Sherlock Cast (2010–2017)
BBC One | Crime Drama | 4 Series + Special | Created by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat
Sherlock is a contemporary reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stories, transporting Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson to 21st-century London. Created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the BBC series aired from 2010 to 2017 across four series, each containing three feature-length episodes. Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Holmes as a brilliant but emotionally detached consulting detective became a worldwide phenomenon, while Martin Freeman's Watson provided the warm, humanizing counterpoint. The series was co-produced with WGBH Boston for distribution on PBS in the United States.
The Sherlock cast is remarkably compact for a show of its cultural impact — by design, the series centers on the Holmes–Watson partnership above everything else. Creator Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss understood that the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman had to carry each 90-minute episode as if it were a film. The result is one of British television's most celebrated double acts in decades. Around that central partnership, a small but perfectly chosen recurring ensemble builds the world of 221B Baker Street: Una Stubbs as the warm, sharper-than-she-looks Mrs. Hudson; Rupert Graves as the perpetually exasperated but loyal DI Lestrade; Mark Gatiss himself as the mysterious, government-shadowing Mycroft; and Andrew Scott as one of the most electrifying villains in the show's history. Below is the complete Sherlock cast guide for all four series.
Main Cast
Benedict Cumberbatch
Sherlock Holmes
The world's only consulting detective — a man of extraordinary intellect and near-supernatural observational ability, who describes himself as a high-functioning sociopath and finds in criminal cases the only stimulation that matches his mind. Cumberbatch's performance blends arrogance, vulnerability, and unexpected warmth to create a wholly original Holmes for the 21st century.
Martin Freeman
Dr. John H. Watson
An army doctor invalided home from Afghanistan who becomes Sherlock's flatmate, partner, and chronicler of their cases on his blog. Freeman plays Watson not as a bumbling foil but as a capable, brave man who is both exasperated by and fiercely loyal to his unusual friend — the emotional heart of the entire series.
Una Stubbs
Mrs. Hudson
The landlady of 221B Baker Street, who provides far more than rooms and tea — she is a maternal figure to both Holmes and Watson, fiercely protective of them and possessed of a backstory considerably more dramatic than she lets on. Stubbs brings warmth and wry humor to every scene she is in.
Rupert Graves
DI Greg Lestrade
The Scotland Yard detective inspector who is willing to swallow his pride and call on Sherlock when cases exceed conventional police methods. Graves plays Lestrade as a decent, grounded professional who both appreciates Sherlock's genius and is quietly aware that he is being used — a dynamic that gives the character considerable dignity.
Mark Gatiss
Mycroft Holmes
Sherlock's older brother, who occupies a discreet but immensely powerful position in the British government. Gatiss, who co-created the series, plays Mycroft as urbane, calculating, and emotionally contained — even more so than Sherlock — yet the sibling bond occasionally reveals genuine feeling beneath the controlled exterior.
Andrew Scott
Jim Moriarty
The consulting criminal and Sherlock's intellectual equal and nemesis. Scott reimagines Moriarty as a giddy, theatrical, darkly playful psychopath who finds in Sherlock the only person who makes existence interesting. His performance in Series 2's finale "The Reichenbach Fall" is among the finest villain turns in British television.
Louise Brealey
Molly Hooper
A forensic pathologist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital who provides Sherlock with access to the morgue and evidence, and whose unrequited feelings for him are treated with increasing depth and respect as the series progresses. Brealey brings quiet pathos to a character who might easily have been played purely for comedy.
Amanda Abbington
Mary Watson (née Morstan)
John Watson's wife, who joins the series in Series 3 as a former nurse with a concealed past as a trained assassin. Abbington — Martin Freeman's real-life partner at the time of filming — brings immediate chemistry to the expanded central trio and plays Mary's complexity with intelligence and restraint.
