William Gillette (b. July 24, 1853, Hartford, Connecticut; d. April 29, 1937, Hartford, Connecticut) was an American actor, playwright and stage-manager; recognized as one of the greatest actors in the history of the United States. Possibly best known in his day for embodying the celebrated character of Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (with whom the actor also became a close personal friend), Gillette imposed his cachet forever on the character's stereotype: deerstalker cap, cloak, curved pipe and the phrase: "Oh, this is elementary, my dear Watson."
Also, Gillette wrote, produced and performed a play entitled Sherlock Holmes (adapted from a version originally written by Conan Doyle), hailed by the highest figures of those years. Through this work, he broadly amassed fans all around the world.
