Sherlock Holmes isn’t just a well-known story cop—he’s a giant in pop culture. Over 75 actors have played him so far, making Holmes the most shown book character on screen. But not all Sherlocks are the same. Some stick to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first plan, while others change it a lot—making it modern or all new. Here’s a list of the 10 top acts that got the heart of Holmes in ways that still hit us today.
10. Henry Cavill – Enola Holmes (2020–2022)
In Enola Holmes, Henry Cavill shows us a soft side of the famous cop. He’s not the main one—this is about Enola, after all—but Cavill’s Holmes shows quiet depth. His take is more kind than cold, giving a rare warm feel under his smart look. As Entertainment Weekly said, it’s one of the few times Cavill gets to show his real charm in a truly good way.
9. Nicholas Rowe – Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Long before making old stories new was cool, Nicholas Rowe showed us Holmes as a weird, full-of-himself teen in this hidden hit. With violin in hand and a fast but wild mind, Rowe hit the mark of the cop we’d all get to know. He caught both the young skill and the hard sides of a cop in the making.
8. Yuko Takeuchi – Miss Sherlock (2018)
Set in today’s Tokyo, Miss Sherlock turns Holmes into a smart and very open Japanese woman. The late Yuko Takeuchi’s act is powerful—sharp, cool, and full of heart. She makes the part new without losing what makes Sherlock Holmes… well, Sherlock Holmes. It’s a brave change that showed the part could live on outside old London and past usual roles for men and women.
7. Ian McKellen – Mr. Holmes (2015)
What happens when the sharpest mind starts to fail? Ian McKellen looks at that sad idea in Mr. Holmes, showing an old, no longer working cop dealing with lost memories and old, sad feelings. It’s a touching, very human act that swaps showy bits for quiet thinking—and hits every sad note.
6. Jonny Lee Miller – Elementary (2012–2019)
In Elementary, Sherlock Holmes is seen as a recovering addict solving crimes in New York. Jonny Lee Miller shows both mess and smarts in the part, mixing fast guesses with real feels. Over seven seasons, his mix with Lucy Liu’s Joan Watson changed the Holmes/Watson set-up and made the show feel new. Miller’s act is strong and very close to the heart.
5. Peter Cushing – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Peter Cushing’s Holmes is all sharp bones and sharp thinking. In Hammer’s classic dark take, he was the cool, smart man for the part. His Holmes was just right for the odd, foggy world of Baskerville Hall. Many still see Cushing’s take as one of the coolest—and truest—Holmes acts ever filmed.
4. Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes (2009–2011)
Guy Ritchie’s action-filled films made Sherlock almost a hero from old times, and Robert Downey Jr. jumped right in. His Holmes talks fast, fights hard, and shows off—a bit like Tony Stark, a bit like a rock cop. The mix with Jude Law’s Watson is a big part of why this take is so fun.
3. Basil Rathbone – The Sherlock Holmes Series (1939–1946)
Basil Rathbone is what many picture when they think of Sherlock Holmes: the pipe, the hat, the sharp look. His work in 14 films set up how the cop would be shown for years. Even now, bits of his cool, classic take show up in every new Holmes.
2. Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock (2010–2017)
Benedict Cumberbatch got Sherlock into the days of phones and GPS—and made it look smooth. His Holmes is smart, often alone, and can be cold, but still draws you in. The link with Martin Freeman’s Watson, the sharp talk, and the show’s big screen feel made this take a big hit around the world.
1. Jeremy Brett – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
If there’s a top mark for Holmes acts, it’s Jeremy Brett. Over ten years, Brett gave us a Sherlock that was deep, full of quirks, and true to Doyle’s first stories. His Holmes wasn’t just smart—he was wild, moody, and so pulling. For many fans and reviewers, this is as true to the “real” Sherlock as you can get.
From new takes with women to old-school hits, these acts show there’s no one way to show Sherlock Holmes. But the best ones all share one thing: they get the mind, mystery, and pull of a man who keeps us all into him, year after year.