[EXPANDED PERSPECTIVE] 15 Years of Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes: A Look at Every Iconic Actor Who Has Portrayed the Master Detective!

Fifteen years ago, on December 25, 2009, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes debuted in U.S. theaters, revolutionizing the genre by reimagining the iconic detective and his loyal partner, Dr. Watson, in a high-energy action-thriller. Featuring the stellar performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, the film breathed new life into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters. In celebration of this anniversary, we revisit a 2022 article originally written during the release of Enola Holmes 2, highlighting the most notable portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in English and American productions.

A Character Adapted Countlessly

Few literary figures have been adapted as often as the legendary English private detective. Sherlock Holmes, introduced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, appeared in four novels and fifty-six short stories, captivating audiences ever since. Beyond literature, the character has been reimagined in comic books, radio dramas, stage plays, video games, and animations, not to mention countless films and television series. Holmes has crossed paths with iconic figures like Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Batman, and has even been subjected to fantastical plotlines such as being cryogenically frozen and revived in the modern era. To date, over 200 actors have portrayed the detective, ranging from big-name stars to largely forgettable performers, especially in the early days of cinema.

In the context of Enola Holmes 2 on Netflix (where Henry Cavill plays the detective), let’s review the most significant portrayals of Sherlock Holmes on television and in films, with a focus on English and American productions.

The Early 1900s

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes were adapted for the screen quite early, beginning in 1900 with numerous short silent films featuring the character. These productions were often English, American, German, or Danish. Moving beyond the silent film era, the first major adaptation is associated with Clive Brook, who portrayed Holmes in three American-made films. Around the same time, British actor Arthur Wontner also took on the role, playing the detective in five films. Basil Rathbone is another key figure to mention, as he played Holmes in no fewer than fourteen films, even making a brief cameo in another.

The first two films starring Rathbone were produced by 20th Century Fox, placing the stories in a traditional Victorian setting. From the third film onward, Universal Pictures acquired the rights and updated the narrative to contemporary times. As a result, while most of these films still adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original writings, Holmes found himself battling Nazis. Under Universal’s production, these films operated on smaller budgets, often being released as B-movies.

From 1939 onward, Rathbone spent seven years appearing in Holmes films. These productions were later dubbed and broadcast on television channels in various countries.

The Iconic 1950s

In the 1950s, demand for the detective remained strong, and adaptations began to proliferate across various media. These included individual episodes and TV movies, as well as a six-part series in 1951 starring Alan Wheatley. A few years later, a more significant series followed, featuring Basil Rathbone in thirty-nine half-hour episodes. This series diverged significantly from Doyle's books, focusing mainly on original stories.

In 1959, another feature film was released, marking the first major adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles in twenty years since Rathbone's series debuted. Peter Cushing, later famous as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, took on the title role. Contemporary reviews praised his performance, with some even calling him the best Holmes to date. Interestingly, Christopher Lee also appeared in this film. Three years later, Lee portrayed Sherlock himself in a minor German-French co-production, and he reprised the role in two TV films in the 1990s.

Another film followed, starring John Neville as Holmes. This adaptation borrowed the iconic characters but presented an entirely original story in which the master detective pursued Jack the Ripper.

In 1964, another significant adaptation emerged. The anthology series Detective featured various detective stories, including an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes’ adventure The Adventure of the Speckled Band, with Douglas Wilmer in the lead role. The episode was well-received, and its rerun garnered high viewership, prompting the BBC to commission a thirteen-episode season. Nigel Stock reprised his role as Dr. Watson, and Wilmer eagerly embraced the opportunity, being a great fan of Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation.

However, some viewers criticized Holmes’ character for being unlikable, to which Wilmer defended himself, stating that the character in the books wasn’t particularly likable either and was likely a challenging presence in any room. The series premiered in 1965 and was rerun multiple times over the years with consistent success. This led to the approval of another season in 1968, now in color and expanded to sixteen episodes.

Nigel Stock returned as Watson, but Wilmer declined to continue, citing the immense difficulty of the production. He often had to rewrite scripts late into the night and found the overall experience unbearable. As a result, Peter Cushing, who had already proven himself in the role, stepped in as Holmes. Yet, Cushing later confirmed that the filming process was equally grueling for him. Interestingly, Cushing reprised the role one final time in a 1984 television film.

The Evolving 1970s

For a long time, it was common for TV movies to lag significantly behind feature films in terms of quality, largely due to their smaller budgets. Naturally, this also meant that higher-profile actors were more often signed on for big-screen productions. However, this trend shifted during the 1970s when it came to the adventures of the private detective. Between 1970 and 1980, three TV movies and five feature films were produced.

One notable American TV production, Sherlock Holmes in New York, managed to cast none other than Roger Moore, who found time for the role between two Bond films. Additionally, John Cleese portrayed Arthur Sherlock-Holmes, the original character’s grandson, in a parody film also made for television.

But this was not the only parodic take on Sherlock Holmes. In 1975, the American comedy The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother was released in theaters. The real highlight of this film was Gene Wilder as Sigerson Holmes, Sherlock’s supposed smarter sibling. Naturally, Sherlock himself also appeared, portrayed by Douglas Wilmer, who was already familiar to audiences from the 1964 series.

Another parody followed three years later, with Peter Cook playing the famous detective in a comedic light. However, it was Dudley Moore who stole the show as a bumbling Dr. Watson in a satirical take on The Hound of the Baskervilles.

