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The Dapper Detective: An Interview with David Suchet

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which aired on A&E, marked the return of dapper detective Hercule Poirot to the television screen after a five-year hiatus. In films, Agatha Christie's most famous creation has been portrayed by a number of actors, ranging from Charles Laughton to Peter Ustinov, but none have inhabited the character so completely and compassionately as British actor David Suchet. Suchet's career began onstage with roles in Shakespeare standards, then gradually branched into feature films ( Executive Decision, The Falcon and the Snowman, and A Perfect Murder, among others). He finds himself in front of the footlights again as Antonio Salieri in the current Broadway production of Amadeus, but to mystery aficionados around the world, his best-known disguise involves a wax mustache, generous padding, and a French accent. He has appeared in 45 adaptations of Christie's stories, which are rerun on PBS and A&E. Suchet chatted with Amazon.com's Larisa Lomacky Moore about a curious "little man" named Hercule Poirot.

Amazon.com: How did you first become involved in the Poirot series? 

David Suchet: Well, it goes back to 1987. My goodness, that's a long time ago, isn't it! The producer came to me--I'd known him for a few years--and he said, "Look, the Agatha Christie estate [is] very keen that Poirot should have a series on television. Your name has been mentioned for the role of Poirot. Do you know anything about him?" So I said, "Not that much, I'm afraid." I said, I know him by the films I'd seen, but I hadn't read any of the books. I was never a fan of murder mystery stories. And he said, "Well, start reading." And that's what I did. I started reading and I met a little man called Hercule Poirot in the books, and became very fond of him. And I was very surprised to find that what Agatha Christie had put on the paper was nothing, really, that I'd seen in the movies.

Amazon.com: What had he been like in the movies?

Suchet: A lot of other actors had played Poirot in the past [Peter Ustinov, Albert Finney, Charles Laughton]. The interpretation of most of them were a sort of cardboard cutout, almost a figure of fun, really, a bit of a joke. And I could see how that came as an interpretation, but that's not what she wrote in the book. So I was suddenly given a wonderful challenge, to become the Poirot from the novels, the Poirot that she wrote, and that's all I've done, really. 

Amazon.com: And what are some of the major differences in your portrayal?

Suchet: I think, without going into specifics, the overall generalization would be that in the Poirot that Christie wrote there are many more dimensions. He's a very serious man. He is not aware of his eccentricities as being humorous. And I think that's one thing that all the interpretations I've seen make him-they make him very aware of his own comedic qualities. A true eccentric has no knowledge of his eccentricity at all. I mean, you would not know if you were eccentric, would you?

So, he's an obsessive character. You don't really get that in the other versions, except in a silly way. Like, obviously this is directorial, I suppose, but Albert Finney was made to wear a hair net and a mustache net in Murder on the Orient Express. That's not in the novel. And it's making him a bit jokey. And I don't think it's fair to the character as written. When I was asked to play it, I didn't want to do any of that.

Amazon.com: I've noticed more subtle things that you've done, such as in one episode, there's a plate of pomegranates on a table and you arrange it so that it's a perfect pyramid. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot, it's not a clue, but it's just such a perfect detail.

Suchet: That is pure Poirot. If he came into your apartment, he would, as he was talking to you, straighten the things on your mantelshelf to make sure they were all symmetrical. He cannot look at anything that is out of symmetry and have peace of mind. But he wouldn't be doing it in a way to criticize you. If you had a speck of dust on your shoulder, he would just very gently remove it. If someone's tie was slightly crooked, he would have to straighten it. And he would be a very annoying little man. [laughs]

Amazon.com: How does it feel to play a character that's been so well documented?

Suchet: It was a special challenge. It was also a great fear, because I found out how very popular Poirot was. [Christie] published the last book of all, called Curtain, where he dies, actually. His death appeared on the front page of The New York Times. That's unbelievable!

Amazon.com: How did it feel to you to step back into Poirot's shoes for The Murder of Roger Akroyd?

Suchet: Well, I thought that it was going to be easy to slip back into him, but it wasn't. I found it very hard, and I couldn't find the voice and I couldn't find the movement and I couldn't get into his mindset again. So I started reviewing some tapes and studying the novels again and practicing, and then I was able to become him. Because he's not really me. I don't know if you've ever seen me, but I'm nothing like him to look at, really. I mean, I'm not--I won't say I'm slim--but I'm certainly not a 42 inch waist; I'm about a 33, although people do recognize me. It's such a disguise! I suppose I'm like him in some ways as a personality, I think. I mean, I am tidy.

Amazon.com: But not obsessive?

Suchet: No, I wouldn't call myself obsessive. I think my children might. I don't think my wife would call me obsessive. She'd probably call me a nuisance, but not obsessive. [laughs]

Amazon.com: Do you have a favorite Poirot episode?

Suchet: Yes I do. I go right back to The ABC Murders. I loved doing it and I really enjoyed that story. I think it's a wonderful conceit, you know, to go through the alphabet like that. And I think it was brilliant of her to think of these things. When she wrote The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was the first Poirot novel, she only did it as a dare.

Amazon.com: In The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, Poirot is learning magic tricks. Did you do the magic tricks yourself?

Suchet: I did. That was me doing them. On a close-up of the hands and all that, they're my hands.

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