David Suchet
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Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed
Edward Teller Edward Teller (; January 15, 1908 – September 9, 2003) was a Hungarian and American Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist and chemical engineer who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" and one of the creators of ...
in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his performance as Augustus Melmotte in the British serial '' The Way We Live Now'' (2001). International acclaim and recognition followed his performance as
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...
's detective
Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by the English writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is Christie's most famous and longest-running character, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffee'' and '' ...
in ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...
'' (1989–2013), for which he received a 1991 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor nomination."The Actor Behind Popular 'Poirot"
''
The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in Electronic publishing, electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 ...
'', 25 March 1992.
''"Inside the mind of a media monster"''
'' Yorkshire Post''. 27 April 2007.
A prolific stage actor, Suchet has been nominated for nine
Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...
and a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
.


Early life and family

David Suchet was born on 2 May 1946 in the
Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
area of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the son of Jack Suchet and his wife Joan Patricia (''née'' Jarché; 1916–1992), an actress. Jack emigrated from South Africa to England in 1932, trained to be a physician at St Mary's Hospital Medical School,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, in 1933, and became an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Suchet's father was of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, the son of Izidor Suchedowitz, originally from
Kretinga Kretinga (Yiddish: קרעטינגע) is a List of cities in Lithuania, city in Klaipėda County, in north-western Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kretinga District Municipality. It is located east of the popular Baltic Sea resort town of Pala ...
in the
Pale of Settlement The Pale of Settlement was a western region of the Russian Empire with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917 (''de facto'' until 1915) in which permanent settlement by Jews was allowed and beyond which the creation of new Jewish settlem ...
of the
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. At some point, the family name was recorded as "Schohet", a
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
word, from
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
'' shochet'', defining the profession of kosher butcher. Suchet's father changed his surname to Suchet while living in South Africa. David's mother was born in England and was
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
. She was of Russian-Jewish descent on her father's side, and English Anglican on her mother's side. He was raised without religion, but became a practising Anglican in 1986, and was confirmed in 2006. Suchet and his brothers,
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
and Peter, attended Grenham House boarding school in
Birchington-on-Sea Birchington-on-Sea is a village#United Kingdom, village in the Thanet District, Thanet district in Kent, England, with a population of 9,961. Note that the village's name is actually Birchington - 'Birchington-on-Sea' is the name of the railwa ...
, Kent. Then, after attending another independent school, Wellington School in
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, he took an interest in acting and joined the
National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and charity in London, created with the aim of developing young people's artistic skills via theatrical productions and other creative endeavours. Founded in 1956 as the world ...
at the age of 16. He trained and graduated from the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...
, where he later became a vice president, retiring in 2018.


Career


Theatre

Suchet began his acting career at the Gateway Theatre, Chester in 1969. He then appeared in many reps, including Worthing, Birmingham, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Liverpool Playhouse, and the Watermill Theatre. In 1973, he joined the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
. In 1981–82, he played Bolingbroke in '' Richard II'' opposite Alan Howard. In 1993 he played "John" in the drama '' Oleanna'' at the Royal Court Theatre. It was directed by
Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...
, and co-starred Lia Williams as "Carol". He made his West End debut opposite Saskia Reeves in the Kempinski play '' Separation'', at the Comedy Theatre in 1987. In 1996–97 he played opposite Dame
Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
in the West End production of ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...
''. He was featured as Salieri from 1998 to 2000 in the Broadway production '' Amadeus''. In 2007, at the
Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
, he played Cardinal Benelli in '' The Last Confession'', about the death of
Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I (born Albino Luciani; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal h ...
. In 2014, he reprised the role of Benelli in the Australian tour of the play. He has been starring as Lady Bracknell in ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde, the last of his four drawing-room plays, following ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (1892), ''A Woman of No Importance'' (1893) and ''An Ideal Husban ...
'' by
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
at the Vaudeville Theatre in London since June 2015 and on tour. In January 2022, Suchet had a three-week residency at the Harold Pinter Theatre performing ''Poirot and More, A Retrospective''.


