Editing Hercule Poirot (section)

== Portrayals ==
=== Stage ===

The first actor to portray Poirot was [[Charles Laughton]]. He appeared on the West End in 1928 in the play ''[[Alibi (play)|Alibi]]'' which had been adapted by [[Michael Morton (dramatist)|Michael Morton]] from the novel ''The Murder of Roger Ackroyd''. In 1932, the play was performed as ''The Fatal Alibi'' on Broadway. Another Poirot play, ''[[Black Coffee (play)|Black Coffee]]'', opened in London at the [[Embassy Theatre (London)|Embassy Theatre]] on 8 December 1930 and starred [[Francis L. Sullivan]] as Poirot. 

''Black Coffee'' was revived by The Agatha Christie Theatre Company for an extensive UK tour in 2014. Poirot was initially portrayed by [[Robert Powell]], with [[Jason Durr]] later taking over the role partway through the run.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ball|first=Anthony|title=Robert Powell to play Hercule Poirot in Black Coffee touring production|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a539649/robert-powell-to-play-hercule-poirot-in-black-coffee-touring-production/|website=Digital Spy|date=20 December 2013|access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Womack|first=Alexandra|title=Review: Agatha Christie's Black Coffee with Robert Powell at Theatre Royal Bath|url=https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/leisure/theatre/10969294.review-agatha-christies-black-coffee-with-robert-powell-at-theatre-royal-bath/|website=Gazette Series|date=January 29, 2014|access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Peterson|first=Tyler|title=Jason Durr to Lead Black Coffee UK Tour|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Jason-Durr-to-Lead-BLACK-COFFEE-UK-Tour-20140523|website= broadwayworld.com|date=May 23, 2014|access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jason Durr takes over from Robert Powell in Black Coffee|url=http://agathachristieweb.blogspot.com/2014/06/jason-durr-takes-over-from-robert.html|website= Agatha Christie Web|date=June 3, 2014|access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref>

American playwright [[Ken Ludwig]] adapted ''[[Murder on the Orient Express]]'' into a play, which premiered at the [[McCarter Theatre]] in [[Princeton, New Jersey]] on 14 March 2017. It starred English actor [[Allan Corduner]] in the role of Hercule Poirot. A 2022 UK production starred [[Henry Goodman]]. A new touring production will star [[Michael Maloney]] as Poirot.<ref>{{cite web|title=Murder on the Orient Express tour unveils initial casting|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/murder-on-the-orient-express-tour-unveils-initial-casting_1614724/|website=whatsonstage.com|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=July 18, 2024}}</ref>

Other notable actors who have portrayed Poirot on stage include [[Ronnie Barker]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Aldridge|first=Mark|title=FACTS ABOUT HERCULE POIROT|url=https://www.agathachristie.com/en/characters/hercule-poirot/facts-about-hercule-poirot|website=agathachristie.com|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> [[Leonard Rossiter]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Career - Theatre 1956-1959|url=http://www.leonardrossiter.com/Theatre56-59.html#Alibi/|website=leornardrossiter.com|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> [[Ronald Magill]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alibi|url=https://theatricalia.com/play/4jv/alibi/production/16b5|website= Theatricalia|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> [[Patrick Cargill]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Black Coffee|url=https://theatricalia.com/play/4fs/black-coffee/production/15sr|website= Theatricalia|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> and [[Alfred Marks]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alfred Marks|url=https://theatricalia.com/person/4z2/alfred-marks|website= Theatricalia|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref>

=== Film ===

==== Austin Trevor ====

[[Austin Trevor]] debuted the role of Poirot on screen in the 1931 British film ''[[Alibi (1931 film)|Alibi]]''. The film was based on the stage play. Trevor reprised the role of Poirot twice, in ''[[Black Coffee (1931 film)|Black Coffee]]'' and ''[[Lord Edgware Dies (1934 film)|Lord Edgware Dies]]''. Trevor said once that he was probably cast as Poirot simply because he could do a French accent.<ref>[http://www.poirot.us/ptvfilm.html At the Hercule Poirot Central website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430024329/http://www.poirot.us/ptvfilm.html |date=30 April 2008 }}</ref> Notably, Trevor's Poirot did not have a moustache. [[Leslie S. Hiscott]] directed the first two films, and [[Henry Edwards (actor)|Henry Edwards]] took over for the third.

