Jeremy Brett NPR Interview: Part I/II

Liane Hansen's 1991 NPR (National Public Radio) interview with Jeremy Brett.
(in which he discusses his interpretation of "you-know-who's" character and the two "Watsons")

[@michaelferrell4682]

As a 58 year old American, and lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes... Jeremy Brett is the most authentic Holmes I have ever seen portrayed. I delighted each week to a new episode when originally broadcast, and I have yet to see a "better" Holmes. Jeremy Brett IS Sherlock Holmes!!!

[@user-wt8jn1wu3m]

Russian Sherlock Holmes got Quinn Elizabeth recognition. Very good movies!

[@renehenriksen1735]

Jeremy Brett is the most convincing Sherlock Holmes ever.

[@mr.sherlockholmes6130]

Thank you Jeremy . Sir Arthur Conan Doyle daughter said to Jeremy Brett you are the Holmes of my Childhood. The ultimate Honor . Rest is peace Jeremy!!! Missed everyday

[@bangsteellongrangeshooting3413]

Brett was the quintessential Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle would have LOVED HIM!

[@rajenchhettri8427]

Jeremy was the quintessential Holmes.No one will ever play Holmes better.

[@Lauritz777]

Best Sherlock Holmes ever, he IS Sherlock Holmes .

[@luciferalpha3080]

I could listen to Jeremy Brett talk about anything all day.

[@mr.sherlockholmes6130]

Jeremy Brett was our Holmes and the best ever . We will never see the like of his greatness again . Jeremy is Timeless !!!

[@rayhunt3244]

Lestrade `we`re not jealous of you at Scotland yard,no sir,we`re proud of you.`

[@johncook30284]

Beautiful interview, touching answers, lovely man. So exuberant in his person.

[@shawnaoguinn9612]

Totally fell in love with Jeremy Brett he is by far the best Holmes and you could listen to him talk forever love his voice

[@suetaylor4018]

Jeremy Brett is THE ONLY HOLMES TO ME

[@nonosays]

He was an actor's actor. Simply breathtaking. What a marvel he was!

[@Themanwhocameback2]

What an extraordinary man Brett was!

[@firthivated]

I was always a fan of ACD and Sherlock Holmes. The first time I saw Jeremy's Holmes portrayal back in the 80s, I recognised the Holmes of my imagination come to life. He will always be Holmes to me!

[@alexanderdelacruz9249]

Indeed,i totally agree with you.

[@MrKmoconne]

That beautiful voice can only belong to the great detective now..

[@saintcruzin]

He was absolutely brilliant as Holmes. There has never been a better Holmes, magnetic.

[@chislehurstbat]

9 years later +1

[@doumokun1]

i cannot express how grateful I am for you posting this rare and valuable interview with Jeremy Brett. I recently saw Granada Production of Sherlock Holmes and saw life being breathed into the greatest detective in the literary world. Having a glimpse of the brilliant man behind the face of Sherlock Holmes was a wonderful treat. Thank you so much!

[@muniramino9592]

Superb acting , his face expressions are remarkable , and his eyes hide many secrets, watched this serial when growing up and still love it know , best holmes character played ever like a real sherlock holmes.......so much to say 😘😘😘

[@mrdenovo7]

A great actor... totally on a different level then most shallow so called actors today. I'm American and a artist that make's me love to see people like this...set apart in the momentum of their art. God bless!

[@kamwrites]

That laugh....oh god. I've never heard anyone laugh with such utter joy.

[@slyph63]

He was the best. Even though it was Basil Rathbone who brought me first to Sherlock Holmes I fell in love in love with him completely when Brett took the part

[@user-sm7rl8bm9c]

As a 69 years old Scot and life long A C Doyle fan (I was brought up about 100 yards from his birth place) I salute Jeremy Brett as the best ever Sherlock Holmes. I read Doyle and see Brett in my head. I so wish he had been able to finish the canon.

[@elizabethportuguez3825]

Jeremy incomparable.Inmortal.

[@woodsofthewoods]

What a masterpiece. Love Mr. Holmes!, I mean Mr. Brett.

