Having appeared 254 times in film and television, Sherlock Holmes is, according to the Guinness World Records, the most frequently portrayed human literary character. But he's not the most frequently portrayed of all literary characters; the one who holds the top slot isn't human.


Sherlock wipes the floor with the next most prolific human character, Hamlet, who has appeared a mere 48 times on screen. The character who has appeared most frequently on screen, however, is Dracula, who has shown up 272 times. Will the recent Holmes-mania let Sherlock eventually edge out the vampiric count, or does Dracula securely hold his on-screen title?

Sherlock Holmes awarded title for most portrayed literary human character in film & TV [Guinness World Records via The Mary Sue]