David Suchet
David Suchet
David Suchet, CBEis an English actor, known for his work on British stage and television. He played Edward Teller in the TV serial Oppenheimer and received the RTS and BPG awards for his performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British serial The Way We Live Now. For his role as Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot, he received a 1991 British Academy of Film and Television Artsnomination...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth2 May 1946
self-esteem character sacrifice
I love seeing my characters big up there and I would have liked to have reached a different public in movies from my television public. There's still a part of me that wishes that my character range could be seen on the big screen. Rather, as Rod Steiger was, because he was a big influence on me - about becoming other people and not worrying about your own glory or self esteem but sacrificing yourself to become somebody else.
thinking play floating
In so many roles I've played the outsider. As an outsider, you have more energy to succeed simply because you are an outsider. There are scripts floating around but they're not coming my way and I think that I am getting a little bit too old to play Napoleon. But if I was ever offered the role I would grab it.
italian outsiders would-be
So, if I ever played Napoleon it would be with an Italian accent. He was an outsider, which also interests me.
war army men
Napoleon was one of the most complex personalities in history.He was ruthless, small in stature, a bully, vulnerable, unfaithful and I think he was the first person to shoot prisoners of war so that he had food for his own army. He was absolutely single-minded but he also obviously had charm. How else could a man like him have come back as he did and have the nation rise to a man!
character people hollywood
The great exception to that, of course, is Johnny Depp, who is absolutely the ultimate character actor. Johnny Depp is the future of the character actor and thanks to his success maybe we will see the return of an era when my sort of actor is back in vogue. It's not in vogue for me to be in Hollywood movies as lots of different people.
thinking guy pimp
There are clues in the script... he will say "I think drugs are immoral"'... but the guy who says that kills, tortures, pimps and has whores working for him. There is this strange morality going on, which is rather like the Mafia.
kings pain mean
In The Godfather, for instance, they say they won't deal drugs because they have a code of behaviour. He is the last remnants of that. So playing someone like that, who is also in pain with his kidney stone, means you're beginning to find a dimension of the guy who is king and all show and the private guy who is in pain.
murder-mysteries details boards
It's an honour to have such a wonderful international cast on board for this world famous murder mystery. Writer Stewart Harcourt has created an exquisite script. His attention to detail is impeccable.
stars hard-work player
As I say, there's something that scares the hell out of me but it really makes me work hard in losing myself. I'm not really interested in me as an actor or being a personality player, or a Hollywood star. What's given to me is to become different people and to find the truth of that. That is really what I do.
photography trying generations
I'm really into my photography and am trying to catch up with digital generation - I was used to the old 35mm cameras.
writing differences giving
I became fascinated by the fact that people write to give away rather than write to be read. It's the difference between playwrights and novelists.
philosophy character voice
When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an actor, I realised that a playwright has no voice without an actor. That's my reason for acting: to get that character as right as possible for my writer. And I have never changed my philosophy.
men thinking years
I am very traditional as a man. I am not modern and never have been. I think I was born 50 years of age and out of my time.
successful actors swindlers
A successful swindler has to be a great salesman even more than a great actor.