Hero Doctor Watson. The cast of "Sherlock": the main characters of the series

About Sherlock Holmes has long passed for a dozen. Each director is trying to show his vision of how the brilliant detective looked and lived.

In 2010, BBC One aired the first season of a new series about Sherlock. Only three episodes of the series collected incredible ratings, and the channel decided to shoot a sequel.

The series is set in contemporary London. The detective actively uses gadgets and all the benefits of the present time. But the success of the series gave not only an excellent script and beautiful visualization. One of the reasons for the popularity of Sherlock is the cast. The faces, which became iconic in a short period of time, helped the television series to maintain high ratings.

Benedict Cumberbatch

The series "Sherlock" focuses on how the detective has changed in modern realities. The creators of the series needed to find an actor who could convey the genius of Holmes. After a long search, Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the cast of Sherlock.

The actor played the role of a detective perfectly. In the first season, as conceived by the creators, Sherlock, although he lived in the twenty-first century, used the turns of speech inherent in the last century. However, this did not make Sherlock boring at all. In the second season, the actor gave his hero a Victorian spirit. And in the third and fourth seasons, he completely ceased to look like a person unable to find his place in society.

Cumberbatch's Sherlock changes from season to season. The difficulties and troubles he had to go through changed his vision of the world. And Sherlock from the last season wants to empathize.

Martin Freeman

Sherlock would not be Sherlock if he did not have a true friend and partner - the doctor The role of the neighbor was played by a famous actor The team of the series faced serious problems, choosing the one who will play Watson in the series "Sherlock". Actors and the roles they will have to play must resonate. But, if the creators had only one Sherlock - Cumberbatch, then there were problems with Watson.

However, after numerous auditions, Freeman was approved for the role. Journalist Victoria Thorp noted that it was thanks to Freeman's Watson that Sherlock was fully revealed. Against the background of the doctor, the detective appeared as a sociopath, unable to build healthy relationships with other people.

Doctor Watson is not an idiot. Although Doyle and his Sherlock often drew attention, it was not Watson's inability to quickly analyze the situation. But still the doctor remains Sherlock's best friend.

Rupert Graves

An integral part of the cast of Sherlock was Rupert Greves, who played the role of Inspector Greg Lestrade. Unlike the series of books, where the name of the inspector was never mentioned, the creators of the series in the second season gave the hero the name Greg.

In the series "Sherlock" actors and roles were constantly changing. But Greg Lestrade remained unchanged - according to Sherlock himself, although he was useless during the investigations, he still remained the best person in all of Scotland Yard.

Andrew Scott

Back in the first season, Andrew Scott joined the cast of Sherlock. His first appearances in the series remained almost invisible - he played the boyfriend of Molly Cooper and a fan of Sherlock himself. But already in the third episode of the first season, the masks were removed, and the main antagonist of the series, James Moriarty, appeared before the audience.

The role of the main rival of Sherlock was played by a young actor Andrew Scott. The creators deviated a little from the canon. Scott's Moriarty is not a successful, suave and charming professor of advanced age. The new Moriarty turned out to be a psychopathic supervillain. In order to achieve his goals, he is ready to give his own life.

And although in the final of the second season he was defeated and died, but the ghost of Moriarty constantly hung over Sherlock's soul and drove him crazy.

Amanda Abbington

In the third season, the role played by Modern Mary was introduced into the narrative outline, which is markedly different from the image of a woman created by Doyle.

Mary is a nurse, but she is distinguished by extraordinary insight and the ability to see the real Sherlock through all the masks and walls.

Una Stubbs

An integral part of any adaptation of Sherlock is Mrs. Hudson, the landlady. In the series, the role of Mrs. Hudson was played by Una Stubbs. In one of the interviews, she noted that a rather warm relationship was established between her character and Sherlock. They are, each in their own way, tied to each other.

Louise Brealey

One of the characters that was created specifically for the series and was absent from the novels was the Pathologist, who was supposed to set off Sherlock and disappear from the screens, won the audience's sympathy, and already in the second season, Molly became part of the main cast. The role of Molly was played by actress Louise Brealey.

Mark Gatiss

One of the creators of the series - Mark Gatiss - played Sherlock's older brother - Mycroft Holmes. Undoubtedly, Mycroft has changed, but Doyle's features have remained. He is still a member of the high-ranking government and the Diogenes Club, his relationship with his brother is complicated and complicated, he communicates little and hides his true level of intelligence.

