Jeremy Brett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeremy Brett
Brett in Hamlet (1960)
Born	Peter Jeremy William Huggins (1933-11-03)3 November 1933 Berkswell, Warwickshire, England
Died	12 September 1995(1995-09-12) (aged 61) Clapham, London, England
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Central School of Speech and Drama
Years active	1954–1995
Spouse(s)	Anna Massey ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1962)​ Joan Wilson ​ ​ (m. 1976; died 1985)​
Children	1

Peter Jeremy William Huggins (born 3 November 1933 – died 12 September 1995), known as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He is most famous for playing the detective Sherlock Holmes. He starred in the Granada TV series from 1984 to 1994. He appeared in all 41 episodes. His acting career included stage plays, TV shows, and films. He also played Freddy Eynsford-Hill in the 1964 movie My Fair Lady.

Jeremy Brett's Early Life

Jeremy Brett was born Peter Jeremy William Huggins. He was born in Berkswell Grange, England, on November 3, 1933. His father, Henry William Huggins, was an Army officer. His mother, Elizabeth Edith Butler, came from the Cadbury family, known for chocolates.

Jeremy had three older brothers. The actor Martin Clunes is his nephew. Jeremy went to Eton College, a famous school. He said he struggled with school because he had dyslexia, which makes reading and writing harder.

He was born with a speech problem called rhotacism. This meant he couldn't say the "R" sound correctly. He had surgery as a teenager to fix it. After that, he practiced for many years to speak clearly.

At Eton, he was good at singing and was in the school choir. He later studied acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He graduated in 1954. His father asked him to change his name for acting. So, he chose "Brett" from a suit label.

In 1959, while he was acting as Hamlet, his mother died in a car accident. This event deeply affected him.

His Acting Career

Stage and Film Roles

Brett in 1953

Jeremy Brett started acting professionally in 1954 in Manchester. He first appeared on the London stage in 1956. His first major film was War and Peace (1956), starring Audrey Hepburn.

In 1956, he also acted on Broadway in New York. In 1959, he sang in the musical Marigold. He played many classic roles on stage. This included about a dozen Shakespearean parts. He performed at the Old Vic and was part of the National Theatre Company.

From the 1960s, Brett was often on British television. He played d'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (1966). His most famous film role was Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady (1964). He acted alongside Audrey Hepburn again. Even though Brett could sing, his singing in My Fair Lady was done by another singer, Bill Shirley.

Around this time, Brett was considered for the role of James Bond. But he turned it down. He felt playing Bond would limit his acting career. George Lazenby got the role instead.

Brett also played comedic roles. These included Captain Absolute in The Rivals (1970) and Bassanio in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1970). He joked that he rarely got to act in stories set in the 20th century. However, he did appear in some modern TV shows. He played villains in The Baron (1967) and The Champions (1969). He also appeared in The Incredible Hulk (1977). In 1979, he starred as Maxim in Rebecca.

Jeremy Brett's last film role was in Moll Flanders (1996). He played the artist's father. This movie was released after he passed away.

Playing Sherlock Holmes

Brett as Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy Brett is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes. He starred in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes TV series. These shows were made by Granada Television from 1984 to 1994. The stories were based on the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Brett appeared in all 41 episodes of the series. He also starred in two TV films. David Burke and later Edward Hardwicke played Doctor Watson. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke also performed as Holmes and Watson on stage in 1988 and 1989.

Brett said playing Holmes was the hardest role he ever had. Many people think he was the best Holmes of his time. He had played Doctor Watson on stage before. This made him one of the few actors to play both Holmes and Watson.

Granada Television asked Brett to play Holmes in 1982. They wanted to make a very true-to-the-books version of the detective. Brett accepted the role. He wanted to be the best Sherlock Holmes ever. He studied the character and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories very carefully. He even had a 77-page "Baker Street File" about Holmes's habits.

Brett worked hard to show Holmes's strong personality. He added Holmes's unique hand gestures and quick laughs. He would even throw himself on the ground to look for clues. He was very dedicated to the role.

Brett found it hard to stop being Holmes after work. He started dreaming about Holmes, and the dreams became difficult. He even called Holmes "You Know Who" or "HIM." He said that Holmes was like "the dark side of the moon" for him. He felt Holmes's personality was similar to his own, with bursts of energy followed by quiet times.

A play called The Secret of Sherlock Holmes was written by Brett's friend, Jeremy Paul. Brett and Edward Hardwicke performed it in London in 1988 and 1989. Many critics believe Brett's performance was their favorite Sherlock Holmes.

Awards and Recognition

In 1994, Jeremy Brett received the Légion d'honneur. This is a very important award from France. He received it for his role as Sherlock Holmes. The award was given in Manchester, where the series was filmed.

Jeremy Brett's Personal Life

On May 24, 1958, Brett married actress Anna Massey. Their son, David Huggins, was born in 1959. David is now a cartoonist and writer. Brett and Massey divorced in 1962. In 1976, Brett married Joan Sullivan Wilson. She passed away from cancer in July 1985.

In the late 1980s, Brett experienced big changes in his mood. His family and friends encouraged him to get help. He was diagnosed with a health condition that affected his moods. He took medication for it. He knew he would need to manage this condition throughout his life. He wanted to return to acting as Holmes.

The changes in Brett's health became more noticeable as the Sherlock Holmes series continued. One of the side effects of his medication was fluid retention, which caused him to gain weight. He also smoked many cigarettes a day. He had heart problems, and his heart was larger than normal. He sometimes had trouble breathing and needed an oxygen mask on set. Despite this, he always said, "the show must go on."

In his last years, Brett was treated in the hospital several times for his health. His health and appearance changed a lot during the later Holmes episodes. He even collapsed on set once. In his final years, he spoke openly about his health, encouraging others to seek help if they had similar symptoms.

His Passing

Plaque on a memorial bench for Brett on Clapham Common.

Jeremy Brett died on September 12, 1995, at his home in Clapham, London. He passed away from heart failure. As a child, he had rheumatic fever, which damaged his heart valves. He was also a heavy smoker throughout his life. His body was cremated.

His elder brother, John, who was a minister, spoke at Jeremy's memorial service on November 29, 1995.

Mel Gussow wrote in The New York Times that Mr. Brett was seen as the perfect Holmes. He was described as very smart, good at disguises, and always eager to solve crimes.

A memorial tree for Jeremy Brett was planted on Clapham Common on March 30, 2007. This was near where he had lived for many years.

His Work

Stage Performances

Film Appearances

Television Films

See also

In Spanish: Jeremy Brett para niños

• List of actors who have played Sherlock Holmes
• List of Sherlock Holmes episodes starring Jeremy Brett, including brief episode summaries