==== Tony Randall ====

[[Tony Randall]] portrayed Poirot in ''[[The Alphabet Murders]]'', a 1965 film also known as ''The ABC Murders''. This was more a satire of Poirot than a straightforward adaptation and was greatly changed from the original. Much of the story, set in modern times, was played for comedy, with Poirot investigating the murders while evading the attempts by Hastings ([[Robert Morley]]) and the police to get him out of England and back to Belgium.

==== Albert Finney ====
[[File:Albert Finney plays Poirot.jpg|thumb|[[Albert Finney]] as Poirot in the 1974 film ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'']]
[[Albert Finney]] played Poirot in 1974 in the cinematic version of ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]''. Finney is the only actor to receive an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination for playing Poirot, though he did not win.

==== Peter Ustinov ====
[[File:Ustinov is Poirot.jpg|[[Peter Ustinov]] as Poirot in a [[Evil Under the Sun (1982 film)|1982 adaptation]] of the novel ''[[Evil Under the Sun]]''|frame]]

[[Peter Ustinov]] played Poirot six times, starting with ''[[Death on the Nile (1978 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''[[Evil Under the Sun (1982 film)|Evil Under the Sun]]'' (1982) and ''[[Appointment with Death (film)|Appointment with Death]]'' (1988).

Christie's daughter [[Rosalind Hicks]] observed Ustinov during a rehearsal and said, "That's not Poirot! He isn't at all like that!" Ustinov overheard and remarked "He is ''now!''"<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.mapdig.com/?title=Hercule_Poirot |title=Hercule Poirot |publisher=Map dig |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517152810/http://www.mapdig.com/?title=Hercule_Poirot |archive-date=17 May 2014 }}</ref>

He appeared again as Poirot in three [[television film]]s: ''[[Thirteen at Dinner (film)|Thirteen at Dinner]]'' (1985), ''[[Dead Man's Folly (film)|Dead Man's Folly]]'' (1986), and ''[[Murder in Three Acts]]'' (1986). Earlier adaptations were set during the time in which the novels were written, but these television films were set in the contemporary era. The first of these was based on ''[[Lord Edgware Dies]]'' and was made by [[Warner Bros.]] It also starred [[Faye Dunaway]], with David Suchet as Inspector Japp, just before Suchet began to play Poirot. David Suchet considers his performance as Japp to be "possibly the worst performance of [his] career".<ref>{{Cite magazine | url = http://www.strandmag.com/suchet.htm | title = Interview | first = David | last = Suchet | author-link = David Suchet | magazine = [[The Strand Magazine]] | access-date = 5 December 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150530010249/http://www.strandmag.com/suchet.htm | archive-date = 30 May 2015 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==== Kenneth Branagh ====
[[Kenneth Branagh]] played Poirot in film adaptations of [[Murder on the Orient Express (2017 film)|''Murder on the Orient Express'']] in 2017, ''[[Death on the Nile (2022 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' in 2022, and ''[[A Haunting in Venice]]'', based on the novel ''[[Hallowe'en Party]]'', in 2023. Branagh directed all three and co-produced them alongside [[Ridley Scott]]. They were all written by [[Michael Green (writer)|Michael Green]].

