Damian Lewis is set to front a brand new drama coming soon to ITVX – and it sounds brilliant! The actor, who in recent years has been perhaps best-known for his previous role in the American corporate drama Billions, will be leading the cast of A Spy Among Friends.
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The six-part drama is described as a spy thriller series that has been adapted from Ben Macintyre's New York Times best-selling book of the same name. The plot focuses on the real-life story of two British spies during the Cold War.
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"[A Spy Among Friends] dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, two British spies and lifelong friends," the synopsis reads.
"Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. This is a story of intimate duplicity; of loyalty, trust and treachery. Philby's deeply personal betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence."
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Damian and Guy Pearce in A Spy Among Friends
Damian will take on the role of Nicholas, while LA Confidential actor Guy Pearce will portray Kim. Kim Philby gained prominence in the 1960s when he was exposed as a prominent member of a British spy ring responsible for sharing British intelligence with the Soviet Union. He was part of a notorious group named 'The Cambridge Five'.
As well as Damian and Guy, other big names are set to appear in the cast including Anna Maxwell Martin and Adrian Edmondson. The drama is set to land on ITVX – ITV's new and free streaming service – in the autumn.
Damian stepped down from Billions at the end of 2021
A Spy Among Friends will mark the Homeland actor's biggest role since stepping down from his part as Bobby Axelrod AKA 'Axe' in Showtime series, Billions, in late 2021.
Damian told The New York Times: "There's an opportunity maybe for me to return. But for now, broadly speaking, Axe has been vanquished." He added that it was "easily the most time I've spent playing one character" after playing the part for five years.
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