Indeed, a detective who is able to tell about a person’s biography by cigarette butts, clothing style, watches and a walking cane is amazing, but Sherlock could unravel some crimes without the help of Dr. Watson, who morally supported the main character, carried out his instructions and advised on a number of medical questions? As they say, if Sherlock Holmes is the brain, then John is the heart.

Biography

The cast also included: Algimantas Masiulis and other representatives of the cinematographic firmament.

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" (1979-1986, USSR)

• The Soviet film Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Treasures of Agra (1983) was filmed in St. Petersburg, but the directors used footage of real London, which differs in quality from the scenes from the film. Landscapes of foggy Albion were filmed by a central television correspondent on a 16-mm camera.
• In Moscow there is a monument to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Sculptor Andrey Orlov drew on the illustrations of Sidney Paget, the artist who was the first to present drawings of Doyle's characters to the public. But, nevertheless, the features of Livanov and Solomin can be traced in Orlov's work.

• In the movie Sherlock Holmes (2009), the interior of the apartment, which is located on Baker Street, was assembled from props used in Sirius Black's house in the movie "And the Order of the Phoenix".
• In 1985, a musical group called "Doctor Watson" was formed. This group presents music lovers with incendiary songs of the past.

• Some thought that in The Last Case of Holmes (1893), the Reichenbach Falls, where the mortal fight between Sherlock and Moriarty took place, was a figment of the writer's imagination. But the waterfall actually exists near the city of Meiringen. (Switzerland).

, Sherlockian

Biography

In 1872, John Watson entered the University of London, worked as a surgeon at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

Between 1883 and 1887 he lived for some time in the USA. He has a medical private practice in San Francisco.

In 1888 his brother Henry dies. Watson meets Mary Morsten and marries her. Buys a practice in Paddington, which he sells in 1891, and returns to Kensington. In late 1891 - early 1892, Mary Morstan dies.

In 1894 Watson sells his Kensington practice and returns to Baker Street. In 1902 he moved to apartments in Queen Anne Street. Enters into a new marriage, returns to medical practice.

In the world of Sherlockiana, he acts as a biographer of Holmes. The closest friend and companion of the detective, in a number of stories and novels acts on his behalf, reporting later (for example, in "The Hound of the Baskervilles"), sometimes not very successfully (for example, in the story "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax"). Very inferior to Holmes in observation and the ability to draw conclusions from observations. At the same time, he provides Holmes with a number of valuable services: he saves his life or, at least, his mind (the story "The Devil's Leg"), advises on a number of special issues related mainly to medicine (for example, in the stories "Silver", "The Riddle of the Manor Shoscombe", "Study in Scarlet").

Apocryphal Biography Facts

Name

Conan Doyle calls Watson by name three times. A Study in Crimson is subtitled From the Memoirs of John H. Watson, M.D., Retired Medical Officer. Being a reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., Late of the Army Medical Department). In the story "The Mystery of the Thor Bridge", the lid of the courier bag containing Watson's notes bears the inscription: "John H. Watson, M.D., ex-Indian Army." In The Man with the Split Lip, his wife calls him James.

Watson / Watson

In Russian translations of the works of Conan Doyle, as well as in the film adaptations of these works, both variants of the doctor's surname are found: "Watson" and "Watson".

Due to the high popularity and, accordingly, the large number of translations, it is difficult to trace the exact history of the "Russian name" of Holmes' friend and assistant. In any case, the name "Watson" appeared in pre-revolutionary translations and theatrical productions. The “Watson” variant was used in the translation of “Notes on Sherlock Holmes” edited by K. Chukovsky (first edition - no later than 1956) in the “Adventure Library” series - this translation was subsequently reprinted many times. This version of the surname was preferred by translators N. Treneva, M. Litvinova, N. Voitinskaya, M. and N. Chukovsky, M. Bessarab, N. Emelyannikova, D. Livshits, V. Shtengel and others, from relatively recent publications it is used in " Collected Works in Eight Volumes" by A. Conan Doyle (M: "Santax-Press", 1995). At the same time, there are translations (as a rule, of individual stories, especially those published after 1980), where the Watson version is also used.

In the first Soviet film adaptation of a work about Sherlock Holmes - the television play "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in 1971, the doctor's name is "Watson". But in the musical film The Blue Carbuncle, released in 1979, Watson already appears. The creators of the series "The Adventures of Sherlock" Holmes and "Doctor Watson" chose the option "Watson", which greatly affected its popularity - the next 30 years in Russian pop culture and folklore, "Dr. Watson" was firmly entrenched. But in the new Russian TV series Sherlock Holmes, which was released in 2013, the name of Holmes's biographer again became "Watson".

