The refined and debonair English actor Jeremy Brett will forever be best remembered for his long-running and critically acclaimed portrayal of Sherlock Holmes for Britain's Granada Television. From a privileged background, Brett was educated at England's most prestigious independent school, Eton College. After training as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, Brett made his professional stage debut in repertory in 1954. He became a noteworthy classical actor who was to make regular appearances on stage, including many with the National Theatre. Brett was as cultured off screen as on. His interests included classical music, archery and horseback riding. His greatest popularity and acclaim would come with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on television from the 1980s through to the 1990s. Where so many have tried and failed to capture the essence of the character, either being derided or forgotten, Brett's widely praised take on it has been described by many as superlative and even definitive. Brett suffered from poor health towards the end of his life but he was still playing the role of Holmes shortly before his death in 1995 at the age of 61.
He was the son of Henry William Huggins (military Colonel. DSO, MC, DL) and Elizabeth Edith Cadbury (Butler) Huggins.
He was educated at Eton College.
He was famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the television series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" . When he learned that his Sherlock Holmes was very popular with children (who saw him as a superhero), he was troubled with the fact that Holmes is a cocaine user. In response, he sought and obtained permission from Arthur Conan Doyle s daughter to have Holmes overcome and abandon his addiction, signified with Holmes burying his syringe in the episode "The Devils Foot.".
All his singing in My Fair Lady was dubbed by Bill Shirley , as Brett admitted in 1994.
He was the father of author David Huggins (The Big Kiss, Luxury Amnesia); he was the stepfather of Caleb W. Sullivan and Rebekah Wilson Giarusso.
He was the cousin of the popular English actor, Martin Clunes , known for roles in series such as "Men Behaving Badly" and "Doc Martin" .
He was seen as both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. He played Sherlock Holmes in the popular television series, and he played Dr. Watson in the December 1980 Los Angeles production of "The Crucifer of Blood," a stage play based on "The Sign of Four" starring Charlton Heston as "The Great Detective.".
He suffered from bipolar disorder.
He played Audrey Hepburn s brother on War and Peace and her suitor in My Fair Lady .
His hobbies included archery, horseback riding and piano.
His stage roles include: Patroclus and then Troilus in "Troilus and Cressida" , Hamlet in "Hamlet" , Bassanio in "The Merchant of Venice" , Dracula in "Dracula" (1978-9), Dr. John Watson in "The Crucifer of Blood" (1980-1), Prospero in "The Tempest" , and Sherlock Holmes in "The Secret of Sherlock Holmes" (1988-9).
His son with wife Anna Massey : David Huggins , born August 14, 1959.
His grandson, Dan Huggins, born in 2002 to David Huggins and his wife, Madeleine Christie (married 2001).
He wanted to be a jockey before becoming an actor because he loved horses, but he claimed he became too big for it.
His father forbade him from using the family name on stage because he thought acting was a "dubious" profession. So Jeremy took his stage name from the label of his first suit, "Brett & Co."
He owned a Jack Russell terrier mix named "Mr. Binks".
He was chosen to play Nicholas Rostov in War and Peace in part because it was felt he resembled his on-screen sibling, Audrey Hepburn.
In the scene in War and Peace where the Rostovs invite Prince Andrei to go hunting with them, Brett is the only actor never on a mechanical horse. In all his shots he is clearly on a live horse. Audrey Hepburn , Henry Fonda , Mel Ferrer , Barry Jones and May Britt are all clearly on mechanical horses in their close shots.
He has three elder brothers: John, Michael and Patrick.
His father died in 1965.
His mother died in a car accident in 1959.
His parents married in 1923.
His favorite music was Giuseppe Verdi s Requiem, "In Paradisum" from Faures Requiem, "Habanera" from Georges Bizet s Carmen, Richard Strauss Vier Letzte Lieder and "Tuba Mirum" from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Requiem.
Brett belonged to the Woodmen of Arden, an archery club established in 1758. His father and brothers were also members.
Brett was left-handed. The character of Sherlock Holmes was right handed. A hand double was used whenever Holmes had to write something close up.
His father, Lt. Colonel Henry William "Bill" Huggins, was born in 1890.
His death at the age of 61 was the result of cardiomyopathy (heart failure). Bretts heart valves were permanently scarred by rheumatic fever, which he suffered as a teenager. Medication later prescribed for his bipolar disorder, and his longtime smoking habit, also weakened his heart. His co-star Edward Hardwicke recalled that Brett would often buy three packets of cigarettes in the morning, and smoke them all during the course of the day.
After training as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, Jeremy Brett made his professional stage debut in Manchester, England, in the repertory company of the Library Theatre in 1954. There he became lifelong friends with actor Robert Stephens. They would go on to share rooms and roles, serve as each others best man, and died within two months of one another.
He was born with a speech impediment that was corrected later by surgery as a teenager.
He was briefly considered for the role of James Bond in On Her Majestys Secret Service , and later auditioned for Live and Let Die .
He appeared with his former wife, Anna Massey , in the BBC television production of "Rebecca" , where he played Maxim de Winter and she played his housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.
Some obituaries reported he was in Nicholas and Alexandra , but they may have confused this film with War and Peace .
He was the ex-son-in-law of Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen. He was the ex-brother-in-law of Daniel Massey.
He has three roles in common with Michael York : (1) Brett played dArtagnan in "The Three Musketeers" while York played him in The Three Musketeers , The Four Musketeers , The Return of the Musketeers and "La Femme Musketeer" , Brett played Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" , "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" , The Sign of Four , The Hound of the Baskervilles , "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" while York played in Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes and Brett played King Arthur in Morte dArthur while York played him in "The Wonderful World of Disney" {A Knight in Camelot (#2.6)} .
He performed with Tom Baker as a member of the National Theatre in the early 1970s. Both actors would go on to play Sherlock Holmes on British television in the 1980s. Baker would play the part in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" for the BBC and Brett played the character on rival channel ITV from 1984 onwards.
Although he is now regarded by many as the definitive Sherlock Holmes, when his casting was announced in 1984 there were complaints that he was too old for the part.
Speaking of his wife, Joan Wilson: "We had a once-in-a-lifetime love.
I would love to do some comedy. To make people laugh is the greatest,gift of all.
I think I prefer acting on stage; I like to see if the audience is,enjoying itself.
If someone coughs, he sends his man with cough drops to Row J, Seat 5.
To me, the Sherlock Holmes stories are about a great friendship. Without,Watson, Holmes might well have burnt out on cocaine long ago. I hope,the series shows how important friendship is.
At least that gave me something to do.
They are Caleb and Rebecka - or Beckie as she loved to be called. They,all mean a tremendous amount to me, and I feel very spoiled and lucky,to have them. " (May 1990),(on the loss of his wife, Joan) "I have got used to people saying I will,get over it. You never do get over it. You just get used to it. But I,am not very good at losing people I love. I lost my mother, she was,killed in a car accident, and it threw me for a loop. " (May 1990),(when asked what he plans to do after finishing his last Holmes films),"Now I think it is time to take lots of rest and think about what I,actually want to do myself, not about what other people want me to do.
