Name: Jeremy Brett
Date of Birth: 3 November 1933 Son of Henry William Huggins (military Colonel. DSO, MC, DL) and Elizabeth Edith Cadbury (Butler) Huggins.Educated at Eton College.Famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the television series _"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1984)_ (qv) and _"The Return of Sherlock Holmes" (1986)_ (qv). 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' (qv)'s daughter to have Holmes overcome and abandon his addiction, signified with Holmes burying his syringe in the episode "The Devil's Foot."Did not do his own singing in _My Fair Lady (1964)_ (qv). He was dubbed by 'Bill Shirley' (qv), in spite of the fact that his own singing voice was actually remarkably good.Father of author David Huggins (The Big Kiss, Luxury Amnesia); stepfather of Caleb W. Sullivan and Rebekah Wilson Giarusso.Cousin of British actor, 'Martin Clunes' (qv) from _"Men Behaving Badly" (1992)_ (qv).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 1980 Los Angeles production of "The Crucifer of Blood," a stage play based on "The Sign of Four."Suffered from bipolar disorder.Played 'Audrey Hepburn' (qv)'s brother on _War and Peace (1956)_ (qv) and her suitor in _My Fair Lady (1964)_ (qv).Hobbies included: archery, horseback riding, and piano.His stage roles include: Patroclus and then Troilus in "Troilus and Cressida" (1956), Hamlet in "Hamlet" (1961), Bassanio in "The Merchant of Venice" (1970), Dracula in "Dracula" (1978-9), Dr. John Watson in "The Crucifer of Blood" (1980-1), Prospero in "The Tempest" (1982), and Sherlock Holmes in "The Secret of Sherlock Holmes" (1988-9).His son with wife 'Anna Massey' (qv): David Raymond William Huggins, was born August 14, 1959.Grandson, Dan, born in 2002 to David Huggins and his wife Madeleine Christie (married 2001).Wanted to be a jockey before becoming an actor because he loved horses: "But I got too big to be a jockey."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 (1956)_ (qv) in part because it was felt he resembled his on-screen sibling, 'Audrey Hepburn' (qv).In the scene in _War and Peace (1956)_ (qv) where the Rostov's 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' (qv), 'Henry Fonda' (qv), 'Mel Ferrer (I)' (qv), 'Barry Jones (I)' (qv) and 'May Britt' (qv) are all clearly on mechanical horses in their close shots.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.Favorite music: Verdi's Requiem; "In Paradisum" from Faure's Requiem; "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen; Richard Strauss' Vier Letzte Lieder; and "Tuba Mirum" from 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). Brett's 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' (qv) 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 (I)' (qv). They would go on to share rooms and roles, serve as each other's best man, and died within two months of one another.His father asked him to not use the family name for his stage name.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 Majesty's Secret Service (1969)_ (qv), and later auditioned for _Live and Let Die (1973)_ (qv).Appeared with his former wife, Anna Massey, in the 1979 BBC television production of "Rebecca" where he played Maxim de Winter and she played his housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.During a long period of unemployment in 1970 he took an uncredited non-speaking role as a Russian soldier in _Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)_ (qv).Read more Jeremy Brett movies (actor)
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