Poirot and Me is a book written by actor David Suchet in collaboration with Geoffrey Wansell. It is Suchet's account of his acting career during the time when he portrayed The character of Hercule Poirot in the ITV series Agatha Christie's Poirot.
Publisher's Description[]
"In the summer of 2013 David Suchet will film his final scenes as Hercule Poirot. After 24 years in the role, he will have played the character in every story that Agatha Christie wrote about him (bar one, deemed unfilmable) and he will bid adieu to a role and a character that have changed his life.
In Poirot and Me, David Suchet tells the story of how he secured the part, with the blessing of Agatha Christie's daughter, and set himself the task of presenting the most authentic Poirot that had ever been filmed.
David Suchet is uniquely placed to write the ultimate companion to one of the world's longest running television series. Peppered with anecdotes about filming, including many tales of the guest stars who have appeared over the years, the book is essential reading for Poirot fans all over the world."
Contents[]
Over the course of 19 chapters and a prologue, Suchet describes how he came to play the part of Poirot during a discussion with series producer Brian Eastman over a meal of "chicken madras and vegetable biryani". Suchet provides background details of the various episodes that were filmed, as well as his impressions of the various guest stars he worked with, and of course, how the Poirot character evolved as he went along. The series went through spits and starts and gap years and Suchet also describes what he did in the in-between times, with his performances on film, stage and television.
Suchet devotes some time to an important transition point in the series with Season 9 and Five Little Pigs, the first production after two years with a new team, a new set of producers and a larger budget, and also with Brian Eastman who had been producer since Season 1. Suchet says, "Exactly why Brian was not to be invovled is a mystery that I have never been able to solve". In the event, Suchet considers Season 9 to be a turning point for the series--he had been assigned as associate producer. He no longer was treated as "an actor for hire" but had assumed the role of "protector and guardian of my character". He had some say over many aspects of filming, including altering lines if he felt that Poirot would not say such a thing. It was his input which changed the shaped of Poirot's moustache from the earlier seasons.
Towards the end of the book there is a set of character notes penned by Suchet himself which served as his guide to what he believed to be Poirot's personality.
There is a section of photographs at the end including photos taken by Suchet himself--he had been cultivating his hobby of photography.