==== Other ====

* [[Anatoly Ravikovich]], ''Zagadka Endkhauza'' (''End House Mystery'') (1989; based on "Peril at End House")
* [[Pál Mácsai]], ''A titokzatos stylesi eset'' (''The Mysterious Affair at Styles'') (2023)

=== Television ===

==== David Suchet ====

[[David Suchet]] starred as Poirot in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] series ''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' from 1989 until June 2013, when he announced that he was bidding farewell to the role. "No one could've guessed then that the series would span a quarter-century or that the classically trained Suchet would complete the entire catalogue of whodunits featuring the eccentric Belgian investigator, including 33 novels and dozens of short stories."<ref>{{cite news |first=Henry |last=Chu |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-poirot-20130721-story.html |title=David Suchet bids farewell to Agatha Christie's Poirot |work= Los Angeles Times  |date=19 July 2013 |access-date=17 November 2013}}</ref> His final appearance in the show was in an adaptation of ''Curtain'', aired on 13 November 2013.

The writers of the "Binge!" article of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' December 2014/January 2015) picked Suchet as "Best Poirot" in the "Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple" timeline.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Binge! Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |issue=1343–44 |date=26 December 2014|pages=32–33}}</ref>

The episodes were shot in various locations in the UK and abroad (for example "[[Triangle at Rhodes]]" and "[[Problem at Sea]]"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Suchet |first=David |title=Poirot and Me |publisher=Headline |year=2013 |isbn=9780755364190 |location=London |pages=62–63}}</ref>), whilst other scenes were shot at [[Twickenham Studios]].<ref name="chimni">{{cite web|title=Homes Used in Poirot Episodes|url=http://www.chimni.com/wiki/Homes_Used_In_Poirot_Episodes|website=www.chimni.com|publisher=Chimni – the architectural wiki|access-date=15 September 2017}}</ref>

==== Other ====

* [[Heini Göbel]], (1955; an adaptation of ''Murder on the Orient Express'' for the West German television series ''Die Galerie der großen Detektive'')
* [[José Ferrer]], ''Hercule Poirot'' (1961; Unaired TV Pilot, MGM; adaptation of "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim")
* [[Martin Gabel]], ''General Electric Theater'' (4/1/1962; adaptation of "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim")
* Horst Bollmann, ''Black Coffee'' 1973
* [[Ian Holm]], ''Murder by the Book'', 1986
* Arnolds Liniņš, ''Slepkavība Stailzā'' (''The Mysterious Affair at Styles''), 1990
* [[Hugh Laurie]], ''[[Spice World (film)|Spice World]]'', 1997
* [[Alfred Molina]], ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (2001 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'', 2001
* [[Konstantin Raikin]], ''Neudacha Puaro'' (''Poirot's Failure'') (2002; based on "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd")
* [[Anthony O'Donnell (actor)|Anthony O'Donnell]], ''[[Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures]]'', 2004
* [[Shirō Itō]] (Takashi Akafuji), ''Meitantei Akafuji Takashi'' (''The Detective Takashi Akafuji''), 2005
* [[Mansai Nomura]] (Takeru Suguro), ''Orient Kyūkō Satsujin Jiken'' (''Murder on the Orient Express''), 2015; ''Kuroido Goroshi'' (''The Murder of Kuroido''), 2018 (based on "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"); ''Shi to no Yakusoku'', 2021 (based on ''Appointment with Death'') 
* [[John Malkovich]] was Poirot in [[The ABC Murders (TV series)|the 2018 BBC adaptation]] of ''[[The A.B.C. Murders|The ABC Murders]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2018/all-star-cast-announced-for-the-abc-murders-bbc-adaptation |title=Casting announced for The ABC Murders BBC adaptation |date=24 May 2018 |publisher=Agatha Christie |access-date=5 January 2019}}</ref>

=== Anime ===

In 2004, the Japanese public broadcaster [[NHK]] produced a 39-episode anime series titled ''[[Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple]]'', as well as a [[manga]] series under the same title released in 2005. The series, adapting several of the best-known Poirot and Marple stories, ran from 4 July 2004 through 15 May 2005, and in repeated reruns on [[NHK]] and other networks in Japan. Poirot was voiced by [[Kōtarō Satomi]] and Miss Marple was voiced by [[Kaoru Yachigusa]].

