I’ve loved debating Moriarty for years, and a quick roll-call of notable actors who’ve played him includes Andrew Scott in BBC’s 'Sherlock', Jared Harris in Guy Ritchie’s 'Sherlock Holmes: A
game of Shadows', Daniel Davis as the holodeck Moriarty in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', Eric Porter opposite Jeremy Brett in Granada’s take on 'The Final Problem'/'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes', and Natalie Dormer’s gender-flip turn as Jamie Moriarty/
irene adler in 'Elementary'. Older screen and radio versions also featured classic character-actor types like
George Zucco and Henry Daniell, each bringing that old-school theatrical menace.
If you press me to pick a single best, I’ll go with Andrew Scott. His Jim Moriarty is snarling, charismatic, hilariously
unhinged and intimately scary in a way that feels modern — equal parts performance art and psychological warfare. Scott made the character both terrifying and strangely magnetic, planting lines and expressions in the cultural memory. Still, Jared Harris gives the professor an icy, mastermind gravitas that suits the Victorian pulp roots, and Daniel Davis turned a holodeck novelty into a deliciously theatrical Moriarty. For sheer unforgettable presence though, Andrew Scott wins my personal vote; he made me want to rewatch entire episodes just to study the tiny, wicked choices he makes. That performance stuck with me long after the credits rolled.