1. Jeremy Brett
Jeremy Brett is the most oft-cited person when the question is asked, Whos the quintessential Sherlock Holmes? As such, he is the best-suited person to top this list. You just cant beat the original, and Brett was the whole package. He was an actor of immense talent, and he was the spitting image of Conan Doyles Holmes. Brett played Holmes 41 times over 10 years, from 1984 to 1994. He was bipolar, which made his sudden heightened mannerisms, manic thought, and wit truly convincing. He was the most believable Holmes, completely embodying the role. He became so obsessed with the character that he took his method acting to extreme limits, often playing the character off-screen. His dedication, in part, contributed to his untimely death in 1995, but he will always be remembered as the consummate Sherlock Holmes.