In 1970, there was a lesser-known cinematic outing titled The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Stephens. However, more notable was the 1976 film The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, where Holmes’s cocaine addiction leads Watson to take him to Vienna to see Sigmund Freud. Sherlock was played by Nicol Williamson, and while the story diverged significantly from the original, the production’s standout performances came from Robert Duvall as Watson and Alan Arkin as Freud.

Also worth mentioning is the 1979 film Murder by Decree, which once again pitted Holmes against Jack the Ripper, and a 1977 episode of the anthology series The Sunday Drama, which adapted The Adventure of the Silver Blaze. In both of these productions, Christopher Plummer stepped into the role of the famous detective.

The Television Renaissance of the 1980s and Beyond

The 1980s did not see a decline in the popularity of the Sherlock Holmes character, and numerous adaptations were created for television and later for video rentals. These productions mostly remained low-budget, mass-produced works, with corresponding execution, and were largely independent projects. With few exceptions, the lead roles were assigned to lesser-known actors. Besides the aforementioned Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Frank Langella once took on the role in a television play, and Peter O’Toole lent his voice to the character in four consecutive Australian animated films. Another notable name of the time was Tom Baker, who took on the lead role in a four-part adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles just one year after hanging up his Doctor Who hat.

The biggest coup of the period, however, was likely Charlton Heston, who starred in a Holmes film in the early 1990s.

Other portrayals of Holmes during this era featured actors such as Ian Richardson, Guy Rolfe, Michael Pennington, Edward Woodward, Patrick Macnee, Anthony Higgins, Matt Frewer, James D’Arcy, Richard Roxburgh, Rupert Everett, Jonathan Pryce, and Ben Syder.

The Modern Era: A Shift Toward Innovation

Sherlock Holmes has spent much of the past forty years on television screens, as his adventures have been adapted not only into TV and feature films but also into series formats. One of his stories appeared in the anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1989, with Brian Bedford playing the famous detective. Earlier, in 1982, Guy Henry portrayed a young Sherlock in an eight-episode series, while Roger Ostime provided Holmes's voice in another eight-episode series about the Baker Street Irregulars. More recently, Henry Lloyd-Hughes took on the role of Holmes in a modernized Netflix adaptation of the same concept, The Irregulars.

In the past few decades, three major serialized adaptations have stood out. The first and most faithful to the original writings was the British series featuring Jeremy Brett as Holmes, along with complementary TV films. This adaptation, which adhered closely to Arthur Conan Doyle's works, entertained audiences for a decade across six seasons and the aforementioned additional films. This version remains a staple on niche TV channels, often finding its way back to the schedule.

The other significant British series was simply titled Sherlock, running from 2010 to 2017. This adaptation relocated the classic tales to modern-day London. The titular role was played by Benedict Cumberbatch, whose portrayal of the abrasive, sociopathic, and drug-addicted Holmes catapulted him to stardom. He was joined by none other than Martin Freeman as his partner, John Watson. The series has never been officially canceled, leaving the door open for a potential continuation in the future.

Lastly, in another modern reinterpretation, Jonny Lee Miller played a similarly addiction-prone Sherlock living in New York. In this version, Joan Watson, portrayed by Lucy Liu, is initially sent to monitor and help him overcome his addiction, only to become his friend and partner as they solve cases together. Titled Elementary, this was a more straightforward, typical American procedural series created for a network audience. Despite its simpler format, the show ran for seven successful seasons.

The Movies from the 1980s Onwards

Alongside the numerous TV adaptations, Sherlock Holmes gradually faded from the big screen. However, when he was given the opportunity, it was always a special event. In 1985, Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear hit theaters, which uniquely brought the Holmes and Watson duo together during their high school years. Nicholas Rowe played the young detective, though he was not a big name at the time. Behind the scenes, however, more well-known figures were involved: the screenplay was written by Chris Columbus, who later directed Home Alone, and the film was produced by Steven Spielberg. The result was an entertaining youth adventure film.

It's also worth mentioning Michael Caine, who starred as Reginald Kincaid in the 1988 British comedy Without a Clue. In this alternative story, Ben Kingsley played Dr. Watson, the true detective genius, who, fearing the medical community would disapprove of his odd hobby, hires a washed-up actor to portray a fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Over time, however, Kincaid starts to outshine him.

After this, the famous detective did not return to theaters for twenty years, but his comeback was a resounding success. In 2009, Sherlock Holmes premiered, with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. Alongside his portrayal of Iron Man, this character provided a significant boost to his career. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie, who crafted an entirely original story. This was followed by a sequel two years later, titled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. A third installment is planned, though it has been continuously delayed.

In 2015, 75-year-old Ian McKellen took on the role of the character in Mr. Holmes, a film in which the aging detective spends his days beekeeping while reflecting on his life. Interestingly, Nicholas Rowe makes a brief cameo as the young version of Sherlock.

A comedy starring Will Ferrell also took a comedic approach to the character, where Ferrell’s usual brand of silliness lightens the well-known story, but the film was disastrously bad. Finally, Netflix adapted Enola Holmes, which follows the adventures of Sherlock's lesser-known younger sister. In this film, Enola, like her brothers (Sherlock and Mycroft), is sharp-witted and refuses to conform to the female roles expected by society. Sherlock also appears, played by none other than Henry Cavill, known for his roles as Superman and Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. The film was such a hit on Netflix that it received a green light for a sequel, which is now available on the platform!

The Future

Sherlock Holmes continues to be an integral part of literary and cinematic culture. With the possibility of Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch reprising their roles, along with the enduring legacy of other portrayals, Holmes’ adventures are far from over.