New Hercule Poirot: Who is Edward Bluemel set to play Agatha Christie’s beloved detective?
Edward Bluemel is set to play Agatha Christie’s beloved detective, Hercule Poirot - here’s what you might have seen him in before.
Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot is getting a new look for the BBC’s latest remake of the beloved detective series. Taking up the mantle is 33-year-old Edward Bluemel for a six-part series described as “an intimate study of Hercule the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars”.
The series will “take a magnifying glass to three of Christie’s most celebrated stories while also charting Hercule’s burgeoning friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, his early encounters with Scotland Yard’s James Japp and introducing him to one particular nemesis…”
The ITV series Poirot, starring David Suchet in the title role, was a staple of British television for more than two decades, running from 1989 to 2013. British actor Edward, 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.”
Christie’s great-grandson, 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.”
Who is Edward Bluemel?
Best known for his roles in Sky One series A Discovery of Witches, BBC thriller Killing Eve and Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane, Edward was born in Tunbridge Wells and attended Taunton School in Somerset, where his parents Martin and Jane were science teachers. He has a sister, Phyllida, and brother Ben.
Edward first got into acting in a school play at the age of 11 and decided to pursue a professional career when he was 17. He graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting following a year-long foundation course at RADA.
After making his West End debut in 2017 starring in Love In Idleness at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Apollo Theatre, his feature film debut came the same year, appearing in Access All Areas along with his first main television role as Toby Hamilton in the ITV war drama The Halcyon.
He has gone on to appear in Sky One fantasy series A Discovery of Witches, Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education and BBC thriller Killing Eve. More recently he has appeared as Captain Harville in the 2022 Netflix film Persuasion and Luke Nightingale in the Amazon Prime series Ten Percent.
His upcoming roles include a part in MGM+ series Belgravia: The Next Chapter and the Amazon Prime adaptation of My Lady Jane.
Hercule will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on BritBox in North America.