David Suchet
Yet another highly lauded British actor, David Suchet has found himself typecast as his most famous role, that of fussy Belgium detective Hercule Poirot. Since he first took up the role in 1989, he has appeared in adaptations of almost all of Agatha Christie’s stories to feature the character, also winning an International Emmy in 2007. A definite character actor, Suchet could certainly providing a low-key take on the character, a more fastidious, still compassionate Alfred.
John Lithgow
A more unusual choice, perhaps, but John Lithgow is a towering presence in film and television, literally and otherwise, with two Oscar nominations and five Emmys to his name. An immensely versatile actor, Lithgow has played characters ranging from wacky aliens (Third Rock from the Sun) to a menacing serial killer (Dexter). Though an American, Lithgow is certainly capable of the wry self-effacement and could certainly bring something different to the role. At 6’4” in height, though, he would look like he could still give Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader a spanking.
Peter Capaldi
It might have been his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker that catapulted him to international recognition, but Peter Capaldi has been turning in remarkable performances since he first appeared in Local Hero back in 1983. In recent years, Capaldi has been a veteran of British TV in shows such as Torchwood and Doctor Who, in the latter of which he has just been cast as the Twelfth Doctor. This particular commitment may taking him out of the running, but an intense, downbeat Scottish Alfred would certainly be an intriguing interpretation.
Michael Palin
Another member of seminal comedy troupe, Monty Python, and widely regarded as the nicest man in the world, Michael Palin is also a renowned travel writer and BAFTA fellow (the highest honor the organization can bestow). A BAFTA winner himself in A Fish Called Wanda – in which he played a stuttering pet lover – he also featured in Terry Gilliam’s brilliantly inventive Brazil. It’s easy to imagine Palin as a cheerily rumpled Alfred, ever ready with a pot of tea or a sympathetic ear.
John Hurt
One of the older actors on his list, John Hurt is also once of the most prolific: from A Man For All Seasons to Watership Down, 10 Rillington Place, Midnight Express, through Alien, The Elephant Man, and 1984. Perennially rumpled and careworn, he has two Academy Award nominations to his name, and, with his rich, crackly voice, there’s no doubt he could bring some impressive depth to the character of Alfred. Quite physically frail, though, he might not be up for the pressures of butlerdom, or, indeed, a quarter billion dollar film.
Harrison Ford
After you’ve been both Indiana Jones and Han Solo, there’s not much ground left to cover in terms of blockbusters. Failing a role in the next James Bond, about the only franchise stepping stone Harrison Ford has left to leap is the superhero movie. His persona as a loveable rogue defined his early career and this has matured over the last decade or so to make Ford one of contemporary cinema’s great curmudgeons. The part of The Bat may have slipped beyond his reach, but Ford could still get his grump-on as Bruce’s beloved retainer.
Time for Part 3!
