David Suchet: Age, Career, Religion, Full Bio

David Suchet is an actor who has appeared in theater plays and television series in a career that started when he was aged 18. You may know him as detective Hercule Poirot in the television series Agatha Christie’s Poirot or you may not. We have gathered the information you need to know about David Suchet, the man who found religion in the latter stage of his life.

David Suchet: Age and early life

David Suchet was born in London on May 2, 1946, to an English actress mother named Joan Patricia and Jack Suchet. His father Jack, moved to London from South Africa in 1932 and attended the St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London, in 1933, where he graduated to become an obstetrician and gynecologist.

He was enrolled at Grenham House boarding school in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent; after which he was sent to Wellington School in Somerset alongside his brothers Peter and John. His elder brother John is a British television presenter and former ITN newscaster. David also has a nephew named Richard Suchet who is a broadcaster.

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David Suchet picked interest in acting at the age of 18 and joined the National Youth Theatre. He also trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after which he started his career in the theater. He is 75 years old.

David Suchet: Career

Many English actors kick-start their acting careers from the theater; a testament that Shakespeare originated from Britain. But there is a handful who started their careers outside the stage but David Suchet is not one of them. David Suchet started his acting career at the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Berkshire and in 1973, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company; a major British Theater company

Between 1981-1982, he portrayed the character of Henry IV also known as Henry Bolingbroke in the Shakespearean history play “Richard II” alongside Alan Howard. He also played the character of John in the drama “Oleanna” at the Royal Court Theatre in 1993. His talent flourished powerfully in theater plays and was even better when he made his television debut in an episode of the British television drama series “Public Eye” in 1971.

He played the character of John Barsad in the television movie “A Tale of Two Cities”. The film is based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name set in the French Revolution. David also portrayed the role of Edward Teller, a developer of the US H-bomb in six episodes of “Oppenheimer”, a television miniseries about J. Robert Oppenheimer, produced by the BBC. The series was nominated for seven BAFTA television awards.

If he was searching for indications of what the entertainment industry would offer him, he found that answer when he played the role of the insidious half-Chinese policeman with orders to kill British spy Sidney Reilly in the television miniseries “Reilly, Ace of Spies”. In 1984, he portrayed Sigmund Freud in the six-hour mini-series “Freud”

His most popular role on TV came in 1989 when he landed the role of Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the British mystery drama television series “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” on ITV.  The show ran for 13 series and 70 episodes in total; each episode was adapted from a novel or short story by Christie. The character of Hercule Poirot was not easy for him to play however, he stated that he prepared very well for his roles by reading all the Poirot novels and every short story, and copying out every piece of description about the character.

It was a full-time job for him as he made his name in the series including earning a BAFTA nomination, and on 18 March 2014, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTS Programme for his outstanding performance in the series. He has so many awards and industry nominations under his belt.

In 2018, with no signs of retirement as he recently appeared in the British television drama series “Press” as George Emmerson on BBC One.

In January 2022, on asked about reprising the character of Poirot, he said: “I have to say, I don’t know because of my age whether I might be too old now. If the silver screen did come along, I might be tempted.” He went on to explain how spending time with his loved ones was something he was not prepared to trade for Poirot which was last played by Kenneth Branagh.

Religion

Religion is always a sacred cow but for people who found it in the later of their life, it will always be a huge topic. Although David’s mother was a practicing Anglican David was raised without religion until 1986 when he underwent a religious conversion after reading Romans 8 in a hotel Bible; soon afterward, he was baptized into the Church of England.

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David made a Christian documentary on the life of Apostle Paul for BBC, stating that Saint Paul was his personal hero. This documentary was a confirmation that his conversion was not a fluke. He soon made another documentary on another Apostle Saint Peter. And as he continued to show the fervor of a new convert, the British Bible Society announced him and Dr. Paula Gooder as new vice-presidents on 22 November 2012.

He also fulfilled a 27-year ambition to make an audio recording of The Bible’s New International Version, which was released on 24 April 2014.

David Suchet: Marriage

In 1972, David Suchet met his wife, Sheila Ferris, at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, where they were both working. He described their meeting as love at first sight but it took him days before he summoned the courage to ask her out for lunch.

They got married on 30 June 1976 and their union is blessed with two kids. Their first child Robert was born in 1981. He was formerly a captain in the Royal Marines, and their daughter, Katherine who was born in 1983 is a physiotherapist.

Image source: Hippocratic Film