Hercule Poirot on BBC One: Youngest ever actor to play iconic detective revealed as Edward Bluemel in prequel series
He's no stranger to Agatha Christie...
BBC One has unveiled the next TV incarnation of legendary Agatha Christie detective Hercule Poirot, and he’s the youngest to ever play the role – drum roll please for Edward Bluemel.
We don’t really need to use our “little grey cells” to work out that the prequel series could potentially be a huge hit.
Although there have been half a dozen actors who have played the iconic Belgian detective over the years, Edward Bluemel’s Hercule is the first to travel back in time to his first cases.
The series, entitled simply Hercule, follows the young detective’s first cases in London before he becomes the world’s most famous sleuth…
BBC One announce Edward Bluemel will play Hercule Poirot
The Beeb has announced that Edward Bluemel will play Agatha Christie’s legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the upcoming series Hercule.
The series will follows Hercule Poirot’s first cases in London before he becomes the world’s most famous sleuth.
BBC One tells us: “The series is an intimate study of Hercule the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars. The series takes a magnifying glass to three of Christie’s most celebrated stories, while also charting Hercule’s burgeoning friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings. The series will also follow his early encounters with Scotland Yard’s James Japp, and introduce him to one particular nemesis…”
What is Edward Bluemel famous for?
Tunbridge Wells-born Edward Bluemel, 33, is no stranger to Agatha Christie’s work. Earlier this year, he portrayed Jimmy Thesiger in Netflix’s Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials.
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He is also known for playing Marcus Whitmore in the Sky One series A Discovery of Witches, a role he played between 2018 and 2022. Other notable roles include Toby Hamilton in The Halycon, Hugo in Killing Eve, Luke Nightingale in Ten Percent, and Sean Wiley in Sex Education. He is rather partial to a period drama, having also portrayed Doctor Stephen Ellerby in Belgravia: The Next Chapter, and Lord Guildford Dudley in My Lady Jane.
More recently, Edward has starred as William McGee in Washington Black, and Levi in the comedy we Might Regret This series 1 and 2.
On being cast in the role, Edward Bluemel said: “I feel very lucky to have been trusted with such an iconic character who has been played by so many great actors. I can’t wait to continue Hercule’s legacy.”
Rebecca Durbin and Damien Timmer, executive producers for Mammoth Screen, said: “Edward Bluemel and Benji Walters are both extraordinary talents. And it is a joy to see them take on this beloved character and make him their own. Hercule is both a love letter to Agatha Christie and a fascinating new perspective on an iconic figure. We hope viewers will find it as arresting as we do!”
How many episodes will it be?
Hercule will be a six-part series.
Benji Walters, known for Code of Silence, has written the drama, while Dracula’s Jonny Campbell will direct the first two episodes.
Who else has played Hercule Poirot before Edward Bluemel in BBC drama?
David Suchet famously played the portly detective for decades. From
The late actor Peter Ustoniv also played the famous detective in several films, including 1978’s Death in the Nile, and his last Poirot film Appointment with Death in 1988.
More recently, John Malkovic and Kenneth Brannagh have taken on the role. Albert Finney, Alfred Molina, Tony Randall, Ian Holm, Andrew Sachs, and Dudley Jones are also among those who have brought Poirot to life.
James Prichard, executive producer for Agatha Christie Limited, said: “My father had the privilege of working with David Suchet for nearly 25 years. And I now have the good fortune of being able to share my great grandmother’s brilliant stories with a new generation of viewers.
“Edward Bluemel is an extremely talented performer and will make a great addition to the long line of actors that have played this celebrated character, aided and abetted by Benji Walters’ thoughtful scripts. I cannot wait to see Edward on screen as Hercule Poirot.”
‘We’ve found the perfect actor for Hercule’
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama told us: “Hercule Poirot is one of the greatest and most loved characters of all time, and bringing him back to the BBC is a real privilege. From the first moments of Edward’s audition we knew we’d found the perfect actor for Hercule, with a performance that feels both fresh and exciting, yet quintessentially Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. We can’t wait for viewers to meet him.”
Chief Content Officer Jon Farrar described Edward as “charming”, “dynamic” and “witty”.
When’s the start date of Hercule on BBC starring Edward Bluemel?
Filming on Hercule will begin this summer, primarily in Liverpool, so don’t expect the series to land until much later in the year.
We’re hopeful it may premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK as soon as Christmas time. This has festive launch written all over it.
