Holmes-Watson-Actors
Since the 1890s, hundreds of actors have played the role of Sherlock Holmes, on stage, screen and the radio. There have been 300 films, two musicals and even a ballet.
In the U.S.A. Basil Rathbone's is one of the best known and most enduring Sherlock Holmes portrayals. He starred in fourteen movies between 1939 and 1946 alongside Nigel Bruce as Dr Watson. With his long face, hawk-like nose, piercing eyes and vigorous manner, Rathbone was perfect for the role.
European fans prefer the eighties television series with Jeremy Brett and David Burke / Edward Hardwicke. Brett brought a modern interpretation to the role, rejecting the curved pipe and deerstalker which had been used by every actor since the first films.
Also in the 1980's Russian television produced a series of five 80-minute adaptations of the stories featuring Vasili Livanov and Vitaly Solomin as Holmes and Watson.
According to the novels, Sherlock started his detective work when he was 27 years old. He retired at 50. However, the average age of Holmes actors is 49, too old. The youngest actor to play Holmes was Nicholas Rowe in 1985. He was 19 when he filmed Young Sherlock Holmes. The oldest Holmes was Patrick MacNee in the 1996 Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Temporal Nexus. He was 74.
We have got in our list 62 Holmes actors and 58 Watson actors. In 21 films Sherlock operated without Watson. In the Holmes novels Conan Doyle created, Dr. Watson appears in 93% of all the works.
You can order the list by name or by the number of times an actor played the role.
- Holmes
- Watson
Actors who played Sherlock Holmes
| Sort by name | Sort by number | |
| Ai Li Fan | Fan Ai Li | 1 |
| Albers Hans | Hans Albers | 1 |
| Almeida Joaquim | Joaquim de Almeida | 1 |
| Baker Tom | Tom Baker | 1 |
| Barrymore John | John Barrymore | 1 |
| Becker Rolf | Rolf Becker | 2 |
| Bedford Brian | Brian Bedford | 1 |
| Benham Harry | Harry Benham | 1 |
| Brett Jeremy | Jeremy Brett | 41 |
| Brook Clive | Clive Brook | 1 |
| Buchanan Ian | Ian Buchanan | 1 |
| Caine Michael | Michael Caine | 1 |
| Cleese John | John Cleese | 2 |
| Cook Peter | Peter Cook | 1 |
| Costello Maurice | Maurice Costello | 1 |
| Cumberbatch Benedict | Benedict Cumberbatch | 3 |
| Cushing Peter | Peter Cushing | 17 |
| D'Arcy James | James D'Arcy | 1 |
| Downey Robert | Robert Downey | 2 |
| Everett Rupert | Rupert Everett | 1 |
| Frewer Matt | Matt Frewer | 4 |
| Gérôme Raymond | Raymond Gérôme | 1 |
| Gillette William | William Gillette | 1 |
| Granger Stewart | Stewart Granger | 1 |
| Guers Paul | Paul Guers | 1 |
| Henry Guy | Guy Henry | 1 |
| Heston Charlton | Charlton Heston | 1 |
| Higgins Anthony | Anthony Higgins | 1 |
| Hirokawa Taichirô | Taichirô Hirokawa | 2 |
| Howard Ronald | Ronald Howard | 39 |
| Langella Frank | Frank Langella | 1 |
| Larsen Viggo | Viggo Larsen | 2 |
| Lawford Peter | Peter Lawford | 1 |
| Lee Christopher | Christopher Lee | 3 |
| Livanov Vasili | Vasili Livanov | 9 |
| Longden John | John Longden | 1 |
| Macnee Patrick | Patrick Macnee | 2 |
| Masiulis Algimantas | Algimantas Masiulis | 1 |
| Massey Raymond | Raymond Massey | 1 |
| Moore Roger | Roger Moore | 1 |
| Neuß Alwin | Alwin Neuß | 3 |
| Neville John | John Neville | 1 |
| Norwood Eille | Eille Norwood | 46 |
| Owen Reginald | Reginald Owen | 1 |
| Pennington Michael | Michael Pennington | 1 |
| Plummer Christopher | Christopher Plummer | 2 |