[@Hich-dx9yo]

I'm your fan Jeremy for ever

[@SuperStrik9]

How I wish Jeremy got to complete the Holmes canon as was supposedly planned. What an achievement that would've been!

[@davidwhyberd7612]

I read that there were a few stories that were not as interesting to film, such as "The Beryl Coronet".

[@OAleathaO]

We need more actors like this that fight for the accurate portrayal of a writer's material. Granted every story or novel needs _some_ adaptation to bring it to the screen but I think screenwriters and directors sometimes (many times?) take far too many liberties with the material.

[@TheDoctor1225]

I agree 1000% - the newest "imaginings" of Holmes as shown on TV (with a female Watson) or on the BBC or by *shudder* Downey Jr. are about as far from ACD's character as can possibly be imagined.

[@macolleague]

@SherlockOnBrain: You are most welcome, and thank you for the insights. David Stuart Davies described Brett as a perfectionist in Bending the Willow; when it came to Holmes and the scripts he insisted on keeping to Doyle's words, not compromise them with unnecessary rewrites...today we can enjoy the results of his tireless efforts.

[@soniavadnjal7553]

I have that book.

[@FireLily312]

Thank you for posting this, and with all these beautiful and well-chosen pictures too. Excuse me while I go cry into a pillow and watch the entire Granada series again. :')

[@TheRedLady1430]

Cried so much listening to this. Brett is a brilliant individual..

[@kaylareeds]

may god bless your son

[@CathyFrontier]

Thanks SO much for posting this!!! Jeremy was sensational... As Holmes and as... Jeremy!

[@charlesnolan7602]

Captured completely, on the Granada series...

[@andrewhelm2813]

Basil Rathbone may well have been Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes... but to so many people, Jeremy Brett is the definitive Holmes - no-one else comes close.

[@elvirajakab6872]

Brilliant actor 💝🌹😔

[@KatieCatWalker]

Thank you so much. I've read and heard a lot about what he said, but to hear his words is so much the more filling and enriching. Thank you

[@nancyloomis3046]

I’ve become such a fan….kind of late to discover how great he and the entire cast and production was. ❤

[@patrizialucchetti2508]

After 35 age he was interesting and fullness man

[@HJKelley47]

