One of the greatest actors of the British stage and Screen, David Suchet, is a committed Christian and has discussed his beliefs and his magnificent readings of the Gospel in videos that are thankfully now still available on YouTube; although Anglican, he has reached out to people of many denominations and has made the wonderful television series “In the Footsteps of Saint Paul,” which used to be available on DVD, but now is evidently out of print, although a streaming version can be found on Amazon.com’s Prime Video service. Yet of all his roles, he is best known for bringing to life Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot in the much acclaimed and beloved television series. I would argue that Suchet’s portrayal of the character is in fact definitive; I don’t think anyone in the future will equal his interpretation, which resulted in creating a fully three dimensional person, who despite his flaws, that is to say the character that Christie herself described as “irritating,” is nevertheless a good and loving human being, and very devout. How he created the character, how he listened to Dame Agatha’s daughter, who explained that Poirot must never be laughed at, is discussed at length, along with his handwritten notes before he portrayed him after reading all her published work, in his marvelous book, Poirot and Me.
For comparison’s sake, with earlier and later interpretations of the character of Poirot, please see these short videos:
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
Murder on the Orient Express | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX
The ABC Murders—Official Trailer [HD] | Prime Video
(I would add in the Malkovich interpretation in this BBC and Amazon.com co-production—my late mother always referred to BBC as the “Bolshevik Broadcasting Company,” and I think there’s wisdom in that—Poirot’s mustache, which appears to be dyed with shoe polish runs and the police officers that he met with become hysterical with laughter at him, violating the most important advice raised by Ms. Christie’s daughter when she met with Suchet to discuss his playing the role.)
And lastly, David Suchet’s film of Murder on the Orient Express.
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express Trailer
From the description above: “Sinister and foreboding, Agatha Christie’s quintessential murder mystery is brought to life by an all-star cast and explores the nature of justice and the limits of the law.”
I once interviewed a person I thought knew a great deal about his denomination and Christianity in general—at least since he said he was educated by a priest who was like a second father and studied throughout his life—but in response to my question (sent via email) what does it mean or what is to be Christian, he answered (not direct quotes) a Christian is anyone who says he’s Christian and that churches are hospitals for sinners. However, perhaps you’ve observed many churches now in recent history are asylums run by the inmates—and I mean no offense in writing these words, which is my own observation.
For those who do have the time, this interview sums up David Suchet’s faith very well, and his modesty and hope not to offend by expressing his beliefs; of course, he discusses challenges Christians are facing now and how is profession (theater and film) is not at all supportive—to say the least:
In Conversation with David Suchet CBE
I must also make it clear that in his film about Saint Paul he shows great respect towards not only Christians who are not of his Anglican faith, but to those who are not Christian at all, and like Mr. Suchet, I regret that his years of effort in trying to portray Saint Paul in film came to naught; if only a stage play with him playing Saint Paul could become a wonderful reality!
Returning to David Suchet’s interpretation of Poirot, and how he has made Poirot a fully human being, a person and most of all a convincing and devout Catholic, especially in the last episodes of the series, has resulted in not only thought provoking drama of the highest order but a examination of the nature of crime and punishment, exceeding in my opinion the “theology” of retribution that Christie has often depicted in her novels. More than that, Suchet has a Christian—if not limited to a Catholic or Orthodox perspective—understanding of the nature of evil; and that as the wise “Fathers” of both the Catholic and Orthodox Church have noted, there is no human being who lives who is all good or all evil. In fact, I’ve written about how both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis from their experiences in the trenches during World War I were convinced of an evil that was beyond human in origin. Yet in the Christian faith, one can see the human soul corrupted by accepting or drawing evil into itself—what I’d describe as the demonic—for has not Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:45, “Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Suchet’s film of Murder on the Orient Express—and many other of his Poirot films, before the final story Curtain was filmed (first, because of the impact on him, he chose to film first)—clearly show the power of the demonic, and how his final battle will not be with just against human beings. Episodes that develop this thesis are in Series 12, which includes not only Murder on the Orient Express, but Hallowe’en Party, in which a child is murdered; then in the final series, 13, include The Big Four and especially The Labours of Hercules, an original script written for the series and not based on any of the short stories that Christie wrote; the ending is chilling but at the same time, the film shows the power of love as well that of evil.
I did read in his book how he was disappointed in his film of the novel The Hollow, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, and if he were ever given the opportunity to do a remake of this novel, I’d change the ending to introduce Poirot in the scene Christie wrote of the adulterous doctor’s amazing ability to devise medicines, a gift from God, to heal, and to support the elderly woman who is fighting for her life with his miraculous treatment by expressing to her his Catholic faith what he believes; in that way, Poirot would then have integrated perfectly with the story, something that was lacking in the original novel as well.
Suchet has discussed his pain at saying farewell to his marvelous creation, but he has expressed the hope of returning to play Poirot in a film; alas, with BBC-Amazon having the rights to Poirot, I think that unlikely.
David Suchet Reveals He Misses Playing Poirot | This Morning
This interview with Suchet is also worth watching:
David Suchet on the darker side of Hercule Poirot, and finding faith | One Plus One
David Suchet’s wonderful legacy—not only his Poirot, but numerous brilliant portrayals of characters in theater, including Shakespeare and Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, and film—remains. And only a little while ago, in early April 2021, Suchet recorded for Westminster Abbey The Gospel of Saint John. For these blessings, transient as they are, we should all be grateful, and I cannot provide words sufficient to express my affection and deep admiration for this good, loving, immensely talented, remarkable Christian man.
The Gospel according to St John, read by Sir David Suchet