Television and film

In 1985, Suchet played Blott in '' Blott on the Landscape''. In 1988, Suchet played Leopold Bloom in the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
documentary ''The Modern World: Ten Great Writers'', in which some of James Joyce's ''Ulysses'' was dramatised. In 1988 Suchet appeared in the penultimate episode of the television series '' Tales of the Unexpected''. He appeared as Yves Drouard, a scheming adulterer, in the episode ''A Time to Die''. In 1989, he took the title role of Hercule Poirot for the long-running television series ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...
''. In his book, ''Poirot and Me'', Suchet mentions that prior Poirot actor
Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...
one day approached him and told him that Suchet could play Poirot and would be good at it. Suchet then spoke to Brian Eastman from ITV, who sent him some of the novels to read. "And as I did so, it slowly dawned on me that I'd never actually seen the character I was reading about on the screen...He was quite, quite different: more elusive, more pedantic and, most of all, more human than the person I'd seen on the screen." Still unsure, Suchet rang his brother John, who advised him against it, calling Poirot "a bit of a joke, a buffoon. It's not you at all." Suchet took his brother's advice as a challenge and accepted the role. In preparation, he wrote a five-page character study of Poirot detailing 93 different aspects of his life. Suchet said he took the list on set with him and "gave a copy to every director I worked with on a Poirot film." Suchet went on to play the role in adaptations of every novel and short story featuring the character written by Agatha Christie. In preparation for the role, he says that he read every novel and short story and compiled an extensive file on Poirot. In 2001, he had the lead role in the
David Yates David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English filmmaker, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' series ...
-directed
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television serial '' The Way We Live Now''. In April 2002, he played the real-life barrister George Carman in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
drama ''Get Carman: The Trials of George Carman QC''. In 2003, Suchet starred as the ambitious
Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling f ...
in the two-part ITV drama ''Henry VIII'' opposite Ray Winstone as
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and
Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...
as
Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...
. In May 2006, he played the role of the fallen press baron
Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, politician and fraudster. After escaping the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, ...
in ''Maxwell'', a
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
dramatisation of the final 18 months of Maxwell's life. In 2006, he voiced Poirot in the
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
'' Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express''. At Christmas 2006, he played the
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
hunter Abraham Van Helsing in a BBC adaptation of
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
's novel ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''. He appeared in the
disaster film A disaster film or disaster movie is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include natural disasters, accidents, offensive (military), military/terrorism, terrorist att ...
''
Flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
'', released in August 2007, as the
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
of the United Kingdom, at a time when London is devastated by flooding. Suchet appeared on daytime-TV chat show '' Loose Women'' on 6 February 2008 to talk about his film '' The Bank Job'', in which he played Lew Vogel, alongside Jason Statham and
Saffron Burrows Saffron Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is a British and American actress who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' '' Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' '' Gangster No. 1,'' '' Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' '' Reign Over Me'', and '' Th ...
. In 2008, he took part in the
genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
documentary series '' Who Do You Think You Are?''.''Who Do You Think You Are?''
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. Broadcast on 17 September 2008
He starred in the 2009
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
made-for-TV film '' Diverted''. He starred as the main antagonist, Reacher Gilt, in the 2010 Sky TV adaptation of ''
Going Postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided int ...
'', based on Pratchett's book of the same name. He appeared in the film ''Act of God'' as Benjamin Cisco. In 1987, Suchet played a
bigfoot Bigfoot (), also commonly referred to as Sasquatch (), is a large, hairy Mythic humanoids, mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.Example definitions include: *"A large, hairy, manlike ...
hunter in ''
Harry and the Hendersons ''Harry and the Hendersons'' is a 1987 American fantasy comedy film directed and produced by William Dear and starring John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Don Ameche, David Suchet, Margaret Langrick, Joshua Rudoy, Lainie Kazan, and Kevin Peter Hal ...
''. He had roles in two
Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the ...
films, '' A Perfect Murder'' and '' The In-Laws''. In 1997, he starred in the independent film ''Sunday''. Between 2014 and 2015, Suchet appeared in and narrated two
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...
documentaries, undertaking an epic journey spanning the Mediterranean, inspired by the life and travels of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. In 2016, Suchet took on the role of the narrator in the BBC live production of '' Peter Pan Goes Wrong'', where he serves as the sole "professional" among the cast. At one point during the broadcast, when one of the actors is electrocuted, he is asked to distract the audience. His solution is to take Captain Hook's moustache and start acting like Poirot, even delivering his lines in a Belgian accent. This prompts the director (who is also playing Captain Hook) to retrieve the moustache and dismiss Suchet. In 2017, Suchet starred as Dr Fagan in the BBC One adaptation of
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
's '' Decline and Fall'', and guest starred in the role of a character called "The Landlord", for an episode of the tenth series of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' entitled '' Knock Knock''.


