# List of actors who have played Dr. Watson

The following is a list of actors who have played Dr. Watson in various media.

## Radio and audio dramas

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| F. H. Oliver | The Sign of the Four | 1922 | Radio (WGY) |
| Leigh Lovell | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1930–1935 | Radio (NBC Blue Network) |
| Reginald Mason | Lux Radio Theatre – "Sherlock Holmes" | 1935 | Radio adaptation of the play (NBC) |
| Harry West | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1936 | Radio (Mutual, NBC) |
| Ray Collins | The Mercury Theatre on the Air – "Sherlock Holmes" | 1938 | Radio adaptation of the play (CBS) |
| Nigel Bruce | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1940–1947 | Radio (Mutual, ABC) |
| Carleton Hobbs | The Boscombe Valley Mystery | 1943 | BBC Home Service |
| Ralph Truman | My Dear Watson | 1943 | BBC Home Service |
| Finlay Currie | The Adventure of the Speckled Band (two productions) | 1945, 1948 | BBC Home Service |
| Norman Shelley | Silver Blaze | 1945 | BBC Home Service |
| Norman Shelley | Sherlock Holmes | 1952–1969 | Radio series (BBC) |
| Alfred Shirley | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1947–1948 | Radio (Mutual) |
| Ian Martin | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1948 | Radio (Mutual) |
| Wendell Holmes | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1948–1949 | Radio (Mutual) |
| Eric Snowden | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1949–1950 | Radio (ABC) |
| Ralph Richardson | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1954 | Radio series (BBC Light Programme) |
| Bryan Coleman | The Sign of Four | 1959 | BBC Light Programme |
| Kenneth Baker | Sherlock Holmes | 1967 | South African Broadcasting Corporation |
| Nigel Stock | Sherlock Holmes | 1970–1971 | LP record series |
| Dinsdale Landon | A Study in Scarlet | 1974 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Lloyd Battista | CBS Radio Mystery Theater – "The Hound of the Baskervilles" | 1977 | Radio (CBS) |
| Court Benson | CBS Radio Mystery Theater' | 1977–1981 | Radio (CBS) |
| David Buck | Sherlock Holmes | 1978 | Radio series (BBC Radio 4) |
| Kerry Jordan | The Stories of Sherlock Holmes | 1979–1985 | Radio series (Springbok Radio) |
| Timothy West | Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula | 1981 | BBC radio dramatisation of the novel |
| Bernard Grant | CBS Radio Mystery Theater – "The Naval Treaty" | 1982 | Radio (CBS) |
| William Griffis | CBS Radio Mystery Theater – "The Reigate Mystery" | 1982 | Radio (CBS) |
| Andrew Hilton | The Mystery of the Reluctant Storyteller and The Valley of Fear | 1986 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Crawford Logan | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1988 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Crawford Logan | The Adventure of the Pimlico Poisoner | 1990 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Norman Rodway | The Singular Case of Sherlock H. and Sigmund F. | 1988 | BBC Radio 3 |
| Michael Williams | BBC Radio Sherlock Holmes (the entire canon) | 1989–1998 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Ian Hogg | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution | 1993 | BBC radio dramatisation of the novel |
| Nicky Henson | The Unopened Casebook of Sherlock Holmes | 1993 | Radio series (BBC Radio 5) |
| Lawrence Albert | The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (American series) | 1998–present | Radio series (Imagination Theatre) |
| Lawrence Albert | The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (the entire canon) | 2005–2016 | Radio series (Imagination Theatre) |
| Chris Emmett | The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes | 1999 | BBC Radio 2 |
| Shaun Prendergast | The Beekeeper's Apprentice | 2000 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Thomas Arnold | A Capital Case: Karl Marx Meets Sherlock Holmes | 2001 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Andrew Sachs | The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (British series) | 2002–2010 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Kristoffer Tabori | Sherlock Holmes Theatre | 2006 | Hollywood Theatre of the Ear |
| Richard Earl | Sherlock Holmes | 2010–2022 | Audio dramas (Big Finish Productions) |
| William Windom | Sherlock Holmes | 2011 | California Artists Radio Theatre |
| Geoffrey Arend | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2014 | Audio drama (L.A. Theatre Works) |
| Anthony D.P. Mann | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2017 | Audio play (Bleak December Inc.) |
| Stephen Critchlow | Mrs Hudson's Radio Show | 2018 | BBC Radio 4 |
| Kobna Holdbrook-Smith | Sherlock Holmes: The Voice of Treason | 2020 | Audio drama (Audible Original) |
| Stephen Fry | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2021 | Audio drama (Audible Original) |
| Adam Godley | Moriarty: The Devil's Game | 2022 | Audio drama (Audible Original) |
| Sanjeev Bhaskar | The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Concert Drama | 2023 | Radio play (BBC Radio 3) |
| Paul Waggott | Sherlock & Co | 2023–present | Scripted podcast (Goalhanger Podcasts) |