The incarnation of the image in the cinema

In the USSR and Russia, four versions of the adaptation of works about Sherlock Holmes were produced.

• Teleplay "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1971). The role of Dr. Waston was played by the actor Lion Round. The image of the character he created differs in many respects from Dr. Watson, played by Solomin, which is familiar to the Russian audience, here the doctor is not just an object for the great detective to demonstrate his abilities, but a truly full-fledged assistant to Holmes, albeit less talented, but, nevertheless, quite sophisticated. This work is little known to the modern viewer, since in 1979 Lev Krugly left the USSR with his family for the West, lived in Germany for some time and worked as an announcer on Radio Liberty (the latter was regarded in the Soviet Union as a betrayal of the Motherland). After the actor's emigration, the film was never shown on Soviet television, and again it appeared on the screen only once in 2003, after a copy was found in the archives of the State Television and Radio Fund of the Russian Federation.
• The Blue Carbuncle (1979) is a comedy musical film based on the short story of the same name by Conan Doyle. The film was clearly in the shadow of the series that came out a year later (see below), it was shown little on television and it, like the aforementioned "The Hound of the Baskervilles", is little known to the modern audience. The role of Watson is played by Ernst Romanov. His hero is good-natured, phlegmatic, he is first of all a writer, observing with interest and with pleasure telling the public stories from the life of the great detective, and only secondly - his partner and assistant in business. In his attitude to the cold-blooded, sarcastic, even arrogant Holmes performed by Algimantas Masyulis, irony is clearly visible, which is completely uncharacteristic for the literary Watson.
• TV series "The Adventures of Sherlock" Holmes and "Doctor Watson" (1980-1986), consisting of five films (four two-part and one three-part). The most famous Soviet film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and, accordingly, the most famous film incarnation of the image of Dr. Watson, created by Vitaly Solomin. Vitaly Solomin's Watson is a true gentleman, he is emphatically polite, neat in a military manner, courageous, but at the same time somewhat rustic and very emotional. After the screening of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (the third film in the series) in England, critics called the Livanov-Solomin couple "the best couple of continental actors who have ever played Holmes and Watson."
• The television series "Sherlock Holmes" (2013) is a Russian television series based on the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Andrey Panin starred in the role of Dr. Waston. For the actor, this role was one of the last - he died in March 2013. In this series, Watson has a much more prominent place than in the previous one. This is a real, experienced and experienced officer, a gentleman who keeps sharp ideas of camaraderie and honor. The creators of the series made the new Watson an excellent boxer who gives boxing lessons to Sherlock, as well as a sniper shooter. Watson does not play the role of Holmes's companion, but his older comrade and, to some extent, even an educator. In addition, Watson here is actually the creator of the Sherlock Holmes that readers know from the books, since the real detective in the series is extremely different from his book image.

Dr John H. Watson (pronounced Dr John H. Watson) is a character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Friend, assistant and biographer of Sherlock Holmes. Most of Conan Doyle's Holmes books are narrated from Watson's perspective.
Conan Doyle himself is considered to be the prototype of Dr. John H. Watson, but Sir Arthur in his memoirs called Major Wood. Alfred Wood was Conan Doyle's secretary and spent nearly 40 years with him in that capacity.
A possible prototype is an osteopath from Lundy (Scotland) William Smith. The Southsea doctor John Watson, who served in Manchuria, as well as the military surgeon Alexander Francis-Preston, were also called Watson's prototypes.

Biography

In 1872, John Watson entered the University of London, worked as a surgeon at St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
In 1878 he received his doctorate in medicine. Enters military service as a military doctor. Sent to India, and later to Afghanistan. In 1880 he was wounded in the Battle of Maiwand. In the city of Peshawar, he falls ill with typhoid fever. On military transport "Orontes" returns to London. Stays at a private hotel on the Strand.
In 1881 he meets with Sherlock Holmes. Renting an apartment on Baker Street from Mrs. Hudson.
Between 1883 and 1887 he lived for some time in the USA. He has a private medical practice in San Francisco.
In 1888, his brother Henry died. Watson meets Mary Morstan and marries her. Buys a practice in Paddington, which he sells in 1891, and returns to Kensington. In late 1891 - early 1892, Mary Morstan dies.
In 1894 Watson sells his Kensington practice and returns to Baker Street. In 1902 he moved to apartments in Queen Anne Street. Enters into a new marriage, returns to medical practice.