=== Audio ===
==== BBC Radio ====


An adaptation of ''Murder in the Mews'' was broadcast on the [[BBC Light Programme]] in March 1955 starring [[Richard Bebb]] as Poirot; this program was thought lost, but was discovered in the BBC archives in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ss65l |title=Murder in the Mews, Poirot – BBC Radio 4 Extra|website=BBC}}</ref>

From 1985 to 2007, Radio 4 produced a [[Hercule Poirot (radio series)|series of twenty-seven adaptations]] of Poirot novels and short stories, adapted by [[Michael Bakewell]] and directed by Enyd Williams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03js5pl/episodes/guide|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra – Poirot – Episode guide|work=BBC}}</ref> Twenty five starred [[John Moffatt (actor)|John Moffatt]] as Poirot; [[Maurice Denham]] and [[Peter Sallis]] played Poirot on [[BBC Radio 4]] in the first two adaptations, ''[[The Mystery of the Blue Train]]'' and ''[[Hercule Poirot's Christmas]]'' respectively.

==== Audible ====
In 2017, [[Audible (store)|Audible]] released an original audio adaptation of ''Murder on the Orient Express'' starring [[Tom Conti]] as Poirot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agathachristie.com/news/2017/audible-original-dramatisation-of-christies-classic-story |title=Audible Original dramatisation of Christie's classic story |date=10 October 2017 |publisher=Agatha Christie |access-date=5 January 2019}}</ref> The cast included [[Jane Asher]] as Mrs. Hubbard, [[Jay Benedict]] as Monsieur Bouc, [[Ruta Gedmintas]] as Countess Andrenyi, [[Sophie Okonedo]] as Mary Debenham, [[Eddie Marsan]] as Ratchett, Walles Hamonde as Hector MacQueen, [[Paterson Joseph]] as Colonel Arbuthnot, [[Rula Lenska]] as Princess Dragimiroff and [[Art Malik]] as the Narrator.  According to the Publisher's Summary on Audible.com, "sound effects [were] recorded on the Orient Express itself."

Audible is scheduled to release [[The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Audible)|a dramatisation]] of ''[[The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Audible)|The Mysterious Affair at Styles]]'' in November 2024. The cast includes [[Peter Dinklage]] as Poirot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/digital/global/peter-dinklage-jessica-gunning-himesh-patel-audible-agatha-christie-mysterious-affair-at-styles-1236161466/|title=Peter Dinklage, Jessica Gunning, Himesh Patel and More to Star in Audible Adaptation of Agatha Christie's 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Ellise|last=Shafer|date=October 2, 2024|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>

==== Others ====
In 1939, [[Orson Welles]] and the [[Mercury Theatre|Mercury Players]] dramatised ''Roger Ackroyd'' on CBS's ''[[The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)|Campbell Playhouse]]''.<ref name="Cox, Jim 2002, p. 18">{{cite book |last=Cox |first=Jim |title=Radio Crime Fighters |year= 2002  |page=18 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-7864-1390-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://orsonwelles.indiana.edu/items/show/2002 |title=The Murder of Roger Ackroyd |website=Orson Welles on the Air, 1938–1946 |publisher=Indiana University Bloomington |access-date=29 July 2018 }}</ref>

On 6 October 1942, the [[Mutual Broadcasting System|Mutual]] radio series ''Murder Clinic'' broadcast "The Tragedy at Marsden Manor" starring [[Maurice Tarplin]] as Poirot.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Tragedy at Marsden Manor |url=https://archive.org/details/Murder_Clinic/Murder_Clinic-42-10-06_012_Tragedy_At_Marsden_Manor.mp3 |access-date=6 November 2021 |series=Murder Clinic |last= |first= |network=[[Mutual Broadcasting System]] |date=June 10, 1942 |season=1 |number=5}}</ref> At least two other Poirot stories were adapted for the series, but it is unknown who voiced him.