## Stage plays

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| Seymour Hicks | Under The Clock | 1893 | Stage (Royal Court Theatre) |
| St. John Hamund | Sherlock Holmes | 1894 | Stage (Royalty Theatre, Glasgow) |
| Bruce McRae | Sherlock Holmes | 1899 | Broadway (American) |
| Kenneth Rivington | Sherlock Holmes | 1905 | Stage (British) |
| Kenneth Rivington | The Speckled Band | 1921–1922 | Stage (British) |
| H. Lawrence Leyton | Sherlock Holmes | 1905 | Stage (British) |
| H. Lawrence Leyton | The Speckled Band | 1910 | Stage (British) |
| Claude King | The Speckled Band | 1910 | Stage (British) |
| R.V. Taylour | The Crown Diamond | 1921 | Stage (British) |
| H. G. Stoker | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | 1923 | Stage (British) |
| Jack Raine | Sherlock Holmes | 1953 | Stage (American) |
| Peter Sallis | Baker Street | 1965 | Musical (American) |
| Tim Pigott-Smith | Sherlock Holmes | 1974 | Stage revival (British) |
| Dennis Cooney | Sherlock Holmes | 1974 | Stage revival (American) |
| Timothy Landfield | The Crucifer of Blood | 1978 | Broadway (American) |
| Denis Lill | The Crucifer of Blood | 1979 | Stage (London) |
| Richard Woods | Sherlock Holmes | 1981 | Stage revival (Williamstown Theater Festival), filmed for TV |
| Jeremy Brett | The Crucifer of Blood | 1981 | Stage (Los Angeles) |
| Edward Woodward | Murder Dear Watson | 1983 | Stage (British) |
| Alan Stanford | The Mask of Moriarty | 1985 | Stage (Dublin) |
| Donal Donnelly | Sherlock's Last Case | 1987 | Stage (Nederlander Theatre) |
| John Nicholson | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2007 | Stage (West Yorkshire Playhouse) |
| Karl Graboshas | Sherlock Holmes | 2013 | Play by Greg Kramer (Canada) |
| Nigel Fairs | To Kill a Canary | 2014 | Stage (Britain) |
| Lucas Hall | Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery | 2015 | Arena Stage in Southwest, Washington, D.C. |
| Usman Ally | Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery | 2015 | Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California |
| James Maslow | Sherlock Holmes | 2015 | Play by Greg Kramer |
| Patrick Robinson | Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery | 2017–2018 | Liverpool Playhouse |
| Joseph Derrington | Sherlock Holmes – The Sign of Four | 2018–2019 | UK theatre tour |
| Ramiz Monsef | Mysterious Circumstances | 2019 | Geffen Playhouse (America) |
| Tim Marriott | Watson: The Final Problem | 2020-present | One-man play by Marriott and Bert Coules |
| Roland Kalweit | Sherlock Holmes und der Hund der Baskervilles | 2023–2025 | European theatre tour |
| Terry Molloy | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2022-2025 | Live script reading |
| David Horton | Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four | 2024 | Opera (UK) |