In the world of Sherlockiana, he acts as a biographer of Holmes. The closest friend and companion of the detective, in a number of stories and novels, acts on his behalf, reporting later (for example, in The Hound of the Baskervilles), sometimes not very successfully (for example, in the story The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax). Very inferior to Holmes in observation and the ability to draw conclusions from observations. At the same time, he provides Holmes with a number of valuable services: he saves his life or, at least, his mind (the story "The Devil's Leg"), advises on a number of special issues related mainly to medicine (for example, in the stories "Silver", "The Riddle of the Manor Shoscombe", "Study in Scarlet").

Apocryphal Biography Facts

Fansite "biographies" of Watson contain a large amount of detail not found in Conan Doyle's books.

For example,
The middle name is Hamish. The assumption is based on two facts from the books: the initial "H." and the mention of the name James. Commentators found a way out of the situation in the Scottish version of the name James - Hamish. The British TV series Sherlock also uses this middle name.
Watson was born on July 7 (or August 7), 1852. In fact, the year is [source unspecified 1832 days] counted backwards from the known year of Watson's medical degree (1878).
In 1854 the Watson family moved to Australia and returned to England in 1865.

Conan Doyle calls Watson by name three times. A Study in Scarlet is subtitled Being a reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., Late of the Army Medical Department . In the story "The Mystery of Thor Bridge", the lid of the courier bag containing Watson's notes bears the inscription: "John H. Watson, M.D., formerly of the Indian Army." In The Man with the Split Lip, his wife calls him James.

Watson / Watson

In Russian translations of the works of Conan Doyle, as well as in the film adaptations of these works, both variants of the doctor's surname are found: "Watson" and "Watson".
Due to the high popularity and, accordingly, the large number of translations, it is difficult to trace the exact history of the "Russian name" of Holmes' friend and assistant. In any case, the name "Watson" appeared in pre-revolutionary translations and theatrical productions. The “Watson” variant was used in the translation of “Notes on Sherlock Holmes” edited by K. Chukovsky (first edition - no later than 1956) in the “Adventure Library” series - this translation was subsequently reprinted many times. This version of the surname was preferred by translators N. Treneva, M. Litvinova, N. Voitinskaya, M. and N. Chukovsky, M. Bessarab, N. Emelyannikova, D. Livshits, V. Shtengel and others, from relatively recent publications it is used in " Collected Works in Eight Volumes" by A. Conan Doyle (M: "Santax-Press", 1995). At the same time, there are translations (as a rule, of individual stories, especially those published after 1980), where the Watson version is also used.
In the first Soviet film adaptation of a work about Sherlock Holmes - the 1971 television play The Hound of the Baskervilles, the doctor's name is Watson. But in the musical film "Blue Carbuncle", released in 1979, "Watson" already appears. The creators of the series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" chose the "Watson" option, which greatly affected its popularity - for the next 30 years, "Dr. Watson" was firmly entrenched in Russian pop culture and folklore. But in the new Russian TV series Sherlock Holmes, which was released in 2013, the name of Holmes's biographer became "Watson" again.

The incarnation of the image in the cinema

Russian and Soviet film adaptations

In the USSR and Russia, four versions of the adaptation of works about Sherlock Holmes were produced.
TV show "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1971). The role of Dr. Watson was played by actor Lev Krugly. The image of the character he created differs in many respects from Dr. Watson, played by Solomin, which is familiar to the Russian audience, here the doctor is not just an object for the great detective to demonstrate his abilities, but a truly full-fledged assistant to Holmes, albeit less talented, but, nevertheless, quite sophisticated. This work is little known to the modern viewer, since in 1979 Lev Krugly left the USSR with his family for the West, lived in Germany for some time and worked as an announcer on Radio Liberty (the latter was regarded in the Soviet Union as treason to the Motherland). After the actor's emigration, the film was never shown on Soviet television, and again it appeared on the screen only once in 2003, after a copy was found in the archives of the State Television and Radio Fund of the Russian Federation.
Blue Carbuncle (1979), comedy musical film based on the short story of the same name by Conan Doyle. The film was clearly in the shadow of the series that came out a year later (see below), it was shown little on television and it, like the aforementioned "The Hound of the Baskervilles", is little known to the modern audience. The role of Watson is played by Ernst Romanov. His hero is good-natured, phlegmatic, he is first of all a writer, observing with interest and with pleasure telling the public stories from the life of the great detective, and only secondly - his partner and assistant in business. In his attitude to the cold-blooded, sarcastic, even arrogant Holmes performed by Algimantas Masiulis, irony is clearly visible, which is completely uncharacteristic for the literary Watson.
TV series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" (1980-1986), consisting of five films (four two-part and one three-part). The most famous Soviet film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and, accordingly, the most famous film incarnation of the image of Dr. Watson, created by Vitaly Solomin. Vitaly Solomin's Watson is a true gentleman, he is emphatically polite, neat in a military manner, courageous, but at the same time somewhat rustic and very emotional. After the screening of The Hound of the Baskervilles (the third film in the series) in England, critics called the Livanov-Solomin couple "the best couple of continental actors who have ever played Holmes and Watson."