Those who have played Sherlock Holmes since 1893: Charles Brookfield - 1893 William Gillette - 1899-1930 - 1300 Performances over 30 yrs. Sherlock Holmes movie Baffled - 1900 Silent/Short - Max Goldberg John F. Preston - 1900 Charles Rice - 1904 Karoly Baumann - 1905 Maurice Costello - 1905 Viggo Larsen - 1908 Alwin NeuB - 1908, 1911, 1914 Otto Lagoni - 1910 Holger Rasmussen - 1911 Mack Sennett - 1911-1912 George Treville - 1912 Harry Benham - 1913 James Bragington - 1914 Francis Ford - 1914 H.A. Saintbury - 1916 Hugo Fink - 1917 Sam Robinson - 1918 Eille Norwood - 1921 Silent short movie - The Dying Detective Burt Lytell - 1921 Dennis Neillson-Terry - 1921 John Barrymore - 1922 Hamilton Deane - 1923-1932 Tod Slaughter - 1928, 1930 Richard Gordon - 1930-1933, 1936 Clive Brook - 1929/1930/1932 Arthur Wontner - 1931- 1937 - Movie Series Raymond Massey - 1931 Robert Rendel - 1932 Reginald Owen - 1933 Felix Alymer - 1933 Louis Hector - 1934-1935, 1937 Bruno Guttner - 1937, 1939, 1942-1943 Orson Welles - 1938 Basil Rathbone - 1939-1946 Cedric Hardwick - 1945 Tom Conway - 1947 Howard Marion-Crawford - 1948 John Stanley - 1948-1949 Alan Napier - 1949 John Longden - 1951 Laidman Browne - 1951 Carleton Hobbs - 1952-1969 Ronald Howard - 1954 (39 episodes) Sir John Gielgud - 1954-1955 Peter Cushing - 1959, 1968, 1984 Christopher Lee - 1962, 1970, 1992 Douglas Wilmer - 1964 John Neville - 1965, 1970, 1978 Robert Stephens - 1970 Stewart Granger - 1972 John Cleese - 1973 Larry Hagman - 1974 Robert Powell - 1974 John Wood - 1974-1975 Leonard Nimoy - 1976 Kevin McCarthy - 1977 Roger Moore - 1976 Nicol Williamson - 1976 Christopher Plummer - 1977 Peter Cook - 1977 Paxton Whitehead - 1978 Geoffrey Whitehead - 1979-1980 Keith Mitchell - 1979 Charlton Heston - 1980 Frank Langella - 1980 Vasily Livanov - Russian TV - 1979-1981, 1983 & 1986 John Moffatt - 1981 Guy Henry - 1982 Tom Baker - 1982 Ian Richardson - 1983 Peter O’Toole - 1983 (animated TV films - Australian) Jeremy Brett - 1984-1994 Nicholas Rowe - 1984 Dinsdale Landen - 1987 Guy Rolfe - 1984 Tim Pigott-Smith - 1987 Anthony Higgins - 1987 Michael Pennington - 1987 Roger Rees - 1988 Ron Moody - 1988-1989 Clive Merrison - 1989-1998, 2002, 2004, 2008-2010 Edward Woodward - 1990 Simon Callow - 1990 Richard E. Grant 1992 Robert Powell - 1993 Patrick McNee - 1993 Anthony Higgins - 1993 1998-2019: John Gilbert - Episodes 1-18 Lawrence Albert - Episode 20 John Patrick Lowrie - Episodes 21-65 & 67-until Dennis Bateman - Episode 66 Matt Frewer - 2000-2001 Joaquim de Almeida - 2001 Richard Roxburgh - 2002 James D’Arcy - 2002 Andrew Sachs - 2004 Rupert Everett - 2004 Jonathan Pryce - 2007 Javier Marzan - 2007 Roger Llewellyn - 2009 Ben Syder - 2010 Nicholas Briggs - 2010-2018 Johnny Lee Miller - 2012-2019 Benjamin Lawlor - 2013 Igor Petrenko - Russian TV Series - 2013 Robert Downey Jr. 2009 & 2011 Benedict Cumberbatch - 2010-2016 Nicholas Briggs - 2010-2018 Christian Rode - 2010, 2014 Seamus Dever - 2014 Ian McKellen - 2015 Euan Morton - 2015 Gregory Wooddell - 2015 Paul Andrew Goldsmith - 2015-2016 Ewen Bremner - 2016 Jay Taylor - 2017-2018 Yuko Takeuchi - 2018 (HBO Asia - female ‘Holmes’) Orlando Wells - 2018 Samuel Tady - 2011, 2014, 2017-2018 (Tady Bros. Productions/on YTube) Johnny Depp - 2018 (animation) Will Ferrell - 2018 Nicholas Boulton - 2020 Henry Cavill - 2020 Ethan Bell - 2020 (Fan Film on KZbin) Ethan Thomas Jung - 2020 Fan Adv. (Vagabond Repertory Theater Company-KZbin) This list is not exhaustive. however, these are some of the many actors who have played Sherlock Holmes on stage, screen, radio and TV adaptations.

[@jaybrumbaugh777]

WOW one of the most amazing interviews I ever heard

[@alexanderdelacruz9249]

Tnx for sharing. Now we know what mr j brett is like. Remarkable human being.

[@esthergao8140]

Thank you for posting this . :') I think it's simply wonderful to hear him converse and laugh as the man he is (having never stumbled upon these audios before), and to be able to listen to this is feels very much a privilege.

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

The them music and the pictures make it more wonderful. Thank you so much.

[@vivianaarenas3022]

Maravilloso hombre .... te extrañamos mucho

[@vivianaarenas3022]

Es el mejor Sherlock Holmes ... Jeremy Brett es un excelente actor

[@DDX1944]

My god THANK YOU!!!THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS!!!!! Amazing to hear him like this...truly I'm grateful to you for posting this rare jewel :)

[@itubePJF]

Thanks for this, are there more interviews? Thanks Thanks Thanks.

