Damian Lewis plays bespectacled MI6 agent Nicholas Elliott in new Cold War drama

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    Damian Lewis plays bespectacled MI6 agent Nicholas Elliott in new Cold War drama about notorious Soviet spy Kim Philby as actor takes his first role since quitting Billions


    Damian Lewis takes a starring role as a real life MI6 spy in a new Cold War drama based on the defection of British double agent Kim Philby to the Soviet Union. 

    The actor stars alongside Guy Pearce in forthcoming Britbox series A Spy Among Friends, with camera rolling in central London’s Pimlico last week as he filmed his first scenes. 

    Lewis, 50, plays Nicholas Elliott, a British MI6 intelligence officer noted for his close association with Philby, who fled to Moscow before he could face trial for espionage. 

    Main man: Damian Lewis takes a starring role as a real life MI6 spy in a new Cold War drama based on the defection of British double agent Kim Philby to the Soviet Union

    Main man: Damian Lewis takes a starring role as a real life MI6 spy in a new Cold War drama based on the defection of British double agent Kim Philby to the Soviet Union

    The new show is based on the bestselling book of the same name by author Ben Macintyre, and will focus on Elliot’s friendship with former colleague Philby, who will be played by Pearce. 

    Philby gained notoriety in 1963 after he was exposed as a prominent member of a British spy ring responsible for sharing British secrets with the Soviet Union during the early years of the Cold War. 

    Known as the Cambridge Five, the group also included Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross – although none were ever prosecuted for spying. 

    Real life: Lewis, 50, plays Nicholas Elliott (pictured), a British MI6 intelligence officer noted for his close association with double agent Kim Philby, who defected to Russia in 1963

    Real life: Lewis, 50, plays Nicholas Elliott (pictured), a British MI6 intelligence officer noted for his close association with double agent Kim Philby, who defected to Russia in 1963

    Philby escaped to Moscow in 1963 before he could face trial and would spend the rest of his life in Russia, where he would die aged 76 in 1988. 

    Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Kunken and Adrian Edmondson are also expected to star in the new drama, with Nick Murphy serving as executive producer and director.  

    The new show is Lewis’ first role since confirming his departure from the hugely popular Showtime series Billions and sees him reunite with Alexander Cary, another executive producer who previously worked with the British star on Homeland. 

    Successful: The new show is Lewis' first role since confirming his departure from the hugely popular Showtime series Billions

    Successful: The new show is Lewis’ first role since confirming his departure from the hugely popular Showtime series Billions

    ‘How could I resist the opportunity to dramatize the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby — two spies and lifelong friends, one of whom was betraying the other all along? Cary told Deadline.  

    ‘A friendship that resulted in the gutting of British and American intelligence at the height of the Cold War and shaped the field of play for the dangerous game against Russia that we’re still trying to win today. 

    ‘Macintyre’s books about spies from recent history are relevant and exciting because they examine the larger universal themes of human behavior that drive individuals among us, and like us, to excel in the murky world of espionage and, for better or worse, leave a lasting impact on the world.’ 

    Old times: Philby (pictured) gained notoriety in 1963 after he was exposed as a prominent member of a British spy ring responsible for sharing British secrets with the Soviet Union during the early years of the Cold War

    Old times: Philby (pictured) gained notoriety in 1963 after he was exposed as a prominent member of a British spy ring responsible for sharing British secrets with the Soviet Union during the early years of the Cold War

    Leading role: Australian actor Guy Pearce will play Philby in the forthcoming new drama

    Leading role: Australian actor Guy Pearce will play Philby in the forthcoming new drama 

    Filming for the new series got underway in London last week, with a Pimlico street transported back to the 1950s as Lewis shot scenes while dressed in a period pin-stripe suit and Elliot’s round spectacles. 

    The actor has previously played a spy in John Le Carre’s Our Kind of Traitor, while also expressing a keen interest in playing a ‘better’ spy than fictional MI6 agent James Bond.  

    A Spy Among Friends is expected to air in autumn 2022 via Britbox in the UK and Spectrum’s On Demand platform in the U.S. 

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