William Gillette
Movie Actor
Helped shape the image of the modern detective with his use of a deerstalker hat and curved pipe in his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on stage in more than 1,300 appearances. Eventually, he brought the character to film as well.
He was also a playwright, director, and inventor who had one of his earlier stage roles in Held by the Enemy.
One of his on-screen roles as the famed detective was in a silent film that is lost.
He was married to Helen Nichols from 1882 until 1888, when she died of a ruptured appendix.
He was born in Nook Farm, Connecticut where famed author Mark Twain also resided.