## Television and DTV films

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| William Podmore | The Three Garridebs | 1937 | Television play for NBC (American) |
| Campbell Singer | The Man Who Disappeared | 1951 | Television pilot (British) |
| Raymond Francis | We Present Alan Wheatley as Mr. Sherlock Holmes in... | 1951 | Television series (British) |
| Philip King | The Mazarin Stone | 1951 | Television film for BBC (British) |
| Bernard Fox | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1972 | Television film (American) |
| Edward Fox | Doctor Watson and the Darkwater Hall Mystery | 1974 | Television film (British) |
| Patrick Macnee | Sherlock Holmes in New York | 1976 | Television film (American) |
| Patrick Macnee | Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady | 1991 | Television film |
| Patrick Macnee | Incident at Victoria Falls | 1992 | Television film |
| Thorley Walters | Silver Blaze | 1977 | Television film (Canadian) |
| Richard Woods | Standing Room Only – Sherlock Holmes | 1981 | Television play for HBO (American) |
| Terence Rigby | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1982 | Television serial (British) |
| Earle Cross | Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear | 1983 | Animated television films; voice only (Australian) |
| Earle Cross | Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four | 1983 | Animated television films; voice only (Australian) |
| Earle Cross | Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse | 1983 | Animated television films; voice only (Australian) |
| Earle Cross | Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet | 1983 | Animated television films; voice only (Australian) |
| David Healy | The Sign of Four | 1983 | Television film (British-American) |
| Donald Churchill | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1983 | Television film (British-American) |
| John Mills | The Masks of Death | 1984 | Television film (British) |
| John Hillerman | Hands of a Murderer | 1990 | Television film (British) |
| Richard Johnson | The Crucifer of Blood | 1991 | TV film adaptation of the play (American) |
| John Scott-Paget | The Hound of London | 1993 | Television film (Canadian-Luxembourgian) |
| Kenneth Welsh | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2000 | Television films (Canadian) |
| Kenneth Welsh | The Sign of Four | 2001 | Television films (Canadian) |
| Kenneth Welsh | The Royal Scandal | 2001 | Television films (Canadian) |
| Kenneth Welsh | The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire | 2002 | Television films (Canadian) |
| Ian Hart | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 2002 | Television film (British) |
| Ian Hart | Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking | 2004 | Television film (British) |
| Roger Morlidge | Sherlock: Case of Evil | 2002 | Television film (American) |
| Bill Paterson | Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars | 2007 | BBC television film (British) |
| Gareth David-Lloyd | Sherlock Holmes | 2010 | DTV film (American) |
| John Rhys-Davies | Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes | 2010 | Animated DTV film; voice only (American) |
| Terry Wade | Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers | 2011 | DTV film (Canadian) |
| Harry Dillon | Holmes: The Myth of Whitechapel | 2025 | Short film/television pilot |

