Unveiling Exclusive Facts About the Mysterious Sherlock Holmes: 9 Universally Unknown Details
Sherlock Holmes, the iconic detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has been brought to life by numerous actors over the years, each leaving their unique mark on the character.
The English duo of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce became synonymous with Holmes and Watson for many years, starring in 14 films between 1939 and 1946 and over 200 radio dramatizations. Their portrayals, while memorable, were not the first.
The first actor to play Holmes in an official capacity was American William Gillette. Gillette's 1899 stage play, adapted from a script by Conan Doyle himself, was a massive success. He performed the role more than 1,000 times between 1899 and 1932, and is credited with introducing the curved briar pipe that became synonymous with the character.
Gillette was also one of the first to introduce a love interest for Holmes in the stories. This addition, while not part of Conan Doyle's original vision, has been a recurring theme in subsequent adaptations.
In the 1960s, Peter Cushing brought Holmes to life on the BBC. Cushing also played Holmes in the 1959 film The Hound of the Baskervilles. Interestingly, he almost completed the "complete set" by never appearing on screen as Doctor Watson.
The actor who played Holmes for Granada Television in the late 1990s was Jeremy Brett. Brett's portrayal of Holmes is considered the definitive portrayal by many, capturing the character's intellect, eccentricities, and emotional depth with remarkable precision.
In more recent times, Benedict Cumberbatch has taken on the role, bringing a modern twist to the character while remaining faithful to the core of Holmes. Cumberbatch's Sherlock and Andrew Scott's Moriarty have been linked with Britain's most famous secret agent, James Bond, as they have both appeared in films alongside him.
The list of actors who have played Holmes is long and varied, but one actor stands out for his dual role: Sir Roger Moore. Moore is the only actor to have played both Holmes and Bond on film, starring as Holmes in The Hound of London and as Bond in the James Bond series.
Holmes has also been associated with various products, including mouthwash, breakfast cereal, furniture cream, and photocopiers. Tobacco companies were particularly fond of Holmes, with the character appearing in advertisements for brands like Lambert and Butler's 'Varsity' mixture, Chesterfield, Ogden's, Gallaher's, and Players.
Even advertisements for Beecham's Pills in the 1890s suggested that Sherlock Holmes was a devoted user. It seems that Holmes's sharp intellect and analytical skills were as valuable off-screen as they were on.
From Gillette's stage debut to Cumberbatch's modern portrayal, the character of Sherlock Holmes has evolved and endured, capturing the imagination of audiences for over a century. Despite Arthur Conan Doyle's assertion that Holmes is as inhuman as Babbage's Calculating Machine, the character's humanity and complexity have been brilliantly portrayed by each actor who has taken on the role.
