Inspector Lestrade

Origin

Little is known about Lestrade’s early life. He was probably born and raised in London, most likely in a working-class family. He joined Scotland Yard in 1861; though not a particularly imaginative man, or one with a special gift for detection, he nonetheless rose to some prominence in the force through sheer tenacity. He came into contact with Sherlock Holmes, for whom he developed a grudging respect, and who often assists in Lestrade’s cases. 

Creation

Lestrade was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He makes his first appearance in A Study in Scarlet. 

Major Story Arcs 

Sherlock Holmes 

Lestrade invites Holmes in to consult on numerous cases, or else is called in by Holmes to aid in the investigation or arrest of some individual in one of his cases. Often, Lestrade is nearly correct in his deductions, but tends to miss some crucial element or make some fundamental error in his deductions, often due to his lack of imagination. 

Other Media

Animation  

Sherlock Hound  
Lestrade appears as a police officer in this anime series. He is voice in Japanese by Shozo Iizuka, and in English by Lewis Arquette. 

Film

Sherlock Holmes Shorts 
Lestrade appears in four of these short films, produced in 1921 He is played by Arthur Bell. 
The Cardboard Box  
Lestrade appears in this adaptation of the story of the same name. He is played by Tom Beaumont
The Sleeping Cardinal and The Missing Rembrandt  
Lestrade appears as a minor character in both of these films. He is played by Philip Hewland.
A Study in Scarlet  
Lestrade appears in this adaptation of the story of the same name. He is played by Alan Mowbray
The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes  
Lestrade appears as a minor character in this film. He is played by Charles Mortimer 
Silver Blaze 
Lestrade appears in this film, an amalgamation of the “Silver Blaze” and The Hound of the Baskervilles. He is played by John Turnbull. 
Universal’s Sherlock Holmes  
Lestrade appears in six of Universal’s Sherlock Holmes films. He is played by Dennis Hoey.   
A Study in Terror  
Lestrade appears in this film, based on the Jack the Ripper murders. He is played by Frank Finlay. 
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes  
Lestrade appears as a minor character in this film. He is played by George Benson. 
Murder by Decree  
Frank Finaly reprises his role, again in a film based on Sherlock Holmes fighting Jack the Ripper. 
Young Sherlock Holmes   
Lestrade appears in this film. He is played by Roger Ashton-Griffiths. 
Without a Clue  
Lestrade appears in this comedy where he is jealous of Sherlock Holmes, never realizing that he is a cover for the actual genius detective, Dr Watson. He is played by Jeffrey Jones.
Sherlock Holmes   
Lestrade appears in this movie as a reluctant friend to Holmes. He is played by Eddie Marsan
Sherlock Holmes 
Lestrade appears in this direct-to-video mockbuster. He is played by William Huw. 
Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers  
Lestrade appears in this film. He is played by Richard W Kerr
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows  
Eddie Marsan reprises his role in this sequel to the 2009 film. 

Literature

Sherlock Holmes Canon  
Lestrade was originally created for the Sherlock Holmes series of stories. He appears in two books and eleven short stories in the series. 
Inspector Lestrade Series
This series of books written by MJ Trow cast Lestrade in the role of main character. There are sixteen books in the series.  
Anno Dracula 
Lestrade appears as a vampire in this book by Kim Newman.  
The Boy Sherlock Holmes  
A young Lestrade appears in this series of books by Shane Peacock. He and the young Holmes are not friends. 

Television

Sherlock Holmes 
Lestrade appears in four episodes in this six-episode miniseries. He is played by Bill Owen. 
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes   
Lestrade appears in 32 episodes in this series. He is played by Archie Duncan
Sherlock Holmes 
Lestrade appears in six episodes in this series. He is played by Peter Madden.  
Sherlock Holmes 
Lestrade appears in three episodes in this German series. He is played by Hans Schellbach
The Hound of the Baskervilles 
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Alan Caillou. 
Les grands détectives  
Lestrade appears in the episode “Sherlock Holmes: Le signe des quatre” in this French-language series. He is played by Dieter Kirchlechner
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson  
Lestrade appears in all five films in this Russian made-for-television series. He is played by Borislav Brondukov
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson  
Lestrade appears in two episodes in this series. He is played by Patrick Newell. 
Fantasy Island  
Lestrade appears in the episode “The Case Against Mr Roarke/Save Sherlock Holmes”. He is played by Ian Abercrombie. 
The Hound of the Baskervilles  
Lestrade appears in the fourth episode in the first series. He is played by Hubert Rees. 
The Baker Street Boys 
Lestrade appears in four episodes in this series. He is played by Stanley Lebor. 
Voyager  
Lestrade appears in the episode “Jack’s Back”. He is played by Gerry Gibson. 
The Hound of the Baskervilles  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Ronald Lacey. 
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes   
Between this series and its immediate successor and continuation The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Lestrade appears in four episodes. He is played by Colin Jeavons. 
Star Trek: The Next Generation  
A holodeck version of the character appears in the episode “Elementary, Dear Data”. He is played by Alan Shearman. 
Alfred Hitchcock Presents    
Lestrade appears in the episode “My Dear Watson”. He is played by John Colicos. 
Hands of a Murderer 
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Terence Lodge.
The Crucifer of Blood  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Simon Callow.  
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes  
Lestrade appears in two episodes in this series. He is played by Colin Jeavons. 
The Incident at Victoria Falls 
Lestrade appears briefly in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Kenway Baker
The Hound of London  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Colin Skinner
The Royal Scandal  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Julian Casey
Sherlock: Case of Evil 
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Nicholas Gecks
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie based on the original story “The Case of the Sussex Vampire”. He is played by Julian Casey
The Hound of the Baskervilles  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Danny Webb. 
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking  
Lestrade appears in this made-for-television movie. He is played by Neil Dudgeon. 
Sherlock 
Lestrade appears in five episodes of this television series. He is played by Rupert Graves. 

Radio

BBC Radio  
Lestrade appears regularly throughout the BBC Radio broadcasts of Sherlock Holmes stories. He is portrayed by Donald Gee from 1989 to 1993, by Stephen Thorne from 1994 to 1995, and again by Thorne in 2004 and 2009.  

Video Games  

Sherlock  
Lestrade appears as an NPC in this 1984 computer game.