## Television series

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| Victor Moore | Texaco Star Theatre – "Sherlock Holmes in the Mystery of the Sen Sen Murder" | 1949 | TV episode (American) |
| Melville Cooper | Your Show Time – "The Speckled Band" | 1949 | TV episode (American) |
| Raymond Francis | Sherlock Holmes | 1951 | TV series (British) |
| Jack Raine | Suspense – "The Adventure of the Black Baronet" | 1953 | TV episode (American) |
| H. Marion-Crawford | Sherlock Holmes | 1954–1955 | TV series (American-French) |
| Nigel Stock | Sherlock Holmes | 1965–1968 | TV series (British) |
| Paul Edwin Roth | Sherlock Holmes | 1967–1968 | TV series (Germany) |
| Gianni Bonagura | Sherlock Holmes | 1968 | TV series (Italy) |
| Donald Pickering | Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson | 1979 | TV series (American-Polish) |
| Vitaly Solomin | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson | 1979–1986 | TV film series (USSR) |
| Hubert Rees | The Baker Street Boys | 1983 | TV series (British) |
| David Burke | Sherlock Holmes | 1984–1985 | TV series (British) |
| Kōsei Tomita | Sherlock Hound | 1984–1985 | TV animated series (Italian-Japanese) (Japanese version) |
| Lewis Arquette | Sherlock Hound | 1984–1985 | TV animated series (Italian-Japanese) (English dub) |
| Riccardo Garrone | Sherlock Hound | 1984–1985 | TV animated series (Italian-Japanese) (Italian dub) |
| Edward Hardwicke | Sherlock Holmes | 1986–1994 | TV series (British) |
| Patrick Monckton | Alfred Hitchcock Presents – "My Dear Watson" | 1989 | TV episode (American) |
| Phil Hartman | Saturday Night Live – "Sherlock Holmes' Birthday Party" | 1991 | TV sketch (American) |
| John Payne | Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century | 1999–2001 | Animated TV series (British-American) |
| Jim Piddock | Batman: The Brave and the Bold – "Trials of the Demon!" | 2009 | Animated TV series (American) |
| Martin Freeman | Sherlock | 2010–2017 | TV series (British) |
| Lucy Liu | Elementary | 2012–2019 | TV series (American) |
| Kyle Mooney | Epic Rap Battles of History – "Batman vs. Sherlock Holmes" | 2012 | Online series episode (American) |
| Andrei Panin | Sherlock Holmes | 2013 | TV series (Russian) |
| Wataru Takagi | Sherlock Holmes | 2014–2015 | TV series (Japanese) |
| Tao Tsuchiya | IQ246: The Cases of a Royal Genius | 2016 | TV series (Japanese) |
| Shihori Kanjiya | Miss Sherlock | 2018 | TV series (Japanese) |
| Takanori Iwata | Sherlock: Untold Stories | 2019 | TV series (Japanese) |
| Yuichi Nakamura | Case File nº221: Kabukicho | 2019–2020 | TV anime series (Japanese) (Japanese version) |
| Josh Grelle | Case File nº221: Kabukicho | 2019–2020 | TV anime series (Japanese) (English dub) |
| Yūki Ono | Moriarty the Patriot | 2020–2021 | TV anime series (Japanese) |
| Ryan Colt Levy | Moriarty the Patriot | 2021 | TV anime series (English dub) |
| Zoe Doyle | Ghostwriter – "The Case of The Missing Ghost" | 2020 | TV series (American-Canadian) |
| Andrey Feskov | Sherlock in Russia | 2020 | TV series (Russian) |
| Royce Pierreson | The Irregulars | 2021 | TV series (British-American) |
| Taisuke Nishimura | Lupin the 3rd Part 6 | 2021-2022 | TV anime series (Japanese) |
| Joe Hernandez | Lupin the 3rd Part 6 | 2022 | TV anime series (English dub) |
| Masaki Aizawa | Undead Girl Murder Farce | 2023 | TV anime series (Japanese) |
| Sanjeev Bhaskar | Inside Classical - "The Hound of the Baskervilles" | 2023 | Televised concert (British) |
| Morris Chestnut | Watson | 2025 | TV series (American) |
| Seán Duggan | Sherlock & Daughter | 2025 | TV series (American) |

