Poirot Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elizabeth McGovern

Lady Boynton, the abusive and overbearing American wife of Lord Boynton is found stabbed to death during an archaeological excavation in Iraq in 1937. Hated by almost everybody present at the dig, Lady Boynton had shown extreme cruelty to her adopted children and their nanny as well as towards other members of her household. Her assassins ended their lives most tragically after they confessed. One of them was Dame Celia Westholme, a celebrated travel writer played by Elizabeth McGovern.

Dame Celia Westholme: (Speaking of Sister Agnieszka to Poirot) "I don't much care for her... the way she hangs around the younger Boynton girl. They sniff out weakness... nuns... and misery, and they gorge on it. Bloody vampires in drag, quite frankly!"

Elizabeth McGovern is an American actress and musician who shot to stardom with a role in "Ordinary People" when she was twenty. Later she made an impression as Elizabeth Nesbitt in "Ragtime" for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played in "Once Upon a Time in America" and in "A Handmaid's Tale" and in later years she became even more famous internationally as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham in the popular British TV series "Downton Abbey."

Answer: Greta Scacchi

Renowned mystery author Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker) is approached by Mrs. Burton-Cox (Greta Scacchi) who asks her to inquire into the double murder-suicide of the parents of Ariadne's goddaughter, Mrs. Burton-Cox's son's fiancée. Ariadne asks Hercule Poirot to help her and the detective, who is investigating a different case, finds that the two cases are related. People from the past, a psychiatric ward, and an evil stepmother provide the background for Poirot's inquiries. The elephants in the title refer to the recollections of the people directly or indirectly involved in the two incidents.

Mrs. Burton-Cox: "Desmond, Desmond, where are you? If you're with that girl, I'll skin you alive!"

Greta Scacchi, a statuesque British-Italian actress who grew up in Australia, has quite an impressive palmarès with roles in the theater, the movies, and television and extensive work with European directors in the 1980s and 90s. Among her most well-known movies are the Taviani Brothers' "Good Morning Babilonia," "Presumed Innocent" with Harrison Ford, and "The Player" with Tim Robbins.

Answer: Jessica Chastain

On his return from Istanbul to Paris aboard the Orient Express train, Hercule Poirot is called to investigate the murder of a shady businessman that happens while the train is stuck in the snow in the Croatian mountains. A horrible tragedy interconnects all the passengers on the train and Mary Debenham (Jessica Chastain) is an important piece in this puzzle which is resolved by Poirot before the tracks are cleared from the snow.

Mary Debenham: "When you've been denied justice... you are incomplete. It feels that God has abandoned you in a stark place. I asked God... I think we all did... what we should do, and he said do what is right. And I thought if I did, it would make me complete again."

American actress Jessica Chastain was beginning to make an impression in the movie industry by 2010 when this episode was filmed. In 2011, she secured a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as the flaky but good-hearted Celia Foote in "The Help." In 2013, she received her second nomination, this time for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for "Zero Dark Thirty" and she finally joined the elite club of Oscar winners with an award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Tammy Faye in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" in 2022.

Answer: Peter Capaldi

When Hercule Poirot runs into the son of an old friend at a village fair, a series of seemingly unconnected events and the presence of a peculiar old man with a skull handle on his cane draw his attention and lead him to the investigation of a murder that has not yet happened. It is a brief investigation, though, because Poirot solves the puzzle with the help of Hastings' skill as a photographer. Scottish actor Peter Capaldi plays the sculptor Claude Langton, Poirot's initial suspect for the forthcoming murder.

Claude Langton: "But I haven't heard anything about a murder."
Hercule Poirot: "No, you would not have heard of it. Because, as yet, it has not taken place."

Peter Capaldi shot to stardom as the 12th doctor in the British TV series "Doctor Who," a role that he had hoped to play since he was young being a great fan of the series. As a director he won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and a BAFTA for his 1993 film "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life," an absurd narrative of the Frank Capra film in a Kafkaesque interpretation.

Answer: Michael Fassbender

"After the Funeral" revolves around the death of wealthy Richard Abernethie and the bludgeoning of his eccentric sister, Cora, a few days after his funeral. Hercule Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective, delves into the lives of the Abernethie family members and uncovers a web of secrets, rivalries, and hidden motives. The investigation reveals strained relationships, past grudges, and financial tensions within the family and Poirot's resolution exposes the complex interplay of greed, jealousy, and deception among the family members. A central character in this episode is George Abernathie (Michael Fassbender), the dead man's nephew, who was expected to inherit most of his estate but was strangely cut off from the will.

George Abernethie: "Yes, it's extraordinary, isn't it? The way some women are loyal to buffoons of husbands when other men, men who should inspire real loyalty, are made fools of."

Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender is an acclaimed actor known for his dynamic performances and versatile range. Fassbender's breakout moment arrived with his role as Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen's drama "Hunger" (2008). He solidified his presence in the movie industry with Tarrantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and as the tortured Magneto in "X-Men: First Class" which catapulted him into the realm of mainstream blockbuster cinema.

Answer: Tim Curry

In 1937, in Iraq, Lord Boynton (played by Tim Curry) leads an archaeological search for the head of St. John the Baptist which is financed by his wealthy American wife. Lady Boynton is a cruel, evil woman who has tortured her three adopted children and their nanny all her life. When she is found stabbed during the excavation, Hercule Poirot has a long list of suspects to consider since everybody had reason to kill her.

Lord Boynton: "Oh God! Here comes that *ghastly* little Belgian!"

British actor and singer Tim Curry was already a star when he played in this episode in 2008, having made his name in theater productions such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the movies "Annie," "The Hunt for Red October," and "Congo."

Answer: Emily Blunt

In "Death on the Nile," Poirot finds himself entangled in a complex murder mystery while on a luxurious cruise along the Nile River. The story unfolds as Poirot investigates the murder of a wealthy heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Emily Blunt), who is found dead on the cruise ship. As in almost all of Agatha Christie's mysteries, Poirot delves into the lives of the passengers through a labyrinth of various twists and turns and interconnecting motives that eventually lead him to the exit.

Joanna Southwood: "What on earth is wrong with her?
Lynnet Ridgeway: "Her ghastly boyfriend is in trouble with the law and can you believe it she's asked me to stand bail for him I said on no account and that frankly, prison's the best place for him."

British Emily Blunt is a versatile actress who throughout her career embodies characters ranging from charmingly relatable to fiercely commanding. Her breakout role in films was the sarcastic and high-strung Emily in "The Devil Wears Prada." Her roles in "A Quiet Place," "The Girl on the Train," "The English," and "Oppenheimer" showcased her ability to breathe life into diverse roles and cement her place in the entertainment industry.

Answer: Damian Lewis

Ms. Lemon's sister, Mrs. Hubbard, runs a student hostel on Hickory Street where a series of minor thefts take place. Hercule Poirot is called upon to investigate and the case becomes intricate when a kleptomaniac pharmacology student, an international diamond smuggling ring and a murdered Greek landlady interconnect. Leonard Bateson played by Damian Lewis was a medical student whose expensive stethoscope was stolen from his room.

Hercule Poirot: "Monsieur Leonard, you haven't yet asked what poison it was that was stolen, it was morphine tartrate."
Leonard Bateson: "Well, it wasn't me. Oh, to hell with you, I didn't take anything."

British actor Damian Lewis is from an upper-middle class background, was Eton educated and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes. "Hickory Dickory Dock" was his first appearance on television in 1995. He played numerous roles in the theater, the cinema, and television both in the UK and Hollywood and became known for his portrayal of U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" and as Sgt. Nicholas Brody in the TV series "Homeland," for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award (2012) and a Golden Globe Award (2013).

Answer: Hugh Bonneville

When the luxury train Orient Express is stranded in a snowdrift on the journey from Istanbul to Paris, Hercule Poirot is called upon to solve the baffling mystery of the stabbing of an American passenger. As he interviews the eclectic group of passengers, each with their own secrets and motives, Poirot uncovers a web of intrigue, deceit, and hidden connections. The tangled web of alibis and motives leads to a shocking revelation that challenges Poirot's sense of justice. Hugh Bonneville plays Edward Masterman, the dead man's valet but in reality a soldier in the British Army and Colonel Armstrong's batman.

Hercule Poirot: (Concerning Ratchett) "Was he, in your opinion, a gentleman?"
Edward Masterman: "Nothing of the kind, but he had money. Put a sewer rat in a suit, and he's still a sewer rat; he's just in a suit."

Hugh Bonneville has been known for his role as the shy Bernie in the movie "Notting Hill" with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the "Paddington" movies, and as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in the British series "Downton Abbey" and the movies that were produced from the series.

Answer: Joely Richardson

Benedict Farley, the owner of the very successful company Farley's Quality Foods, summons Poirot and under very peculiar circumstances asks him his opinion about a recurring dream he has of him committing suicide. When the dream comes true Poirot's inquiries reveal the perfectly staged plot that led to Farley's murder set up by his closest people. Farley's daughter who hates her father for his cruelty towards her lover is played by a very young Joely Richardson.

Joanna Farley (speaking of her father): "I could kill him, I could really kill him!"

British thespian royalty Joely Richardson is the daughter of actor Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson. She was trained in the classical theater as per her family's tradition but pursued her career in the movies and television in the United States. She has played in the movies "Weatherby," "The Patriot," "101 Dalmatians," and the BBC series "Lady Chatterley's Lover" and had the role of Julia McNamara in the popular series "Nip/Tuck" (2003-2010).