| “ | If you're going to be mediocre, Hester, at least look pretty. Slouching is ugly. Sit up! | „ |
| ~ Rachel rebuking Hester as the latter was playing piano (in 2018 miniseries). |
Rachel Argyle is the secondary antagonist and the primary victim in Agatha Christie's 1958 detective fiction novel Ordeal by Innocence.
In the 1984 film adaptation, she was portrayed by Faye Dunaway, who also portrayed Jane Wilkinson in Thirteen at Dinner, Milady de Winter in the 1973 film adaptation of The Three Musketeers, Serena Joy in the 1990 film adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest, Elena Dubrow in Dunston Checks In, Selena in the 1984 film version of Supergirl, and Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde.
In the 2007 television film adaptation in Agatha Christie's Marple, she was portrayed by Jane Seymour, who also portrayed Cathy Ames in the miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, Genevieve Teague and Duchess Gertrude in Smallville, and Debra Connor in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In the 2018 BBC miniseries adaptation, she was portrayed by Anna Chancellor in her first villainous role.
Overview[]
She was the wife of Leo Argyle, and mother of five adopted children. She had a strong instinct for mothering, and was also active in charity work. She inherited wealth from her parents which she set up in trust funds for her children. She was murdered about two years before the novel opened.
While she was not outright villainous in the original novel, she is strict and domineering towards her children, much to their chagrin particularly her adopted son, Jacko Argyle, who threatened to kill her once. Later, she was killed by Kirsten Lindholm under Jacko's order, believing Jacko would marry her after it was done, only turned out Jacko was already married in secret.
Her version in the adaptations, particularly in the 2018 BBC miniseries, portrayed her as a much less noble and much more abusive parent. Here, she was killed by her husband, Leo Argyll, who sought vengeance against her after she filed for divorce over Leo's true parentage. In the original novel, Leo is neither murderous nor antagonistic, and was not involved in his wife's murder.
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Tommy and Tuppence Beresford And Then There Were None Other Mystery Stories Adaptational, Homage & Non-Canonical | |
 Villains
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Murderers Villainous Victims Others ITV Series Exclusive | |