| Pryce Jonathan | Jonathan Pryce | 1 |
| Rathbone Basil | Basil Rathbone | 16 |
| Rendel Robert | Robert Rendel | 1 |
| Richardson Ian | Ian Richardson | 2 |
| Rowe Nicholas | Nicholas Rowe | 1 |
| Roxburgh Richard | Richard Roxburgh | 1 |
| Sennett Mack | Mack Sennett | 4 |
| Stephens Robert | Robert Stephens | 1 |
| O’Toole Peter | Peter O’Toole | 4 |
| Tréville Georges | Georges Tréville | 3 |
| Wheatley Alan | Alan Wheatley | 1 |
| Whitehead Geoffrey | Geoffrey Whitehead | 23 |
| Williamson Nicol | Nicol Williamson | 1 |
| Wilmer Douglas | Douglas Wilmer | 13 |
| Wontner Arthur | Arthur Wontner | 5 |
| Woodward Edward | Edward Woodward | 1 |
Actors who played John Watson
| Sort by name | Sort by number | |
| willishubert | Hubert Willis | 46 |
| marionhoward | Howard Marion-Crawford | 39 |
| hardwickeedward | Edward Hardwicke | 28 |
| stocknigel | Nigel Stock | 27 |
| pickeringdonald | Donald Pickering | 23 |
| brucenigel | Nigel Bruce | 14 |
| burkedavid | David Burke | 13 |
| solominvitali | Vitali Solomin | 9 |
| francisraymond | Raymond Francis | 6 |
| welshkenneth | Kenneth Welsh | 4 |
| macefred | Fred Mace | 4 |
| waltersthorley | Thorley Walters | 3 |
| flemingian2 | Ian Fleming | 3 |
| macneepatrick | Patrick Macnee | 3 |
| hartian | Ian Hart | 2 |
| owenreginald | Reginald Owen | 2 |
| tomitaousei | Kousei Tomita | 2 |
| coxalan | Alan Cox | 1 |
| houstondonald | Donald Houston | 1 |
| hillermanjohn | John Hillerman | 1 |
| healydavid | David Healy | 1 |
| churchilldonald | Donald Churchill | 1 |
| hardinglyn | Lyn Harding | 1 |
| foxbernard | Bernard Fox | 1 |
| connordonald | Donald O’Connor | 1 |
| lowearthur | Arthur Lowe | 1 |
| donnellanthony | Anthony O'Donnell | 1 |
| gunncharles | Charles Gunn | 1 |
| greenmartyn | Martyn Green | 1 |
| freemanmartin | Martin Freeman | 3 |
| duvallrobert | Robert Duvall | 1 |
| hunterian | Ian Hunter | 1 |
| fieldingedward | Edward Fielding | 1 |
| haberandre | André Haber | 1 |
| moncktonpatrick | Patrick Monckton | 1 |
| xuzhongquan | Zhongquan Xu | 1 |
| woodsrichard | Richard Woods | 1 |
| singercampbell | Campbell Singer | 1 |
| scottjohn | John Scott-Paget | 1 |
| rushtonwilliam | William Rushton | 1 |
| ruhmannheinz | Heinz Rühmann | 1 |
| rigbyterence | Terence Rigby | 1 |
| patersonbill | Bill Paterson | 1 |
| morlidgeroger | Roger Morlidge | 1 |
| lawjude | Jude Law | 2 |
| mooredudley | Dudley Moore | 1 |
| johnsonrichard | Richard Johnson | 1 |
| millsjohn | John Mills | 1 |
| masonjames | James Mason | 1 |
| lumontroger | Roger Lumont | 1 |
| youngroland | Roland Young | 1 |
| lloydfrederick | Frederick Lloyd | 1 |
| blakelycolin | Colin Blakely | 1 |
| laudenbachphilippe | Philippe Laudenbach | 1 |
| kyrleh | H. Kyrle Bellew | 1 |
| kingsleyben | Ben Kingsley | 1 |
| morellandre | André Morell | 1 |
Bibliography » Books:
Bibliography » Web:
0 - Another case for Sherlock
Deadline - Another Sherlock Holmes
DVD active - A game of shadows in May
DVD active - Sherlock Holmes uncovers Blu-ray
DVD Times - Sherlock and the case of the Blu-ray
Empire - Sherlock Holmes sequel gets a title
Guardian - Doyle estate approves new Holmes story
HD-Digest - Sherlock Holmes searches for Blu-ray
High-def digest - Silent Sherlock on Blu-ray
Orion publishing - New Sherlock Holmes novel
The Filmstage - Houdini - Conan Doyle film in the works
TV shows on DVD - Sherlock Holmes from the sixties
125 years ago, Clive Brook † was born. (Holmes in 1929 and in 1932)