Let’s be realistic—Sherlock Holmes may be the most versatile character in pop culture. He goes from pursuing clues under the gas lamps of Victorian London to sending text messages in the 21st century and remains as enigmatic as ever. Throughout the decades, dozens of actors have donned the deerstalker (or discarded it altogether), each leaving his own mark on the iconic detective. But which of them truly made a memorable mark? Here’s a top 10 countdown of the most memorable performances of Sherlock Holmes, beginning at number 10 and counting up to the greatest master of deduction.
10. Jonny Lee Miller – Elementary (2012–2019)
In Elementary on CBS, Jonny Lee Miller reinvented Holmes as a tattooed Brit with a clean start in New York. With patterned socks, a sharp tongue, and more emotional baggage than a flight from cross-country, his Holmes was less about solving cases—and more about solving himself. His love affair with Lucy Liu’s Joan Watson imbued the character with warmth and dimension we hadn’t quite seen before.
9. Christopher Plummer – Murder by Decree (1979)
Plummer brought a virtually haunted intensity to the role, pitting Holmes against no less than Jack the Ripper. His detective is a neurotic, fightin-words and ready-to-punch-you kind of fellow, yet also an intensely magnetic one—you can’t help but watch. This isn’t a pipe-and-fireflies-by-the-fireplace Holmes; it’s an obsessive, single-minded man who seeks only the truth.
8. Ronald Howard – Sherlock Holmes (1954–1955)
In this black-and-white TV series, Ronald Howard gave us a wise but affable Holmes. Throughout 39 episodes, he emphasized teamwork with Watson (H. Marion Crawford), so their rapport seemed true and in equilibrium. With subtle charm and flashes of wit, Howard portrayed a Holmes as nice to observe as he was intelligent.
7. Yūko Takeuchi – Miss Sherlock (2018)
HBO Asia’s Miss Sherlock flipped the script on its head by casting Yūko Takeuchi as a sophisticated, cheeky, and decidedly brilliant female Holmes. Her wicked repartee, impeccable fashion sense, and playfully goading romance with her Watson (“Wato”) made Takeuchi prove that Holmes didn’t need to be male—or Victorian—to be irresistible. Her take was new, sophisticated, and utterly captivating.
6. Vasily Livanov – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1980–1987)
In Russia, the ultimate Holmes is Livanov. His acting married a sharp intellect with authentic emotional depth, even inducing tears in reunion scenes. With his hawkish face and commanding physique, Livanov brought together the intellectual and human qualities of the great detective and took his place in Holmesian history for all time.
5. Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock (2010–2017)
The role that catapulted Benedict Cumberbatch to superstardom. His Holmes was sharp-tongued, socially edgy, and infatuatedly fascinating, reinterpreted for the digital age. Whether texting, cyber-bullying, or deducing with cold precision, this Holmes was dizzyingly modern. His chemistry with Martin Freeman’s Watson grounded the show, and their friendship was as compulsive as the crimes.
4. Douglas Wilmer – Sherlock Holmes (1964–1965)
Douglas Wilmer’s Holmes is typically praised for looking and acting most like Sidney Paget’s original drawings. He was clever, commanding, and somber in devotion to the role, without straying into arrogance. Under Wilmer, you were offered a Holmes most true to Doyle’s invention—a mastermind with no patience for fools.
3. Arthur Wontner – Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour (1931) and more
In the 1930s, Arthur Wontner was the Holmes of a generation. His was a gentler, more friendly but still razor-sharp approach. Critics were so impressed that they said his performance was almost plucked directly from the pages of Doyle, with his “kindly face and quiet prescient smile.” For older, traditional fans, Wontner is still one of the greatest.
2. Basil Rathbone – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and others
For millions, Basil Rathbone is Sherlock Holmes. Across 14 films, he gave us a brisk, authoritative, and endlessly capable detective who embodied the role with confidence. He wasn’t flashy or eccentric—just rock-solid and trustworthy, exactly the kind of Holmes you’d want if your life depended on it.
1. Jeremy Brett – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
And at number one: Jeremy Brett, generally considered to be the greatest Sherlock Holmes. Over a decade of acting, Brett seized every mannerism of the character—his tantrums, disguises, bursts of energy, and flashings of swagger. He could be breathtaking, witty, or discomfiting, sometimes at the same time. To some of his fans, Brett wasn’t playing Holmes so much as becoming him.
From brooding Victorians to modern-day oddballs, these actors proved that there is no single “right” way to play Sherlock Holmes. Each put their own indelible stamp on the world’s most famous detective. The game, as always, is on.