Summary
- Kenneth Branagh has been playing Hercule Poirot in several film adaptations, and his age aligns with his character’s, adding realism to the films and character’s story.
- Poirot’s age is up for interpretation, but Branagh’s age during filming is often close to that of his character. In “Murder on the Orient Express,” Branagh was 55 years old, while in “Death on the Nile,” he was 58.
- Despite delays and the critical reception, Branagh continued to portray Poirot in “A Haunting in Venice” at the age of 61, adding depth to the character as he ages onscreen.
Writer-director-actor Kenneth Branagh has been playing Belgian detective Hercule Poirot for several years now, including the recently released A Haunting in Venice, and his age more or less aligns with his onscreen counterpart’s, give or take a few years perhaps. Branagh has adapted Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and A Haunting in Venice, which is loosely based on the author’s Hallowe’en Party. Branagh has not slowed down in his filmmaking endeavors, and playing Hercule Poirot has been one of his most memorable roles to date. It’s a role he has really come into after three films.
Hercule Poirot’s age is often up for interpretation, especially since it’s usually more of an approximation than anything. It also differs wildly from the recent movie adaptations Branagh has done; in Death on the Nile, Poirot is a young man during World War I, whereas he had already retired from the police force by then. While Poirot’s age is up for debate, Branagh’s is much easier to pin down. The actor-director was born in December 1960, and has been actively making films since the 1980s. With Poirot being older than most fictional detectives, Branagh’s age isn’t too far off from that of his character, though it ranges for each movie.
Kenneth Branagh Was 55 Years Old In Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express was released in November 2017, when Branagh was 56 years old. However, at the time of filming the murder mystery, the first in the franchise, the filmmaker was 55 years old when production began in November 2016. Branagh turned 56 a month later, while in the midst of filming, which didn’t end until May 2017. It’s safe to say Branagh wasn’t too far off from Hercule Poirot’s own age in the film. The detective was retired and investigating cases. The film is set in 1934, at the height of the sleuth’s fame. Branagh being in his mid-50s at the time was reflected in Poirot’s journey.
Kenneth Branagh Was 58 Years Old In Death on the Nile
When Death on the Nile began filming in September 2019, Kenneth Branagh was 58 years old for the majority of production. The director turned 59 just eight days before the film wrapped production on December 18. Death on the Nile is set a few years after Murder on the Orient Express’ teaser ending. Although Poirot’s age is never confirmed in any of the films, one might guess that there is only a few years difference between him and Branagh at the most. Poirot is more or less tired from sleuthing in the film, and is attempting to open himself to love after years of being so closed off for years.
Death on the Nile had the luck of finishing production ahead of the pandemic shutdown a few months later, but it faced quite a few hiccups before its release, which had been scheduled for October 2020, due to the allegations against Armie Hammer. By the time the film was released in February 2022, Branagh was already 61 years old, and had moved on to his next project, Belfast, his semi-autobiographical film that went on to win an Academy Award a month later, in March 2022. The quicker the turnaround for the Poirot films, however, the longer Branagh can play the character.
Kenneth Branagh Was 61 Years Old In A Haunting in Venice
Despite delays and the tepid critical reception Death on the Nile received, Branagh wasn’t done with playing Hercule Poirot onscreen. When A Haunting in Venice began filming in October 2022, Branagh was 61 years old and fresh off his Oscar win. Interestingly, the horror-centric A Haunting in Venice is set a decade after Death on the Nile, in 1947. Branagh may only be a few years older in real life, but his onscreen counterpart has aged ten years since audiences last saw him. It widens the age gap, but it’s not a notable discrepancy that affects Branagh’s portrayal of the character.
Of course, it could be the case that Branagh and Poirot are finally on the same page regarding their age, but it’s more than likely that Poirot is now a bit older than the actor-director portraying him. By the time of A Haunting in Venice’s theatrical release, Branagh was 62 years old. While it’s unclear if he will continue portraying Poirot onscreen, though producer James Prichard teased a fourth Poirot film, Branagh has leaned into Poirot’s characteristics as he works through the various stages in his life. The fact that he is close enough to the famous detective’s age lends a sense of realism to the films and character’s story.
