Sherlock Holmes isn’t only a character from fiction—he’s an international icon. Since his first appearances in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales, Holmes has been brought to life by hundreds of actors in films, TV shows, and even foreign adaptations. From the misty Victorian streets to contemporary cityscapes, the great detective has been reimagined countless times. So, which ones are truly the best of the lot? Here’s our top 10 greatest Sherlock Holmes performances ever committed to screen. The game is most certainly on.
10. Henry Cavill – Enola Holmes
Softer Sherlock Holmes? Henry Cavill’s performance in Netflix’s Enola Holmes demonstrates that it can be done. As the notoriously brilliant older brother to Millie Bobby Brown’s spirited Enola, Cavill provides a new, more down-to-earth interpretation of the legendary detective. Although still demonstrating Sherlock’s intellect and meticulousness, Cavill lends a compassionate and warm emotional presence seldom witnessed in the character. It’s not traditional but an endearing and surprisingly earthy take on Holmes that gives him a heart.
9. Nicholas Rowe – Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Before origin stories became a thing in Hollywood, Young Sherlock Holmes treated us to a preview of what the world’s greatest detective might have looked like as a teenager. Nicholas Rowe stars as the adolescent Holmes with the ideal blend of intellectual precocity and adolescent gangliness. Set in a boarding school amid a string of mysterious murders, the film imagines how Holmes’ iconic traits—his love of deduction, fencing, and violin—began to form. Rowe’s performance is charming, energetic, and offers a fun, youthful twist on the legendary character.
8. Ian McKellen – Mr. Holmes
What does it mean when the world’s greatest mind starts to wane? Ian McKellen’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in Mr. Holmes is haunting, tender, and indelible. Playing the detective into his nineties, McKellen gives a richly nuanced performance full of sadness and honor, as Holmes deals with memory failure and unsolved cases. It’s a spare, humanizing glimpse at the legend behind the man.
7. Yuko Takeuchi – Miss Sherlock
Shooting in contemporary Tokyo with a gender-reversed twist, Miss Sherlock is one of the braver reimaginings of the iconic detective. Yuko Takeuchi lends a sharp intelligence and in-your-face dynamism to the role, keeping Sherlock new while not sacrificing the core of what makes the character work. Her chemistry with her Dr. Wato (a masterful reinterpretation of Watson) gives heft to a fast-paced, culture-fueled retelling.
6. Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes (2009, 2011)
If you prefer your Sherlock a bit more rough-around-the-edges with a dash of action hero bravado, Robert Downey Jr.’s take is for you. In the stylized movies of Guy Ritchie, Holmes is as apt to throw a punch as he is to crack a puzzle. Downey’s wisecracking, sleight-of-tongue detective leans into Holmes’ idiosyncrasies while infusing him with swagger we’ve not often glimpsed. It’s bombastic, it’s fun, and oddly faithful to the detective’s rough-around-the-edges side.
5. Jonny Lee Miller – Elementary
When Elementary premiered, relocating Holmes to New York and casting Lucy Liu as Watson, some die-hards raised their eyebrows. But Jonny Lee Miller put the naysayers to rest with a cogent and subtle performance. His Holmes is a recovering addict, emotionally sophisticated, and smart in unorthodox ways. The chemistry between him and Liu’s Joan Watson is the show’s emotional center, and evidence that the Holmes legend continues to evolve.
4. Peter Cushing – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Peter Cushing’s performance in The Hound of the Baskervilles is as finely drawn as his face. Refined, precise, and steely under stress, Cushing’s Holmes prowls the atmospheric moors of Devon in a brooding, gothic retelling that returned Holmes to cinematic style. His take is old-fashioned in the best sense—moderated, methodical, and eerily potent.
3. Basil Rathbone – Sherlock Holmes Series (1939–1946)
For most older fans, Sherlock Holmes is Basil Rathbone. Across 14 films, he solidified the detective’s signature appearance and attitude: suave, intelligent, and perpetually one step ahead. Whether solving mysteries on gloomy Victorian streets or improbably tracking down Nazi spies (wartime scripts got inventive), Rathbone supplied steady gravitas and intelligence to the role. He established the standard others would emulate.
2. Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock (2010–2017)
BBC’s Sherlock reimagined the detective for the digital age, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal made it indelible. His rapid-fire-talking, emotionally reserved Holmes was clever, mercurial, and perpetually fascinating. Cumberbatch brought Holmes back into the cool category—transplanting the character into a culture of texting and online sleuthing without sacrificing the essential nature of him. His rapport with Martin Freeman’s Watson formed the bedrock of the show and repositioned Holmes in the modern era.
1. Jeremy Brett – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
No performance ever captured Sherlock Holmes as Jeremy Brett’s did. Across more than a decade of TV movies and seasons, Brett embodied the role with unparalleled veracity. His Holmes was theatrical yet never showy, eccentric yet never campy. Each mannerism, look, and outburst was drawn directly from Conan Doyle’s page. For scholars and fans alike, Brett’s performance remains the standard—the best approximation ever made of Holmes as he was meant to be.
From high-octane action heroes to brooding recluses, Sherlock Holmes reinvents himself with each new take. But whether he’s solving crimes in Victorian London or Manhattan today, one thing’s for sure: the great detective will never stop captivating us.