8. Ian Richardson
Before the British stage actor Ian Richardson became famous as Francis Urquhart in the original House of Cards, he played Sherlock Holmes in two TV movies from 1983: The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four. The casts in both movies were mainly British, although there was a clear American influence as producers wanted a more international draw for the Baker Street detective. The want for an American draw resulted in Richardson having to suggest corrections to the script and dialogue on multiple occasions, which ended up hurting the overall quality of the films. Overall, Richardsons portrayal of Holmes was praised by critics and audiences, as he made the detective a pacing, enthusiastic leader. Years later, from 2000 to 2001, Richardson played Dr. Joseph Bell, who was the mentor of Arthur Conan Doyle. The short-lived TV series, Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes, had Dr. Bell and Arthur Conan Doyle investigating original mysteries together.