Only Murders In The Inbox's Spotlight on David Suchet
How The Esteemed British Actor Brought Christie's Poirot to Life
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Image Courtesy of the BBC
Few actors have ever fully embodied a literary character the way David Suchet has as Agatha Christie’s Detective Hercule Poirot. For a quarter of a century, the incomparable Suchet transformed into the Belgian detective for the long-running British series, Agatha Christie’s Poirot. He became synonymous with Christie, mystery, and that memorable moustache.
David Suchet stepped into the role of the famous sleuth back in 1989. Suchet, possessing a talent for the stage with a Royal Shakespeare Company background, had a notable acting career before Poirot. Series producer Brian Eastman saw Suchet in the BBC’s Blott On A Landscape in 1985. Oddly enough, it was this performance that impressed Eastman such that he approached Suchet for the role, and not the Agatha Christie-based film released that same year. Suchet had coincidentally starred in Thirteen At Dinner, playing Inspector Japp to Peter Ustinov’s Poirot. During production of the movie, long before Eastman approached Suchet for the role, Ustinov presciently told Suchet that he thought he would make an excellent Poirot. So when Eastman asked Suchet if he’d be interested in playing the detective, he felt the stars had aligned.
“All I did was to start to read Agatha Christie's novels. I wanted to be the Poirot that she would be proud of. So out went the funny costume designs and the huge moustaches. And in went everything that she had written.”
— David Suchet
Suchet committed heavily to the role; he read all of Christie’s novels and mastered the Belgian accent. He amplified the meticulous perfectionist’s obsessive qualities that made the character both quirky and endearing. He donned the hat, carried the cane, and dressed to the nines. And he became an expert at grooming that moustache.
The character of Poirot is known best for his use of psychology and astute observation to solve crimes. Suchet mastered the traits of the detective, but also nailed the mannerisms and affects of the man. As intriguing as the mysteries are, it’s Suchet’s embodiment of the character that compels the viewer to return for more.
Image Courtesy of ITV
With each season of the show, the mysteries became more engaging and less light-hearted than earlier episodes. This is also true of the books, and Suchet tailored his performance to reflect that.
Suchet starred in seventy episodes of Poirot, covering all of Agatha Christie’s books and short stories about the Belgian sleuth. He dedicated the majority of his acting career to bringing Christie’s novels alive onscreen with his convincing portrayal. The last Poirot episode aired in 2013, with a moving performance by Suchet in Christie’s Curtain. In 2014, Christie’s estate finally allowed the passing of the torch to writer Sophie Hannah, who resurrected Hercule Poirot in several new mystery novels. When asked if he would ever consider returning to the screen as Poirot, Suchet replied, “I am Christie’s Poirot and her Poirot only.”
Suchet has had other roles. He’s had an illustrious career in theater spanning several decades. In 1998, he played Salieri in Amadeus, earning him both Olivier and Tony nominations. He’s been in dozens of movies, too. You could watch him in Dracula (2006) as Van Helsing for kicks, or as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (2015). However, Poirot granted him international fame like no other. It was his favorite role, and the one which defined his career.
I love the entire series; every episode is deserving of a watch. However, if you’d like a short Best Of List, these five favorites showcase Suchet at his finest in the role.
Five Classic Poirot Episodes
Season 6, Dumb Witness
Season 8, Evil Under The Sun
Season 9, Death On The Nile
Season 13, Dead Man’s Folly
Season 13, Curtain: Poirot’s Final Case
For fans of: Marple, Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, Endeavour, Inspector Morse, Only Murders In The Building
This edition of Only Murders In The Inbox has been updated from an earlier version that ran in 2023.
After You Watch
Check out a BBC News interview with David Suchet regarding his love of the character Poirot.
Song of the Day — “Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Poirot Variants” by Martin Robertson, the BBC Philharmonic, Rumon Gamba
Hi Reda: There are two related shows I wanted to mention to you. The first one is David Suchet On The Orient Express (2010), which I just rewatched recently. Suchet takes a trip on that train.
The other show is new, and is Travels With Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet (2025). Sir David travels to locations Christie visited. There are five episodes. The cinematography is gorgeous and he is a charming narrator and is clearly enjoying himself.
I have watched all of the episodes of Poirot, and also like to fall asleep to it. The documentaries above are both on Britbox.
Poirot has been our go-to every night