Let’s face it—Sherlock Holmes might be the single most adaptable character in popular culture. He shifts from tracking clues under the gas lamps of Victorian London to texting in the 21st century and is still as mysterious as ever. Numerous actors have taken up the character (or dropped the deerstalker character) over the years and thus have imprinted their own version of the legendary detective. But which one, in fact, left a lasting impression? Below is a list of the top 10 performances of Sherlock Holmes, ranked from the least to the greatest master of deduction.
10. Jonny Lee Miller – Elementary (2012–2019)
On CBS’s Elementary, Jonny Lee Miller gave a new life to Holmes by presenting him as a tattooed Brit who was starting fresh in New York. His Holmes with the patterned socks, the sharp tongue, and the huge emotional baggage which he carried more than a flight from one side of the country to the other was not so much about solving the cases but rather about figuring out himself. The character, whose warmth and depth were probably the most obvious traits in the brilliant formation of Jonny Lee Miller’s Holmes, got gloriously humanized through the love affair he had with Lucy Liu’s Joan Watson, which was like a flame that helped the character grow and develop further.
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.