[CaptainWaggett]

Hi,
As there may be a number of answers to this question, I will say that one actor who was in a television series, but is very rarely remembered for the role, is Alan Wheatley.

I think it could be mainly due to the fact that it was when there was only one television channel in the country. And possibly not everyone could receive broadcasts.

Alan French.

I'm sure he was completely splendid but presumably none of his episodes were recorded

[Gerald Lovell]

I'm sure he was completely splendid but presumably none of his episodes were recorded

I've always imagined Alan Wheatley's Holmes would have been a fussy and fastidious creation, rather like Peter Cushing's portrayal.

[CaptainWaggett]

I've always imagined Alan Wheatley's Holmes would have been a fussy and fastidious creation, rather like Peter Cushing's portrayal.

Are you suggesting there might have been a bit of subtext between him and Raymond Francis ?

[Gerald Lovell]

Are you suggesting there might have been a bit of subtext between him and Raymond Francis ?

Well, I'm sure Sherlock Wheatley would've ensured Doctor Francis had no hiding place . . .

[Heinrich]

There is only one definitive Sherlock Holmes and that is Jeremy Brett.

[cassidy]

I just edge Peter Cushing above Basil Rathbone in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" but the dog in the Hammer film was pathetic. I dont think Jeremy Kemp ever played Holmes (I could be wrong) but I think he'd have played the part well.

[Gerald Lovell]

I just edge Peter Cushing above Basil Rathbone in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" but the dog in the Hammer film was pathetic. I dont think Jeremy Kemp ever played Holmes (I could be wrong) but I think he'd have played the part well.

Jeremy Kemp was the villain in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and the Jeremy Brett version of "The Speckled Band".

[billy farmer]

A list of some of the Actors mentioned on Wikipedia who have played Sherlock Holmes.

1 Tom Baker
2 John Barrymore
3 Jeremy Brett
4 Clive Brook
5 Michael Caine
6 Benedict Cumberbatch
7 Peter Cushing
8 Rupert Everett
9 Matt Frewer
10 William Gillette
11 Stewart Granger
12 Guy Henry
13 Carleton Hobbs
14 Ronald Howard
15 Christopher Lee
16 Clive Merrison
17 Roger Moore
18 John Neville
19 Eille Norwood
20 Peter O'Toole
21 Reginald Owen
22 Christopher Plummer
23 Jonathan Pryce
24 Basil Rathbone
25 Ian Richardson
26 Nicholas Rowe
27 Richard Roxburgh
28 Robert Stephens
29 Alan Wheatley
30 Geoffrey Whitehead
31 Nicol Williamson
32 Douglas Wilmer
33 Arthur Wontner

[jimw1]

A list of some of the Actors mentioned on Wikipedia who have played Sherlock Holmes.

They seem to have Omitted John Cleese.....Arthur Lowe as Watson is Brilliant as always...

[billy farmer]

A list of some of the Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes.

1 James D'Arcy
2 Tom Baker
3 John Barrymore
4 Jeremy Brett
5 Clive Brook
6 Michael Caine
7 John Cleese
8 Peter Cook
9 Maurice Costello
10 Benedict Cumberbatch
11 Peter Cushing
12 Robert Downey Jr
13 Rupert Everett
14 Matt Frewer
15 John Gielgud
16 William Gillette
17 Stewart Granger
18 Guy Henry
19 Charlton Heston
20 Anthony Higgins
21 Carleton Hobbs
22 Ronald Howard
23 Frank Langella
24 Christopher Lee
25 Vasily Livanov
26 John Longden
27 Patrick Macnee
28 Raymond Massey
29 Clive Merrison
30 Keith Michell
31 Ron Moody
32 Roger Moore
33 John Neville
34 Leonard Nimoy
35 Eille Norwood
36 Roger Ostime
37 Peter O'Toole
38 Reginald Owen
39 Michael Pennington
40 Christopher Plummer
41 Jonathan Pryce
42 Basil Rathbone
43 Robert Rendel
44 Ian Richardson
45 Nicholas Rowe
46 Richard Roxburgh
47 George C.Scott
48 Robert Stephens
49 Alan Wheatley
50 Geoffrey Whitehead
51 Nicol Williamson
52 Douglas Wilmer
53 John Wood
54 Edward Woodward
55 Arthur Wontner

I think 55 Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes have been mentioned so far on this Thread.

[billy farmer]

An updated list of some of the Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes.

1 Hans Albers
2 Joaquim De Almeida
3 James D'Arcy
4 Tom Baker
5 John Barrymore
6 Keith Baxter
7 Carlyle Blackwell
8 Jeremy Brett
9 Nicholas Briggs
10 Clive Brook
11 Michael Caine
12 John Cleese
13 Peter Cook
14 Maurice Costello
15 Benedict Cumberbatch
16 Peter Cushing
17 Hector Dion
18 Robert Downey Jr
19 Rupert Everett
20 Hugo Flink
21 Francis Ford
22 Matt Frewer
23 Nando Gazzolo
24 John Gielgud
25 William Gillette
26 Stewart Granger
27 Bruno Guttner
28 Louis Hector
29 Guy Henry
30 Charlton Heston
31 Anthony Higgins
32 Carleton Hobbs
33 Ronald Howard
34 Frank Langella
35 Viggo Larsen
36 Christopher Lee
37 Vasily Livanov
38 Roger Llewellyn
39 John Longden
40 Patrick Macnee
41 Raymond Massey
42 Clive Merrison
43 Keith Michell
44 Ron Moody
45 Roger Moore
46 Alan Napier
47 John Neville
48 Alwin Neuss
49 Leonard Nimoy
50 Eille Norwood
51 Andrew Osborn
52 Roger Ostime
53 Peter O'Toole
54 Reginald Owen
55 Michael Pennington
56 Christopher Plummer
57 Jonathan Pryce
58 Basil Rathbone
59 Robert Rendel
60 Ian Richardson
61 Nicholas Rowe
62 Richard Roxburgh
63 Erich Schellow
64 George C.Scott
65 Mack Sennett
66 Tod Slaughter
67 Robert Stephens
68 Georges Treville
69 Alan Wheatley
70 Geoffrey Whitehead
71 Paxton Whitehead
72 Nicol Williamson
73 Douglas Wilmer
74 John Wood
75 Edward Woodward
76 Arthur Wontner

The list of Actors who have played Sherlock Holmes is far from complete.

[Gerald Lovell]

Early British Holmes: Clive Brook and Arthur Wontner.

Canadian Holmes: Raymond Massey and Christopher Plummer.

TV Holmes: Douglas Wilmer and Roger Moore.

Radio Holmes: Carleton Hobbs and Clive Merrison.

[didi-5]

Hi Billy

You might be interested in a project I have running on my blog at the moment where I am attempting to review all the extant film and TV Holmes adaptations - I'm also including Holmes 'type' characters so Larry Hagman and George C Scott are included.

See Voice of the Phoenix - Introducing the Sherlock review project.

[wadsy]

The first actor ever to play Sherlock Holmes on film was American Silent Screen idol Maurice Costello in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in 1905.

[didi-5]

The first actor ever to play Sherlock Holmes on film was American Silent Screen idol Maurice Costello in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in 1905.

And his son-in-law John Barrymore followed in his footsteps in 1922 ...

[Wolfgang]

Anyone know when (if) Moffat's Holmes is due back? It seems to be ages since they did those specials.