Canal Trust and River Thames Alliance

After starting work at Stratford-on-Avon in 1973, Suchet had a
narrowboat A narrowboat is a particular type of Barge, canal boat, built to fit the narrow History of the British canal system, locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, b ...
named ''Prima Donna'' fitted out to his specification as a residence there. He later became vice-president of the
Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...
and Hatherton Canals Trust, whose most challenging achievement has been securing funding, via an appeal and from influencing government decisions, concerning the building of the new M6 Toll motorway, where it cuts the lines of the Lichfield Canal and the Hatherton Canal, both of which the Trust wishes to see reopened. He was voted in as chairman of the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
Alliance in November 2005. At the July 2006 Annual General Meeting of the River Thames Alliance, he agreed to continue being chairman for another year. He is a patron of the River Thames Boat Project.


Awards, honours and appointments

In 2002, he was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE). In October 2008, Suchet was awarded an honorary degree for his contributions to the Arts, from the University of Chichester. This was presented by the Vice-Chancellor at the
Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
. On 7 January 2009, he was awarded Freedom of the City of London, at the
Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a guild hall or guild house, is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Europe, with many surviving today in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commo ...
in London. In July 2010, David Suchet was awarded an honorary degree from the
University of Kent The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...
at
Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...
in Canterbury. He was appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the
2011 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2011 were announced on 31 December 2010 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: New Zealand,New Zealand"New Year Honours 2011"(14 January 2011) 2 '' New Zealand Gazette'' 55. The Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands: Grenada,Grenada: ...
for "services to drama". On 18 March 2014, Suchet was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTS Programme Awards 2013 for his outstanding performance in ''Agatha Christies Poirot''. Suchet is Honorary President of The Leica Society. Suchet was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.


Personal life


Family and genealogy

In 1972, Suchet first met his wife, Sheila Ferris, at the Belgrade Theatre,
Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, where they were both working; he says that he fell in love with her as soon as he saw her, and that it took a while to persuade her to go out for a meal with him. They were married on 30 June 1976; the couple have a son, Robert (b. 1981), formerly a Captain (British Army and Royal Marines), captain in the Royal Marines, and a daughter, Katherine (b. 1983), a physiotherapist. Suchet is the brother of John Suchet, a former national news presenter for Five News, and former ITN newscaster, and presenter of the evening concert on Classic FM (2020). He is the uncle of broadcaster Richard Suchet, who is the son of Suchet's younger brother, Peter. Suchet's nephew is the RT broadcaster Rory Suchet. Suchet's maternal grandfather, James Jarché, was a famous Fleet Street photographer notable for the first pictures of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and also for his pictures of Louis Blériot (1909) and the Siege of Sidney Street. Suchet first became interested in photography when his grandfather gave him a Leica M3 camera as a present. The Jarché family was originally named Jarchy, and were Russian Jews. Suchet's great-great-great-grandfather, George Jezzard, was a master mariner. He was captain of the brig ''Hannah'', which sank nine miles off the coast of Suffolk during a violent storm on 28 May 1860, in which more than 100 vessels sank and at least 40 people died. Jezzard and six others of his crew were saved by local rescuers just before their ship sank.


