So, who do you think would play a good Sherlock Holmes? I have my idea pic inside...

[M. Clyde Pittman]

I have been writing a screenplay based on "The Valley of Fear" for over two years; so I have often wondered whoI would insert to play the roles of Mr. Holmes as well as Watson. Dozens of potential candidates have poured through my mind, and for some reason I keep coming back to Hugh Jackman. Physically, I think he captures the Conan Doyle Holmes pretty damn well. I don't think he is the greatest actor in the world, but I get the feeling he would thrive in the character.

Take a look at the picture, what do you think? Also, I'd love to hear who you think could play such a legendary character well...

[sherlockrulez]

He would be a great Holmes. The only problem I see is that his eyes are too kind, Holmes's...not so much. I'm sure he could change them =)

Much MUCH better choice than Robert Downey Jr. *shudder* he's a spectacular actor, but as Sherlock Holmes...nah

[Alistair Duncan]

I think you need to keep away from established movie actors. They tend to dominate any character they take on so the film becomes more about the actor than the character. I think we're more likely to find an ideal Holmes (and Watson) in the realm of TV drama.

How about Rupert Penry Jones (who is currently starring the in TV drama Whitechapel and previously starred in Spooks). Just dye his hair black and away we go.

[M. Clyde Pittman]

Yes good choice Alistair. I can see it. The crooked nose even.

[Ruth]

I think Rupert would make an excellent Holmes. David Tennant would also rank highly on my list, although I think he's too well known from Doctor Who. However, that didn't stop me from spending the first few minutes of Einstein and Eddington imagining him in the role of the Great Detective.

[Chris]

(Late response, haven't signed in for a while). I like the idea of almost anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. When I read Conan Doyle's description, he doesn't come to mind. I like Ruth's idea of David Tennant. I think a quintessential Holmes moment is when he observes someone intently (in order to determine who they are), and I think it needs to be done in a certain way. I can't describe it, but I'd know it when I see it.

[Nick Kitt]

If you are doing a big screen adventure with ,perhaps,one sequel like Basil Rathbone's two 20th Century Fox films,HOUND and ADVENTURES,then Daniel Day Lewis is your guy. William Hurt would be a great Watson for him,as well.

If it's small screen,then I suggest Adrian Pasdar. He's currently in HEROES,but if you ever saw his short lived excellent series,PROFIT,you know what I mean. The look and the necessary menace to role he would bring. Rupert Penry Jones would be a good Watson. I don't think he's a good Holmes.

Matt Frewer wasn't too bad. He just needed better direction to rein him in. He always played Holmes like he was winking in a mirror looking at himself. But if you gave him a tight script with a tough director,he would have been much better. Kenneth Walsh was not a good Watson and much too old.

Does Jeremy Brett have a long lost son somewhere ??--LOL !!!

[John Clayton]

Jeremy Brett said that he hoped his successor would be Daniel Day Lewis. That is a view that I have shared ever since I saw Daniel Day Lewis in A ROOM WITH A VIEW in 1986. It occurred to me then that if you produced a faithful adaptation of A STUDY IN SCARLET then he would have been an almost ideal choice to play a comparatively youthful Holmes. All too often, the actors cast as Holmes are well into middle age in a time period where Holmes should be somewhat younger. Daniel Day Lewis is still a viable choice for a later time period, but he is now past fifty.

Today, I believe that Christopher Eccleston would be a strong candidate. He has the look, the talent, and the experience to make him very suitable for the role. Another possible choice would be Jeremy Northam.

However, it is worth noting that it is not just a matter of casting Holmes. When director Rouben Mamoulian was preparing what would become the 1932 Paramount production of DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE, the matter of casting the dual role came under discussion. An actor named named Irving Pichel was suggested to him. Mamoulian replied, "Why?" The executive who made the suggestion said, "He can play Hyde." Mamoulian replied, "Anyone can play Hyde. the problem is casting Jekyll and Hyde." Mamoulian's answer was to cast Frederic March, who at that time was known as a light comedian. March went on to share the Academy Award for Best Actor that year with Wallace Beery, who appeared in THE CHAMP.

So, the problem is to cast Holmes and Watson. A good Watson will not save an inadequate Holmes, but a poor Watson can undermine a good Holmes.

Hugh Jackman is a very engaging actor, but he would make an unlikely Holmes. Robert Downey, Jr. is also a gifted actor, but casting him as Holmes is simply a bad joke. Of course, today producers care about the bankability of star, not necessarily the suitability of the casting. The salary and percentage deal that a star can command places business considerations well ahead of artistic matters for most contemporary film productions.

[Janine Schmelzer Bock]

I have always thought that House's Hugh Laurie would make a great Holmes. He is British (which the average TV watching American would never know because he is able to fake a great mid-American accent) and he has the ability to show his 'superior attitude' while making the viewer believe that he is right in his thinking.
JSBock

[Chuck Huber]

Hugh Laurie would be an interesting choice. Even more apt, as a friend of mine recently suggested, would be Stephen Fry as Mycroft.

[Will Thomas]

One name I haven't heard suggested is Ralph Fiennes. he's a superb actor, but sometimes overlooked.

[Bob Cassady]

There are some very good ideas here for actors that might make a good Holmes. There has to be a good match with someone to come up with the chemistry to make things work. Salt and pepper. This is not so easily answered. I would summit an American actor that just keeps getting better with every new work. How about Sean Penn? He doesn't have any bounds that inhibit his characters.
Cactus Bob

[Nick Kitt]

Julian Richings would make an excellent Holmes !!!! He looks just like the Doyle's' descriptions. And like every other great Holmes actor,he spent some time playing bad guys.