Sherlock Holmes: 10 Actors Who Have Donned the Deerstalker Hat, Ranked

Sherlock Holmes is over 130 years old, which means there are quite a few interpretations of the famed detective out there, especially on screen. The detective has appeared on-screen over 250 times in total. In fact, Sherlock Holmes is the most played literary human character in history (according to the Guinness Book of World Records).

Who comes in second? That would be Shakespeare’s own, Hamlet. And why do we specify “human” character? Because the character who has appeared most in general, that’s Dracula. So, Sherlock still has quite a list to pare down to a top 10, but we give it our best shot.

10 Christopher Plummer

The great Captain Von Trapp played the famous Baker Street detective in two films in the 1970s, Silver Blaze in 1977 and Murder by Decree in 1979.

His performance is viewed as the most emotional portrayal of Sherlock Holmes ever seen on screen. If you’ve ever wondered what the detective may have looked like if he cared about his victims, if he has the ability to cry, that’s what Plummer offered audiences.

9 Vasily Livanov

1979 was quite the year for Sherlock portrayals as, along with Christopher Plummer’s film, Vasily Livanov was portraying the detective on television in the British show, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. 

Why does this portrayal deserve a special note? Because Livanov even received accolades from the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, daughter. Appearing on the small screen eight separate times, the Russian is also the only actor to ever take on the role of detective and become an honorary member of the British Empire for his work.

8 Douglas Wilmer

As the original television Holmes in 1964, Douglas Wilmer deserves a place on our list. He appeared in thirteen stories as Sherlock Holmes before passing the character on.

His performance is best known for its composure, as well as the actor’s ability to seem detached during his analysis. Some of the best portrayals of Sherlock Holmes have come from the small screen in recent years, and it started with the classical composure of Douglas Wilmer.

7 Michael Cane

Michael Cane makes the list as the best comedic performance of Sherlock Holmes in 1988’s, Without a Clue. In this outing, Ben Kingsley’s Watson is the wise member of the pair.

Kingsley hires Michael Cane to portray his alter-ego, Holmes, to the public so he can continue his own work as a detective incognito. Hilarity ensues. The duo is eventually asked to work on a real case by Scotland Yard, and Kingsley’s Watson is in for a bit more than he bargained for.

6 Barrie Stanton/Basil

Though most children probably don’t recognize it at the time, The Great Mouse Detective is often the first introduction a youngster gets to the world of Sherlock Holmes, so we would be remiss not to add Basil (voiced by British actor Barrie Stanton) to our list.

The mouse does wear the deerstalker hat after all. The 1986 animated film is based on the children’s book series, Basil of Baker Street, which itself (obviously) is based on the tradition and tales of Sherlock Holmes himself.

5 Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing took over the television portrayal of Sherlock Holmes from Douglas Wilmer in 1968. He portrayed the Baker street detective in sixteen episodes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes on the BBC. His last portrayal of the character was in 1984’s The Masks of Death. He is often seen as the actor who most resembled Conan Doyle’s description of Holmes.

He is best remembered for his 1968 series but had already portrayed Holmes in a version of The Hounds of the Baskervilles in 1959. Arrogant and impulsive in each of his outings as the detective, it’s no wonder he spent his career coming back to the character.

4 Basil Rathbone

Douglas Wilmer originated Sherlock Holmes on the small screen, but it was Basil Rathbone who created the classic characters’ on-screen look, deerstalker included. Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in fourteen different films between 1939 and 1946.

He is particularly well known for his voice, having played the character over 200 times on the radio, as well as working on the screen. By introducing the deerstalker to the visual recognition of the character Rathbone did more to create the popular image of Sherlock than anyone than perhaps Conan Doyle himself.

3 Robert Downey Jr.

Perhaps one of the more divisive performances of the character, Downey’s Iron Man stardom did draw a whole new generation to the character of Sherlock Holmes.

Slightly more vulgar and slightly more cynical than previous incarnations, Downey’s energy is a nice change of pace when compared to previous versions. Starring as the detective in 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, rumors persist that a final film in the trilogy is due at some point.

2 Jeremy Brett

For over a decade, between 1984 and 1994, Jeremy Brett was the face of Sherlock Holmes on television in, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Brett is known for the extensive research he did to back up his portrayal, even inventing an off-screen life for his character to fill in gaps between episodes.

Over ten years he put his research to good use in 41 episodes. Brett suffered from depression and bipolar disorder in real life, but critics believe his personal experiences only added to the depth of character he was able to bring to viewers.

1 Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch brought his Sherlock twenty-first-century version to the small screen beginning in 2010. Despite other “modern-day” versions attempts on different networks (looking at you Elementary), Cumberbatch’s portrayal is the one that wormed its way into the hearts of viewers and created its own fandom. While he only ever dons the deerstalker as a joke, he is not without special detective attire (long coat and scarf).

His sidekick, Dr. Watson, blogs about their adventures rather than handwriting them, but all the general points adored by readers over the years make their way back into the story, and how it’s told, in some way (though updated for new technology). Cumberbatch tops the list for understanding the character’s history, embracing it, and updating it, and making the audience believe despite the changes.

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