Religious beliefs

Raised without religion, in 1986 Suchet underwent a religious conversion after having read Romans 8 in his hotel room. Soon afterwards, he was baptised into the Church of England. Suchet stated in an interview with ''Strand'' Magazine, "I'm a Christian by faith. I like to think it sees me through a great deal of my life. I very much believe in the principles of Christianity and the principles of most religions, actually—that one has to abandon oneself to a higher good." In 2012, Suchet made a documentary for the BBC on his personal hero, Saint Paul, to discover what he was like as a man by charting his evangelistic journey around the Mediterranean. In 2014, he filmed a documentary about the apostle Saint Peter. In November 2012, the British and Foreign Bible Society, British Bible Society appointed David Suchet and Dr Paula Gooder as new vice-presidents. They joined the existing vice-presidents: John Sentamu (Archbishop of York), Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster), Barry Morgan (bishop), Barry Morgan (Archbishop of Wales), David F. Ford (Regius Professor of Divinity at University of Cambridge, Cambridge), Joel Edwards (Evangelical Alliance), Joel Edwards (International Director of Micah Challenge) and David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, Lord Alton of Liverpool. Following the time when he bade farewell to his role as Hercule Poirot, Suchet fulfilled a 27-year ambition to make an audio recording of The Bible's New International Version, which was released in April 2014.


Political views

In August 2014, Suchet was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''The Guardian'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the September 2014 2014 Scottish independence referendum, referendum on that issue.


Filmography


Film


Television


Stage


Video games

*'' Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express'' (2006)


Interviews and TV documentaries


Poirot and Agatha Christie

* ''David Suchet interviewed by Clive Anderson'' BBC, Wogan 1990s * ''The Agatha Christie code'' ITV 2005 * ''David Suchet on playing Hercule Poirot – Dead Man’s Folly'' Q&A – BFI * ''David Suchet Final Poirot scene hardest of my career'' BBC 2013 * ''Au revoir Hercule Poirot'' – BBC News * ''Poirot's David Suchet'' ITV * ''The David Suchet Interview by Studio 10 (Australia)'' The ultra-smooth talking David Suchet aka Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot drops by Studio 10. * ''Premier.tv : David Suchet talks about Poirot'' * ''Holly and Phil chat with David Suchet'' BBC – 13 November 2013 * ''The Mystery of Agatha Christie'' ITV Perspectives, 2013. * ''Agatha Christie'' BBC documentary * ''Being Poirot'' BBC documentary (2014) * ''Today Tonight – David Suchet'' Channel Seven, Perth (Australia) 2014 * ''David Suchet on Poirot's Death '' Loose Women ITV 2015 * ''Travels With Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet'', More4 2025


BBC documentaries

* ''David Suchet on the Orient Express'' (TV documentary) (2010) * ''David Suchet: In the Footsteps of Saint Paul, St Paul'' (BBC documentary) (2012) * ''David Suchet: In the Footsteps of Saint Peter, St Peter'' (BBC Documentary) (2015)


Other interviews

* ''The One Show: David Suchet'' – Interview (30 April 2015) BBC * ''Long Day's Journey into Night'' David Suchet on acting, ''Digital Theatre Plus'' 2013 * ''Roles, Characters, Empathy: David Suchet (On) Acting'' 2012 * ''Suchet receives CBE'' BCC 2011 * ''David Suchet, Actor – A Birthday Tribute'' 2011 * ''International Emmy Winner – David Suchet'' BBC 2009 * ''David Suchet – Who Do You Think You Are'' BBC 2009 * ''Cannes Interview with David Suchet'' May 1997


Further reading

* Suchet, David and Wansell, Geoffrey. ''Poirot and Me''. Headline Publishing Group, Headline Book Publishing, 7 November 2013 (UK), 1 October 2014 (US).


References


External links

*
David Suchet
on Biography Channel {{DEFAULTSORT:Suchet, David 1946 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors awarded knighthoods Agatha Award winners Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners English Anglicans English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent English people of Russian-Jewish descent English people of South African-Jewish descent International Emmy Award for Best Actor winners Knights Bachelor National Youth Theatre members People educated at Wellington School, Somerset Male actors from London People from Paddington People from Pinner Royal Shakespeare Company members Actors from the London Borough of Harrow Actors from the City of Westminster