Sir David Suchet, the actor who played Agatha Christie's iconic detective Hercule Poirot in 70 adaptations of her work, will soon be seen in Travels with Agatha with Sir David Suchet, a five-part documentary series which will air on Channel 4 in the UK.
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The travelogue series sees Suchet visiting Australia, Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand and South Africa, retracing a journey Christie went on at the start of her career.
In anticipation of the documentary's release, Suchet has spoken to Deadline about his experience – and revealed there is still a chance he could return to play Poirot one more time.
He explained: "In 2013, I had made up my mind that I would not do any Poirots that were not Agatha Christie, and I had done all her stories, but I did say quite openly that I would love to do one on the big screen.
"The movie I would have liked to have made is probably not the one that anybody would have wanted to be made because it’s not her most famous book, but my favourite is The ABC Murders, which is a wonderful story."
David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. Getty
Suchet previously starred in a TV film adaptation of The ABC Murders in 1992, as part of the fourth season of Agatha Christie's Poirot.
Suchet also spoke about getting to know Christie "as a more three-dimensional human being" through his travels, calling it "an unexpected gift".
"I was learning about the character of a young lady who loved surfing, who loved socialising, who actually, when her early stories were published, would willingly give press interviews," he explained.
"She was vivacious. On board the ship, she openly writes in her diary that she was kept up into the early hours with one of the officers on board. The Agatha Christie that I was discovering during my journey was happy. She was a little bit flirty. I wish I’d met her."
Since Suchet played Poirot, the role has also been taken on by Kenneth Branagh, who has so far starred in and directed three films featuring the detective.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
