In the novel Death in the Clouds, Jean Dupont is a French archaeologist. He is the son of Armand, also an archaeologist. At the beginning of the novel, the Duponts board the Prometheus for a flight to England, where Armand is to deliver a lecture before the Royal Asiatic Society.
Jean is described as having a 'fair boyish-looking face, attractive more by reason of its extreme mobility than because of any actual claim to good looks".
During the flight of the Prometheus, Jean and his father were engaged in a discussion on the prehistoric pottery of the Near East, and so they noticed very little of what was going on around them. Jean did, however, notice a wasp. It annoyed him, and he killed it.
Later, after Madame Giselle is discovered dead, Jean suggests that she died as a result of a wasp sting. However, when Poirot discovers a poison dart on the floor by the dead woman, it is believed that this is the cause of death.
Later in the novel, Jean Dupont runs into Jane Grey at a restaurant, and they discuss the case. He asks Jane to dine with him that evening, as he is returning to France the next day. However, Jane is unable to dine with him, as she already has an appointment to dine with Norman Gale.
When Jane accompanies Poirot to Paris as his secretary, they have dinner with Armand and Jean Dupont. Jean and Jane converse over dinner, and later go to the cinema together. Meanwhile, Poirot arranges for Jane to go to Persia with the Duponts the following Spring.
At the end of the novel, Poirot says that he has arranged a marriage between Jean Dupont and Jane Grey, which will take place in the future.
Portrayals[]
In the the film adaptation of Death in the Clouds in Series 4 of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot drama series, the part of Jean Dupont was played by Guy Manning. Here he is the only archaeologist and the elder Dupont is not featured. Unlike the book, Jean's field of interest here is Equitorial Africa and not Persia. He does show an interest in Jane Grey, taking her to a museum, but this is motivated more wanting her to help persuade Poirot to make a donation for his archaeological work. Poirot does not pair him off with Jane Grey at the end.
In the NHK's anime adaptation of Death in the Clouds, the character of Jean Dupont is voiced by Toshikazu Fukawa. Here Poirot does pair Jean off with Jane. He makes a large donation to Armand Dupont and asks he to offer a job on the expedition to Jane. Jean is seen departing on a ship with Jane for the expedition towards the end of the story.