Tom Ellis: Poirot is my dream job

Tom Ellis has revealed that starring in Poirot was a childhood dream come true.

The Miranda actor plays Detective Inspector Bland alongside David Suchet as sleuth Hercule Poirot in the upcoming episode Dead Man’s Folly.

“I felt very privileged to be there. I know I was only a guest, but David has played Poirot for 25 years. We used to sit and watch Poirot as a family, when I was a kid,” he said.

The Welsh star, who has also appeared on sci-fi series Doctor Who, added: “Dead Man’s Folly was my first and last chance to be involved. It’s definitely one of those jobs as an actor where you feel like you need to tick the box – you’ve done a Poirot, you’ve done a Doctor Who.

“It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, surrounded by amazing actors I’ve loved and respected for many years. T he only downside was I had to be clean-shaven for the first time in four years ,” he added.

Tom said the final day of shooting was emotional for the cast.

“It didn’t feel like the end of filming, it felt like the end of an era. When we were filming in Devon, David held a drinks reception for all the crew once filming had finished and it was very emotional,” he said.

The 34-year-old, who separated from actress Tamzin Outhwaite earlier this year, praised his co-star for stepping up his game as his time as Poirot comes to an end.

“Working with David was a real experience. For a man who has been doing it as long as he has, he still has the enthusiasm but he always works so hard. When someone raises the bar to that level, you have no option but to try and keep up with him,” he said.

:: Dead Man’s Folly will be shown on ITV on October 30 at 8pm.

Tom Ellis: Poirot is my dream job