An insight into some of the most epic portrayals of Sherlock Holmes on screen.
Sherlock Holmes is undoubtedly one of the most famous fictional characters ever in the world. Created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is a private detective with sharp brain, powerful observation skills, analytical mind and a bit of weirdness. The character has been portrayed hundreds of times in all the mediums of entertainment. When it particularly comes to the movies and TV shows, there have been a number of prolific actors to immortalize the character in various approaches on screen. Here, let's rewind some of those memorable performances.
John Barrymore: The iconic Hollywood star John Barrymore appeared as Holmes in the 1922 silent film 'Sherlock Holmes'. While the film was lost for decades, it was finally restored by George Eastman House in the mid-70s.
Basil Rathbone: Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes in a franchise of fourteen movies (such as 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' etc.) during the 30s and 40s. His incredible personality, stylish attitude and baritone voice made the character more interesting on screen.
Christopher Plummer: The legendary actor Christopher Plummer impressed all with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1979 movie 'Murder By Decree'. Previously, he had also played the character in the 1977 movie 'Silver Blaze'. He portrayed Holmes as a very confident, compassionate and slightly frustrated person on screen.
Robert Downey Jr: While Robert Downey Jr. is mostly celebrated as the on-screen Iron Man, his performance as the great detective in the two films 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009) and 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' (2011) is also enthralling. His version of Holmes is funny, talkative and extremely weird along with being genius. The third installment of this franchise is on its way to release.
Benedict Cumberbatch: Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC show 'Sherlock' is exactly what the modern-day Sherlock Holmes would look like! He brilliantly pulls off both the genius as well as peculiar sides of the character. His attractive personality adds more layer to the detective on screen.
Henry Cavill: Henry Cavill has played Sherlock Holmes in the recent Netflix movie 'Enola Holmes'. His characterization explores more of the human side of the detective on the screen. Thus, Holmes seems as a calm, observant and gentle person to us.
Ian McKellen: Ian McKellen's version of Sherlock Holmes in the 2015 movie 'Mr. Holmes' is unquestionably the most unique one ever in the history. He appeared as a 93-year-old Holmes, suffering from dementia, who is struggling hard to remember the unsolved cases from his past life. McKellen brought his own sense into the character which stands out from all the other portrayals.
Some other actors to have played Sherlock Holmes on screen are Vasily Livanov, Douglas Wilmer, Michael Caine, Johnny Lee Miller and others.