[@bernardqblack]

THE Sherlock Holmes

[@IveJustSeenAFace23]

Thank you so much for posting. JB=icon.

[@macolleague]

You're very welcome - thanks for watching.

[@macolleague]

Oh dear - did not wish to cause undue heartbreak, but thank you for watching. ;)

[@tutonelylesnaranjo6311]

Oh he had the stuff.

[@macolleague]

@DDX1944 My pleasure, and your enthusiasm is most appreciated. Happy New Year!

[@Lillian2167]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us! :D

[@2lazybum]

Thanks for posting this!

[@Dusan4666]

Watchin others play Holmes is crime . lol. Salute.

[@bluehorse3236]

Thank you for posting !

[@macolleague]

@doumokun1: you are most welcome; so glad you enjoy! ;D

[@Oaktreealley]

wow thanks for this upload. Its not even available on the npr links.

[@MarilynCrosbie]

emeeeych it was on the NPR web pages for many years.

[@ParkSeoHamStar]

Jeremy Brett ✨👏✨🤍 Stunning Wonderfullllllll Talented Precoiusidad Lindo Hot Charisma 👏✨👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@macolleague]

@SherlockOnBrain: I'd heard they were going to be publishing an updated edition of "...Willow." Will have to keep my eyes open for it. When I'm home on holiday break, I am hoping to upload a rare recording of "The Life & Death of Sherlock Holmes" he did with Edward Hardwicke. (allow me to shamelessly solicit your subscription, should you be interested...) Cheers, m'coll

[@macolleague]

@SherlockOnBrain: Oh thank you, darling - I'd post to you directly, but you're confoundingly "unavailable." Anyway, do stop by; will have something new up for you before long. xo

[@johnshields6852]

He is a great Sherlock.

[@mindakahn9964]

Great where is part 2.

[@Dagarvs]

i believe william gillette started with that pipe on the stage, and the style simply stuck.

[@soniavadnjal7553]

I think the character was portrayed with a pipe in the illustrations of the original publications of the Holmes stories.

[@twentiethcenturyman]

@jacksawild NPR is still doing a great job. Maybe that's why Congress wants to de-fund them?

[@francinebarr1204]

🧚‍♀️❤️

[@Chikin1ninjas]

@macolleague I shall certainly subscribe to you!

[@hadassah179]

Why do the other versions of Holmes have him smoking one of those short curved pipes while here in the true Jeremy Brett version he uses the long stick like pipes?

[@P.Whitestrake]

B.A.P. - HANDS UP #비에이피와_허니문 Because the curved pipes are easier to use when the actor is putting the pipe on his mouth while talking. Curved pipes wouldn't wiggle as much. In Brett's case, as far as I remember, he never talk with a pipe in his mouth. He always elegantly put away his pipe first before talking.

[@crystalc906]

Why do they keep talking about Voldermort?

[@katharinebuckman2815]

Doyle better read than acted, yet Brett can become characteristic of SH as Brett developed the willingness "to become".

[@ThornabyBloke]

They were all rubbish before him. I love Rathbone but he was a Holmes of his age, like Cumberbatch.

[@neptunestardust]

Spock the Dog Exactly! Don’t get me wrong I adore Benedict’s and Rathbone’s renditions. But Brett was amazing. He took a role and he put an eccentric spin on it. And I payed off! Jeremy Brett! The best!

[@judithcressey1682]

Cumberbatch is mediocre and pointless.

[@BillOweninOttawa]

Cigarettes killed him. Don't smoke!

[@austenj4539]

Lovvies who laboured and lost - Brett and Hardwick will forever be reviled as ham actors who failed to convince. I simply loathe both of their performances as Holmes and Watson. They failed to get it.

[@Themanwhocameback2]

LOL! Look at all the appreciation posted here. You failed to get it, not them.

[@soniavadnjal7553]

What ARE you talking about, you silly person?