‘Defiance’ Star Stephanie Leonidas Joins ITV’s ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Dead Man’s Folly’

By Patrick Munn - June 3rd, 2013 @ 07:28 pm UTC

Category: News / UK News

Stephanie Leonidas, who is currently a series regular on Syfy’s recently renewed drama series Defiance, has joined the cast of Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Dead Man’s Folly, the final episode to be produced in ITV’s Poirot series.

Leonidas is one of a number of guest stars set to appear in the drama. Also cast in Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Dead Man’s Folly is Sean Pertwee (Luther), Sinead Cusack (V for Vendetta), Tom Ellis (Miranda), Martin Jarvis (Titanic) and Sam Kelly (Allo Allo). Zoë Wanamaker will also reprise her role as Poirot’s unwitting sidekick Ariadne Oliver. Though the final movie to go into production, the final episode to be broadcast will be Curtain: Poirot’s Final Case which, as TVWise previously reported, counts BAFTA nominee Helen Baxendale amongst its cast.

An adaptation of the Christie story which was first publish in 1956, Dead Man’s Folly follows Poirot who has been summoned by friend Ariadne Oliver to Nasse House in Devon to help solve a murder before its taken place. Commissioned to stage a fictional murder hunt at the Nasse House fete, Ariadne confesses to her friend that mysterious forces are influencing the hunt. She feel’s there is going to be a murder but has no shred of evidence that this is the case or who the victim will be. A reluctant Poirot sets to work, but with no clues and just Ariadne’s intuition that evil forces are at play, he simply observes all those around him including Sir George Stubbs, owner of Nasse House, his childlike wife Hattie, and the former owner of Nasse, Mrs Folliat. On the day of the fête, fiction and reality collide when Ariadne’s ‘murder victim’ Marlene becomes an actual murder victim and Hattie Stubbs mysteriously vanishes after receiving a note announcing a visit from her cousin, Etienne De Souza, who she described as a killer. A perplexed Poirot attempts to unravel the lies and deceits at play in the seemingly beautiful surroundings of Nasse. The drama is co-produced by ITV Studios and Agatha Christie Ltd with Michele Buck, Damien Timmer, Karen Thrussell and Hilary Strong serving as executive producers. Tom Vaughan is directing.

David Suchet looks back at the stars who launched their careers on Agatha Christie's Poirot

'I feel privileged to have been involved in their careers...' As he prepares to solve his final case, David Suchet looks back at the stars who launched their careers on Poirot 

By JASON CHESTER

PUBLISHED: 10:42, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 11:54, 29 October 2013

He's on the verge of cracking his final case as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, but as the hugely popular series bows out, actor David Suchet says it has provided a platform for a veritable who's who of British talent.

A grand total of 1,124 actors have featured in the show during its 24-year, 13-series run, which draws to a close on November 10 when the final episode airs on ITV1. 

But while the revolving cast has shifted from case to case, Suchet says he was able to spot which of them would go on to have successful careers. 

‘This is quite true,’ he told the Radio Times. ‘As regards everybody who has now become a big name – I have said at the time, ‘Watch out for that one.’ I’ve sensed it’ 

Cracking the case: David Suchet will solve his final case as Hercule Poirot on November 13

No less than two of them would go on to play Doctor Who – indeed, Christopher Eccleston played a fascist lout in 1992 episode One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, 12-months after current Doctor Peter Capaldi appeared in 1991 episode Wasp’s Nest.

Other stars to feature during its 24-year run include Homeland star Damien Lewis, an unknown actor fresh out of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama when he appeared in 1995 episode Hickory Dickory Dock. 

The 42-year-old played a young man living in a hostel, a role that set him on the road to international fame in HBO show Band Of Brothers before settling into his current role as troubled war veteran Brody. 

Fresh faced: Damien Lewis had only just left sdrama school when he appeared in 1995 episode Hickory Dickory Dock

Famous faces: Joely Richardson starred in 1989 episode The Dream (L), while Emily Blunt (R) played American heiress Linnet Ridgeway in Death On The Nile in 2004

In the shade: Emily Blunt would go to international acclaim in The Devil Wears Prada following her appearance in Death on the Nile in 2004

Michael Fassbender would also cut his teeth on the show, making a guest appearance in 2006 episode After The Funeral – five-years before he achieved wider acclaim for his portrayal of Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen’s Hunger. 

In what amounted to one of her first TV appearances, Joely Richardson starred in 1989 episode The Dream when she was 24. 

The actress would go on to take prominent roles in Lady Chatterley’s Lover and American drama Nip-Tuck. 

We've seen you before: Christopher Eccleston (L) appeared in 1992 episode One, Two, Buckle My Show, while Michael Fassbender was an unknown actor when he appeared in 2006 episode After The Funeral (R)

Anyone seen the Tardis? Current Doctor Who Peter Capaldi starred in 1991 episode Wasps Nest

More recently Emily Blunt guested as heiress Linnet Ridgeway in 2004s Death On The Nile, but while her character was killed off the British star would enjoy wider acclaim in The Devil Wears Prada. 

While Suchet doesn’t want the show’s legacy to be overshadowed by its famous cameos, he remains fiercely proud to have witnessed their early development. 

‘I feel so privileged to have been involved at the chrysalis stage of their careers,’ he said. ‘It’s absolutely fantastic.’  

Signing off: Poirot bids farewell after 24-years next month

Read more:

• Radio Times | TV news and guide, TV and radio listings, film reviews guide

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2478821/David-Suchet-looks-stars-launched-careers-Poirot.html#ixzz2j7IAIsKT
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