## Theatrical films

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| Mr. Moyse | Silver Blaze | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Beryl Coronet | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Musgrave Ritual | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Reigate Squares | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Stolen Papers | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Mystery of Boscombe Valley | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Mr. Moyse | The Copper Beeches | 1912 | Éclair short film series (British-French) |
| Jack Francis | A Study in Scarlet | 1914 | Silent film (American) |
| Edward Fielding | Sherlock Holmes | 1916 | First silent film adaptation of the stage play (American) |
| Arthur M. Cullin | The Valley of Fear | 1916 | Silent film (British) |
| Arthur M. Cullin | The Sign of the Four | 1923 | Stoll film series (British) |
| Hubert Willis | 45 short silent films | 1921–1923 | Stoll film series (British) |
| Hubert Willis | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1921 | Stoll film series (British) |
| Roland Young | Sherlock Holmes | 1922 | Silent film adaptation of the stage play (American) |
| George Seroff | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1929 | Silent film (German) |
| H. Reeves-Smith | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | 1929 | American film |
| Ian Fleming | The Sleeping Cardinal | 1931 | 1931–1937 film series (British) |
| Ian Fleming | The Missing Rembrandt | 1932 | 1931–1937 film series (British) |
| Ian Fleming | The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes | 1935 | 1931–1937 film series (British) |
| Ian Fleming | Silver Blaze | 1937 | 1931–1937 film series (British) |
| Athole Stewart | The Speckled Band | 1931 | British film |
| Ian Hunter | The Sign of Four | 1932 | 1931–1937 film series (British) |
| Reginald Owen | Sherlock Holmes | 1932 | First sound adaptation of the stage play (American) |
| Frederick Lloyd | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1932 | British film |
| Warburton Gamble | A Study in Scarlet | 1933 | American film |
| Fritz Odemar | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1937 | German film |
| Nigel Bruce | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1939 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1939 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror | 1942 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon | 1943 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Sherlock Holmes in Washington | 1943 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Sherlock Holmes Faces Death | 1943 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Crazy House (short cameo) | 1943 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The Spider Woman | 1944 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The Scarlet Claw | 1944 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The Pearl of Death | 1944 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The House of Fear | 1945 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | The Woman in Green | 1945 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Pursuit to Algiers | 1945 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Terror by Night | 1946 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| Nigel Bruce | Dressed to Kill | 1946 | 1939–1946 film series (USA) |
| André Morell | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1959 | British film |
| Thorley Walters | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | 1962 | West German-French-Italian film |
| Thorley Walters | The Best House in London | 1969 | British film |
| Thorley Walters | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother | 1975 | American film |
| Donald Houston | A Study in Terror | 1965 | British film |
| Colin Blakely | The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes | 1970 | American film |
| Robert Duvall | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution | 1976 | American film |
| Dudley Moore | The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1978 | British film |
| James Mason | Murder by Decree | 1979 | British-Canadian film |
| Alan Cox | Young Sherlock Holmes | 1985 | American film |
| Michael Hordern | Young Sherlock Holmes | 1985 | American film (older version, voice only) |
| Laurie Main | The Great Mouse Detective | 1986 | American animated film; voice only |
| Ben Kingsley | Without a Clue | 1988 | American film |
| Gilbert Dacournan | Sherlock Holmes en Caracas | 1992 | Venezuelan film |
| Jude Law | Sherlock Holmes | 2009 | British-American films |
| Jude Law | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | 2011 | British-American films |
| Colin Starkey | Mr. Holmes | 2015 | British-American film |
| John C. Reilly | Holmes & Watson | 2018 | American film |
| Himesh Patel | Enola Holmes 2 | 2022 | British-American film |
| Jon C. Rich | Sherlock Holmes: Mare of the Night | 2025 | American film |

## Video games

| Name | Title | Date | Type |
| Warren Green | Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective | 1991 | Consulting Detective series; live-action cutscenes |
| Warren Green | Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. II | 1992 | Consulting Detective series; live-action cutscenes |
| Warren Green | Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. III | 1993 | Consulting Detective series; live-action cutscenes |
| Deem Bristow | The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel | 1992 | Voice role |
| Laurie Main | The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel | 1994 | Live-action video clips in the 3DO (1994) release |
| Roger L. Jackson | The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo | 1996 | Voice role; digitized sprites based on a different actor |
| John Bell | Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Mummy | 2002 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Silver Earring | 2004 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened | 2007 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | Sherlock Holmes Versus Arsène Lupin | 2007 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper | 2009 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles | 2011 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| David Riley | The Testament of Sherlock Holmes | 2012 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| Nick Brimble | Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments | 2014 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| Andrew Wincott | Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter | 2016 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |
| Andrew Wincott | Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened | 2023 | Sherlock Holmes series; voice role |

## Actors who have played both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

A small number of actors have played both Holmes and Watson, including Reginald Owen who played Watson in Sherlock Holmes (1932) and Holmes in A Study in Scarlet (1933); Jeremy Brett, who played Watson on stage in the United States prior to adopting the mantle of Holmes on British television; Howard Marion-Crawford, who played Holmes on British radio and Watson on American television; Carleton Hobbs, who played both roles in British radio adaptations; Patrick Macnee, who played both roles in US television movies.; and Anthony D.P. Mann who played Holmes in Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers (2011) and Watson in the 2017 Bleak December audio adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles.