Please add more! I know there's bunch of other ones, I've even seen a few episodes of a new tv series, I was just too lazy to add it.

I believed with all my heart that no one could ever improve upon Basil Rathbone's performance until Jeremy Brett came along.In all fairness though I think Brett did get better scrips.

I agree with you JoeLaveau...there was something that Rathbone had that Brett didn't have, but there was a lot that Brett had that Rathbone didn't have. Even though BR looks more like Holmes physically, JB is just so close to the Holmes of my imagination that he is perforce my favorite.

It is tough to really decide. They both are fitting for their time period.

His performance was so brilliant...

^I know :)

Never thought anyone could top Basil Rathbone but... Jeremy is so great i am leaning his way. I agree he not only had more but better scripts.

Honestly, Rathbone did a fantastic job of portraying Holmes, given the material he had to work with (and if we're talking aesthetics, I will always feel that he looked the most like how Holmes was described in the books out of all the other actors who have portrayed him). But Brett really just hit the nail on the head, even though I felt he didn't look the part as much. To reiterate what JoeLaveau said, Brett did have better material to work with, script and film-wise.

Downey rules!

of coarse JEREMY BRETT.he's great

See I fist fell in love with the character from the modern BBC series (I know sacralage), so I had to add Benedict Cumberbatch, but since then I have hunted up other portrayals, and my second favorite would have to be Basil Rathbone.

Jeremy Brett is my favorite with Basil Rathbone in close second :)

Brett and Cumberbatch. It was soooo hard to choose. But I chose the one I adored the longest. Both are brilliant actors. But because Brett's performance was most like the real ACD (Arthur Conan Doyle) stories, I chose him.

he is holmes ^to me without a dought!^^
+ Benedict cumberbatch is also great holmes!^^

Basil Rathbone is the best Sherlock Holmes! (and Robert Downey jr. of course)