Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Labours of Hercules - 09:40 am Tuesday, December 23 on ITV3

David Suchet (Actor) .. Hercule Poirot

Born: May 02, 1946 in London

Best Known For: His portrayal of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot.

Early-life: Born on May 2, 1946, in London, David is the middle of three sons - the eldest, John, is a newsreader, Peter, the youngest, is an advertising executive. Their father was a successful obstetrician and gynaecologist, while their mother was a respected stage actress. Suchet was expected to follow in his father's footsteps, but opted for showbusiness at the age of 18 after visiting his mother backstage. He joined the National Youth Theatre before enrolling at Lamda.

Career: Suchet's first professional engagement was in theatre in Chester, followed by a stint at the RSC. His TV career took off in the late 1970s, thanks to roles in The Professionals and Tales of the Unexpected. Bigger parts on the small and big screens followed, including Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Tale of Two Cities, Blott on the Landscape and Executive Decision. He began playing Poirot, the role that made him an international star, in 1989. Since then he's appeared in such acclaimed projects as The Way We Live Now, NCS Manhunt, Maxwell, Live from Baghdad, Henry VIII, The Bank Job and Going Postal, as well as numerous stage roles.

Quote: On acting: "You don't take characters home; you take the worries of anybody who is doing a very difficult job. People in business or medicine face these worries. It's important not to make too much of them."

Trivia: He received an OBE in 2002.

Orla Brady (Actor) .. Countess Rossakoff

Born: March 28, 1961 in Dublin

Best Known For: A string of TV roles.

Early-life: Orla was born in Dublin on March 28, 1961 to Patrick and Catherine. At the age of 25, she relocated to Paris to study at the L'Ecole Philippe Gaulier, securing a place at the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris. She began her acting career with Balloonatics Theatre Company. She then returned to Dublin to perform at the Gate Theatre. Her first work in England was in Blinded by the Sun at the Royal National Theatre.

Career: Brady now regularly works on both sides of the Atlantic. Her TV credits include The Bill, Absolutely Fabulous, Out of the Blue, The Vicar of Dibley, Noah's Ark, Servants, Proof, Revelations and Shark. More recently, she has starred in Mistresses, The Deep, Sinbad, Fringe, Nip/Tuck, Eternal Law, Jo, and Doctor Who.

Quote: "Clothes are interesting and they're there to be played with. I like the idea of costume rather than fashion."

Trivia: Brady enjoys horseback riding and reading.

Simon Callow (Actor) .. Dr Lutz

Born: June 15, 1949 in London

Best Known For: Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Early-life: Simon Phillip Hugh Callow was born on June 15, 1949, in London. His parents separated when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He spent time at the London Oratory Grammar School, and also had a stint on the African continent, between the ages of nine and 12. His mother, who had once enjoyed an affluent lifestyle, attempted to cover up the family's poor economic status by making sure her son's diction was perfect.

Career: Following spells at Belfast's Queen's University and London's Drama Centre, Callow worked in the Old Vic's box office after being recommended for the post by Laurence Olivier. Acclaimed stage roles followed, as did several small parts in such TV shows as The Sweeney and Carry On Laughing! He had the lead in 1984 sitcom Chance in a Million, and made his film debut the same year in Amadeus. Since then he's continued to appear regularly on stage and TV. His most notable movies include A Room with a View, Postcards from the Edge, Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The Phantom of the Opera. He was also a judge on the show Popstar to Operastar in 2011.

Quote: "People expect me to be constantly merry, and I'm not. Sometimes I'm quite melancholy. I have an in-built sense of regret about things."

Trivia: He has written biographies of Oscar Wilde, Charles Laughton and Orson Welles.

Morven Christie (Actor) .. Elsie Clayton

Rupert Evans (Actor) .. Harold Waring

Nigel Lindsay (Actor) .. Francesco

Born: January 17, 1969 in St John's Wood, London

Best Known For: Playing Barry in Four Lions.

Early-life: Born on January 17, 1969 in St John's Wood, London. Nigel went to Merchant Taylors' School before going on to study English and French at the University of Birmingham. He then worked for three years as a financial analyst. After performing in a friend's charity production, he caught the acting bug and quit finance to take a two-year course at the Webber Douglas Academy. Nigel's first professional acting job was with the Lincolnshire touring company Great Eastern Stage.

Career: Lindsay's early career was mainly focussed on theatre but he later broke into TV and film. He has appeared in a number of regular series, such as Spooks, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Between the Lines. Lindsay has also appeared on such comedy programmes as Alan Partridge, The Armando Iannucci Shows, Jam & Jerusalem and Brass Eye. His film credits include Rogue Trader (1999), Four Lions (2010) and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013). Meanwhile, he has continued to amass theatre roles, including playing the title role in the West End run of Shrek the Musical. More recently, he has appeared in the TV series Victoria, Unforgotten and White Gold.

Quote: "When you play any character you have to sort of like them."

Trivia: He was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the 2011 British Comedy Awards for his performance in Four Lions.

Sandy McDade (Actor) .. Mrs Rice

Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Actor) .. Katrina

Eleanor Tomlinson (Actor) .. Alice Cunningham

Born: May 19, 1992 in London

Best Known For: Playing Demelza in the BBC drama Poldark.

Early-life: Eleanor May Tomlinson was born in London on May 19, 1992. She moved with her family to Beverley in East Yorkshire when she was young. She is the daughter of singer Judith Hibbert and actor Malcolm Tomlinson. Her brother, Ross, is also an actor. Eleanor starred in Hollywood movie The Illusionist (2006) and followed this up with a role in British coming-of-age film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008).

Career: Tomlinson went on to star in the films Alice in Wonderland (2010), Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and Siberian Education (2013). Her TV credits include The Sarah Jane Adventures, The White Queen, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Death Comes to Pemberley. In 2015, she made a strong impression playing Demelza in popular BBC drama Poldark.

Quote: "I've spent a lot of time watching my mom on stage and a lot of time on set with my dad, so it was very much a part of my growing up."

Trivia: Tomlinson has revealed she was bullied at school after her career as a child actress took off.

Patrick Ryecart (Actor) .. Sir Anthony Morgan

Lorna Nickson Brown (Actor) .. Lucinda Le Mesurier

Tom Chadbon (Actor) .. Dr Burton

Tom Austen (Actor) .. Ted Williams

Nicholas McGaughey (Actor) .. Insp Lementeuil

Tom Wlaschiha (Actor) .. Schwartz

Richard Katz (Actor) .. Gustave

Stephen Frost (Actor) .. Chief Inspector

Isobel Middleton (Actor) .. Policewoman

Agatha Christie (Writer)

Guy Andrews (Adapted by)

David Boulter (Producer)

Andy Wilson (Director)

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Labours of Hercules

09:40 am - 11:40 am, Tuesday, December 23 on ITV3 (10)

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The Labours of Hercules
Season 13, Episode 4

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