The television series "Sherlock Holmes" (2013) is a Russian television series based on the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Andrey Panin starred as Dr. Watson. For the actor, this role was one of the last - he died in March 2013. In this series, Watson has a much more prominent place than in the previous one. This is a real, experienced and experienced officer, a gentleman who keeps sharp ideas of camaraderie and honor. The creators of the series made the new Watson an excellent boxer who gives boxing lessons to Sherlock, as well as a sniper shooter. Watson does not play the role of Holmes's companion, but his older comrade and, to some extent, even an educator. In addition, Watson here is actually the creator of the Sherlock Holmes that readers know from the books, since the real detective in the series is extremely different from his book image.

In popular culture

In Russia there is a musical group "Doctor Watson", named after this hero. She specializes in performing retro music.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are the heroes of numerous anecdotes.
In the Disney cartoon "The Great Mouse Detective", Dr. Watson appeared in a small episode; yet the action of the cartoon revolves around the mouse world. Dr. Watson in the film has an analogue - mouse doctor David Q Dawson. Both roles were voiced by Well Bettin, dubbed by Victor Kostecki.
In the first case of Dai Gyakuten Saiban (a prequel to the Ace Attorney series), the victim is Professor John H. "The Friend of Sherlock Holmes" (with an illustration based on the stories showing Watson and Holmes playing the violin). Also in the game, Sherlock Holmes is present as one of the key characters, and his assistant is the young writer and inventor Iris Watson, whose image is partially based on Watson from stories (writes novels based on the description of Sherlock's cases), and who, according to the plot, is Watson's daughter.

Quotes

• - So why am I here?
  - Help me establish the truth.
  - I'll help you pay the rent.
  - It's much more fun.
  
• - You rode the subway like that?!
  - None of the taxi drivers took me.
  (Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes)
  Explanation of the quote: Out of breath Sherlock in a bloody shirt breaks into the room with a harpoon in his hand.
• Put on something, please. No matter what. Even a napkin.
• 
  
  (Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes)
• - As a friend, as someone who cares about you, I ask what made you like that?
  - Oh, Watson, nothing, believe me. I made myself.
  (Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes)
• The press is a capricious lady. Today she is on your side, and tomorrow she is your enemy.
• Mary has turned my life upside down. Everything has changed. But, for the record, two people have done it in the last few years, and one of them is... a real asshole.
  Explanation of the quote: John addresses Sherlock, who is sitting next to him on the bench, who then disappears.
• - Did you bring him up with your conversations?
  Explanation of the quote: Looking at a mannequin hanging by the throat
• Being smart is one thing, being smart is another.
• You almost apologized a minute ago - don't spoil the experience.

Data

• John has gone from the time when the most significant event of his life was a dispute with a cash machine in a store to a real battlefield, which is the criminal world of London. John chose his side and he is permanently on the side of Sherlock Holmes. He talks about his investigations on his own blog.

Biography

John Watson- The best friend of Sherlock Holmes, a military doctor trying to adapt to civilian life. After the war, he did not lose his craving for dangerous situations, and acquaintance with Sherlock only strengthened it. In the two years of Sherlock's absence, he had almost forgotten about her, but when Sherlock returned, John's life was back to normal.

Watson is not only a friend, but also a mentor to Sherlock Holmes. John's therapist says he has trust issues. Watson is not one of those who easily makes acquaintances. But, despite his habit of being alone, he prefers to be friends and trust Sherlock Holmes from the first day they met. The day after they met, John went with him, and together they solved a series of crimes.

Capabilities

As a doctor, John is very good. After returning home after serving in Afghanistan as a military doctor and being shot in the left shoulder there, he now works as a doctor in local surgery. If you want to make an appointment with him, you will have to wait when he is late and put up with his tendency to fall asleep right at his desk in the workplace, if before that he and Sherlock Holmes spent the whole night solving crimes.

Relationship

Getting to know John can be somewhat dangerous, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart. An ordinary doctor's evening can end with an attack by Chinese gangsters and the deciphering of mysterious signs. Unless, of course, he is kidnapped at the end, and you along with him.