A [[Hercule Poirot (American radio series)|1945 radio series]] of at least 13 original half-hour episodes (none of which apparently adapt any Christie stories) transferred Poirot from London to New York and starred character actor [[Harold Huber]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logh1033.htm |title=A list of episodes of the half-hour 1945 radio program |publisher=Otrsite.com |access-date=27 June 2010}}</ref> perhaps better known for his appearances as a police officer in various [[Charlie Chan]] films. On 22 February 1945, "speaking from London, [[Agatha Christie]] introduced the initial broadcast of the Poirot series via shortwave".<ref name="Cox, Jim 2002, p. 18"/>

In 2021, [[L.A. Theatre Works]] produced an adaptation of ''The Murder on the Links'', dramatised by [[Kate McAll]]. [[Alfred Molina]] starred as Poirot, with [[Simon Helberg]] as Hastings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://latw.org/title/murder-links |title=The Murder on the Links |website=latw.org |access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>

=== Video games ===
In the video games ''Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases'' and ''Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The London Case'', Poirot is voiced by Will De Renzy-Martin.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

=== Parodies and references ===
{{more citations needed|section|date=January 2019}}
[[File:SH3 - Sherlock Holmes et Hercule Poirot.png|thumb|Holmes and Poirot in ''[[Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened]]'' (2007)]]
Parodies of Hercule Poirot have appeared in a number of movies, including ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]'', where Poirot makes a cameo appearance in a mental asylum, portrayed by [[Andrew Sachs]] and claiming to be "the greatest detective in all of France, the greatest in all the world"; Neil Simon's ''[[Murder by Death]]'', where "Milo Perrier" is played by American actor [[James Coco]]; the 1977 film ''[[The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It]]'' (1977); the film ''[[Spice World (film)|Spice World]]'', where [[Hugh Laurie]] plays Poirot; and in ''[[Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened]]'', Poirot appears as a young boy on the train transporting Holmes and Watson. Holmes helps the boy in opening a puzzle-box, with Watson giving the boy advice about using his "little grey cells".

In the book series ''[[Geronimo Stilton]]'', the character Hercule Poirat is inspired by Hercule Poirot.

The Belgian brewery Brasserie Ellezelloise makes a stout called ''Hercule'' with a moustachioed caricature of Hercule Poirot on the label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brasserie-ellezelloise.be/bieres-uk.shtml#L%27Hercule |title=The Brasserie Ellezelloise's Hercule |publisher=Brasserie-ellezelloise.be |access-date=27 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602134946/http://www.brasserie-ellezelloise.be/bieres-uk.shtml#L%27Hercule |archive-date=2 June 2010  }}</ref>

In season 2, episode 4 of [[The Viral Fever|TVFPlay]]'s Indian web series ''Permanent Roommates'', one of the characters refers to Hercule Poirot as her inspiration while she attempts to solve the mystery of the cheating spouse. Throughout the episode, she is mocked as Hercule Poirot and Agatha Christie by the suspects.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvfplay.com/episode/1/3/68/783|title=Watch TVF's Permanent Roommates S02E04 – The Dinner on TVF Play|website=TVFPlay|access-date=29 May 2016|archive-date=19 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019103352/http://tvfplay.com/episode/1/3/68/783|url-status=dead}}</ref> TVFPlay also telecasted a spoof of Indian TV suspense drama [[CID (Indian TV series)|''CID'']] as "''Qissa Missing Dimaag Ka: C.I.D Qtiyapa''". In the first episode, when Ujjwal is shown to browse for the best detectives of the world, [[David Suchet]] appears as Poirot in his search.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvfplay.com/category/2/series/73|title=Qissa Missing Dimaag Ka (Part 1/2)|website=TVFPlay}}</ref>