Supporting & Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Role | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinette Robinson | Sergeant Sally Donovan | Lestrade's colleague who distrusts Sherlock from the start and actively tries to expose him | 1, 2 |
| Phil Davis | Sergeant Jeff Hope | The cabbie villain of "A Study in Pink," the series' opening episode; the first murderer Sherlock pursues | 1 |
| Irene Adler played by Lara Pulver | Irene Adler | A dominatrix who poses a unique intellectual and emotional challenge for Sherlock; Lara Pulver's acclaimed guest performance | 2 |
| Jonathan Aris | Anderson | Forensic specialist and Donovan's ally who dismisses Sherlock as a showman | 1–3 |
| Gatiss / Cumberbatch (dual) | Mycroft / Sherlock | The Holmes brothers' dynamic is explored across all four series in progressively deeper ways | All |
| Lars Mikkelsen | Charles Augustus Magnussen | A ruthless blackmailer and media mogul who serves as the primary antagonist of Series 3 | 3 |
| Sian Brooke | Eurus Holmes | Sherlock and Mycroft's previously unknown secret sister, the central antagonist of Series 4 and arguably the most dangerous Holmes of all | 4 |
| Toby Jones | Culverton Smith | A philanthropist and self-confessed serial killer who provides the central threat of Series 4's opening episode | 4 |
| Tanya Moodie | Ella Thompson | John Watson's therapist, seen in the opening episode and series finale | 1, 4 |
| Lindsay Duncan | Lady Smallwood | A senior government official who appears in Series 3 and 4 in connection with Magnussen | 3, 4 |
Creators & Production
Mark Gatiss
Co-Creator & Writer — also plays Mycroft Holmes; adapted many classic Conan Doyle stories for the modern setting
Steven Moffat
Co-Creator & Lead Writer — wrote the series' most celebrated episodes including "A Study in Pink," "The Reichenbach Fall," and "His Last Vow"
Sue Vertue
Executive Producer — Moffat's wife and long-time producing partner; managed the show through Hartswood Films
Beryl Vertue
Executive Producer — Sue's mother and founder of Hartswood Films, the independent production company behind the series
Paul McGuigan
Director — directed several key episodes in the early series and established the show's distinctive visual style
David Arnold & Michael Price
Composers — created the series' beloved score, including the main theme that became instantly recognizable worldwide
About the Sherlock Cast
The Sherlock cast succeeded because it balanced star quality with theatrical intelligence. Benedict Cumberbatch was not yet a household name when he was cast as Holmes, but his Royal Academy of Dramatic Art training and stage experience made him immediately credible in a role that requires the audience to believe, unconditionally, that they are watching the smartest person in every room. The series' format — three feature-length episodes per series rather than a conventional run — meant that each actor had to deliver sustained, film-caliber performances rather than the more episodic rhythms of a weekly procedural. Martin Freeman's Watson is frequently underestimated by newcomers to the series: the character's function as the audience's surrogate could easily slide into blandness, but Freeman roots Watson in such specific physical intelligence and emotional honesty that he is arguably the more demanding role.
Andrew Scott's Moriarty deserves particular mention because the role could have been a straightforward menacing villain and instead became something far more interesting. Scott plays the character as if crime is a form of performance art and Sherlock Holmes is the only audience worth performing for — a reading that gives the antagonism between them an almost romantic intensity. The character's relatively limited screen time across the series makes his appearances all the more impactful. Mark Gatiss's Mycroft is another casting masterstroke: by having a co-creator of the show inhabit the character, every scene carries an additional meta-layer of the creator observing and managing his own creation, which suits Mycroft's all-knowing quality perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series?
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series. His portrayal of the consulting detective as a self-described "high-functioning sociopath" became a cultural phenomenon and launched him to global stardom.
Who plays Dr. Watson in Sherlock?
Martin Freeman plays Dr. John Watson, Sherlock's flatmate and loyal partner. Watson is portrayed as an army doctor and Afghanistan veteran who becomes central to every case Sherlock investigates.
Who plays Moriarty in Sherlock?
Andrew Scott plays Jim Moriarty, Sherlock's arch-nemesis. Scott's portrayal of Moriarty as a giddy, theatrical, and terrifying criminal mastermind was widely praised and became one of the most celebrated villain performances in British television history.
How many series of Sherlock are there?
There are four series of Sherlock, airing from 2010 to 2017, plus a special episode (The Abominable Bride, 2016) set in the Victorian era. Each series contains three feature-length episodes of approximately 90 minutes each.
Who created the BBC Sherlock series?
Sherlock was created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, both of whom had worked together on Doctor Who. Gatiss also appears in the series as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother.
How we build these cast lists
For background on how Cast.biz compiles and orders cast credits, see understanding billing order, how TV show casts are built, and our glossary of cast credits.