It’s been a while since I did a Top 10, so I’ve decided to share who I think are ten of the most perfectly cast actors to play a sleuth. I’ve focused on British shows to begin with as I may do a separate European/Rest of the World list in the future.
10 – Douglas Henshall – DI Jimmy Perez (Shetland).
A bit of a controversial start with this one as when he was initially cast, there were grumbles of him not being like the character in Ann Cleeves’ novels. Douglas quickly captured the emotions of the character from the very start and maintained this throughout the series.
9 – John Nettles – DCI Tom Barnaby (Midsomer Murders).
Many may scoff at Midsomer Murders, given the high number of deaths over the course of an episode or season, but these were exceptionally well written mysteries, even if at times the writer’s tongue was in cheek. John certainly created a character with a good mixture of drama and humour and much of the success was down to his portrayal of the lead character.
8 – Alan Davies – Jonathan Creek (Jonathan Creek).
I love Jonathan Creek, a simple yet unique idea for a crime drama solved by a magician’s assistant/trick creator. Very much a left field casting with this one, choosing a stand-up comic with little acting experiance to play the lead role. I think some of the charm of the series, especially the earlier episodes was down to Alan’s performance which felt genuine compared to how it may have been performed by a more known and, dare I say it, polished actor.
7 – Ken Stott – DI John Rebus (Rebus).
Many fans of Ian Rankin’s novels were disappointed with the previous adaptation and the general opinion is that Ken Stott was a much closer fit for the creation. Although the show only ran for 10 episodes, Ken’s performance was certainly what the readers wanted to see on the screen and I still think of Ken when I read the Rebus novels to this day.
6 – Jeremy Brett – Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes).
Many have played the part of one of our most famous sleuths, but Jeremy’s portrayal ranks above all others. He is probably who most visualise when you think of Sherlock and despite the success of the reboot starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy remains a perfectly cast choice.
5 – Sarah Lancashire – Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Happy Valley).
From the moment she comes on screen, you know that you have something different with this character. Sarah’s performance is jaw dropping at times, showing the full range of emotions of the character from subtle interactions with her family to the full blown dramatic climaxes with the criminals.
4 – Joan Hickson – Miss Jane Marple (Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple).
Joan is the ultimate Miss Marple and captured the character from the first episode. Although advanced in years when she took the part, she filmed the 12 novels perfectly with a mixture of deadly dialogue and facial expressions that illustrated to the viewers exactly what she was thinking, even if it took us a while to work out how she had solved the mystery.
3 – John Thaw – Chief Inspector Morse (Inspector Morse).
John was already a highly acclaimed actor when he took on the titler role of Inspector Morse. Looking back at the many roles he performed over his career, he seemed to be perfectly cast in most of them, though he will always be fondly remembered for Morse. His character was frustrating at time, unpleasent (especially to Lewis) but always brilliant, intelligent and fascinating. It’s hard to think of anyone else who could have performed better in the role.
2 – Brenda Blethyn – DCI Vera Stan Stanhope (Vera).
The second of Ann Cleeves’ creations on this list and I believe that Ann cried when she heard Brenda had been cast in the lead role. To me, that speaks volumes and her performance is outstanding throughout the series. It’s recently been announced that the next series will be her final, though she has left us with over 50 episodes of breathtaking performances to enjoy. From the accent to the full persona of the character, Brenda plays the role to perfection.
1 – David Suchet – Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie’s Poirot).
In the words of the famous 1980’s sci-fi classic movie – ‘There can be only one…’. David Suchet, even if initally reluctant to take the role, played it with nothing short of complete perfection. A critically acclaimed actor of stage and screen, he took the role incredibly seriously by reading every novel and short story the character appeared in before compiling his extensive dossier on the character based on Dame Agatha’s writing, often returning to these notes to ensure he played the character as she would have appreciated. It’s such a shame that we will never know if the author would approve, but millions of viewers, including myself, are pretty sure she would have.
So, that’s my list. I know I will have missed an obvious choice and feel free to reach out to me in the socials with your own suggestions. Also, who would you cast as DI Joanne Christie from my novels? I had no one in mind when I created her, but I would love to know your suggestions. Who knows, one day it may even come true…
I’m currently writing the fourth DI Christie novel, due out later this year. If you want to have a read of the other ones to consider who you would cast in a TV adaptation, you’ll find the links in the ‘Books’ tab of this website. Thanks for reading.
Ross Alexander Writer 