Diana Rigg Presents PBS Jeremy Brett Tribute Special

'I first met him three decades ago when we were both members of the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic. He was in such memorable productions as The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and Hedda Gabler. I never managed to work with him in those days. I had to wait until I had the great good fortune to take over from David Burke as Dr Watson and join the already successful team making Sherlock Holmes. It was an exciting if nerve-racing for me. But it was made easier by Jeremy's support, generosity and humour. Only once did he even attempt to impose on me an idea of his own. On the very first day of rehearsal, he looked at me critically and said : "Dear heart, I think you need more hair and I think you should wear lifts."

'That was the moment I knew I was playing the Ernie Wise part - short, fat, hairy legs and you can't see the join. The toupee lasted eight years and became affectionately known to Jeremy as Roland - Roland Rat.

'The lifts, however, only lasted a day. It was impossible to keep up with Jeremy's Holmes's - one gloved hand behind his back, the other holding his silver-topped cane over his shoulder, coat tails flying as he paced ahead with his immense and rapid stride.

'Over the next eight years we became great friends. He was a joy to work with, always daring, positive and generous to his fellow actors. He was a perfectionist in an age of small-screen minimalism. He brought a whiff of Edwardian acting to film and made it work miraculously. He taught himself to think positively. He was an optimist, wonderful for me - a natural pessimist.

'Before we did Jeremy Paul's stage play The Secret Of Sherlock Holmes, almost before Jeremy Paul had written it, Jeremy B announced positively : "Edward, we are going to do this preformance!" And so we did - at Wyndham Theatre where it ran for a year. His positive thinking and optimism helped carry him through the later series, when his health began to deteriorate and the strain on him was immense.

'The Sherlock Holmes team became a family and Jeremy led splendidly. I remember he used to carry a little Instamatic Camera in the pocket of his costume. Unnoticed he would snap away at actors and crew. Then, a few days later, nothing said, a photograpth would appear pinned up around the back of the set. Done with humour and affection, it was a great way of bringing everyone together. Very simple, and very clever. The crew and casts loved him and would do anything for him.
'Jeremy often said that there were few larger-than-life personalities around these days. Jeremy gave the lie to that. He was certainly larger than life, and could be a true eccentric.

He developed a Jeremy uniform - white cotton trousers and navy or dark green sweaters - always cashmere - and a scarf. Whether entertaining cast and crew, which he frequently did, to dinner at Coco's, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Manchester, or champagne for everyone in the cocktail lounge of Britannia Hotel or the Midland, he was in the same outfit. It took me a long time to work out why anyone so flamboyant as he seemed to be so restricted in his dress. Then suddenly dawned on me. A needless complication had been removed from his life. Whatever the occasion, no one ever expected to see Jeremy in any other cloths - brilliant.

'This did have it's funny side, however.
'One morning, as I approached the entrance to the Granada studios, Jeremy arrived in a cab. As he leant forward on the pavement to pay the driver, the waistband of his well-worn, much-laundered white trouser parted company with the legs which fell in a heap on the kerb. Giggling, Jeremy pulled them back up and struggled to the safety of the wardrode, where his laughter could be heard as far away as Liverpool. His laugh was always infectious. When I think of Jeremy, I think of his laughing... that will always be my lasting memory of him. I cannot pay him a greater compliment.

'Among the many, many letters of tribute that have arrived from all over the world, one in particular from America appealed to me. It starts with a wonderful tribute to Jeremy's performance as Holmes and then says : "Do you believe in an afterlife? I do and I'll bet that wherever Jeremy is right now he is buying everyone champagne."

'I don't know the exact quote, but someone once said : "No one is truly gone as long as they are remembered." My dear late friend will be remembered and greatly missed. Here's to you, Jeremy!' - Edward Hardwicke

Category:

Education

Tags:

• in loving memory
• Jeremy Brett
• British actor
• sherlock holmes
• my fair lady
• Diana Rigg
• Emma Peel
• The Avengers

[MrsDelle]

As many has said before, thank you so very much for posting this! I LOVE it! Jeremy was the best...

[rebeccawilde]

@MrsDelle

I'm very glad to know people love this. If I find anything else I'll be sure to upload. :-)

[yesnik4805]

Wonderful tribute to Jeremy Brett! Yes, indeed, the air of London and far beyond is sweeter for his presence. Thank you very kindly for sharing this video and your equally wonderful narrative By Eward Hardwicke with us! RIP Jeremy Brett.

[rebeccawilde]

@yesnik4805

My pleasure. A friend of mine gave me it on dvd last year, and I thought only fitting to share it September. :-)

[giuel95]

Thank you so much for posting this video. It's priceless.

[rebeccawilde]

@giuel95

Really happy to hear you liked seeing it. :-)

[gypsycyn]

Wonderful. :')

[mstrsims2]

lovely tribute. i hadn't seen this. thank you for posting.

[TheWwgb]

Yay! We never got to see this in the UK if I remember correctly. But kudos to the US for doing a nice succinct tribute.

[grimlund]

4:34 That man...Robin Ellis, played against Jeremy later to in the Holmes-episode "Shoscombe Old Place"...

[pobblesquattle]

Granada never made a tribute to Jeremy did they ? Shame....but really nice he was remembered.

[Calvero52]

I also thank you for uploading this! I don't remember seeing this and thoroughly enjoyed it :) though it reminds me of another tribute that (I could have sworn) Mystery did which I have not yet found... it was a series of clips done to an Enya song. I thought at the end of this video it might be it, but alas...

If anyone finds it, let me know. I loved it, as well as this video :)

[trentaremi]

Gorgeous!

Thank You for uploading!

[margaret060158]

Thank you Rebecca for sharing. I think you might like to look at Jim Kilroy on google, he is an artist in the USA and has done some sketches of Jeremy & Company that are very good (I'm in Australia and found him through a Jeremy Brett search on ebay and bought some of his work, I found them quite poignant). Recently on TV they have been repeating Sherlock Holmes, such bliss...he really was wonderful. Thanks again!

[hugh0221]

May rest in peace, Jeremy Brett

- Hugh, from South Korea

[IreneAdlerTW]

Again, thank you so much. I'm guessing that this was filmed soon after his death?