spying among friends Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Ben McIntyre, discover the true story of the most infamous double agent of the Cold War. The limited series, adapted for television by Alexander Cary, follows Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby’s friendship before and after Philby’s KGB double agent identity is revealed. Upon learning of the news, Elliott met with Philby to gather intelligence, but the double agent fled to the Soviet Union.
Elliott has since been scrutinized by US and British intelligence agencies. During his investigation, Elliott managed to uncover any other KGB spies lurking in the British government. spying among friends Impressive cast starring Guy Pearce, Damian Lewis, Ana Maxwell Martin, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Quinken, Nicholas Rowe and cast of Anastasia Shearer.
rant screen Chat with creator Alexander Cary and star Guy Pearce about their new limited series Spying among friends. Cary reveals what drew him to the spy genre and why he chose Lewis. Pierce discusses Kim Philby’s thoughts and what surprises him about who Philby is.
Guy Pearce & Alexander Cary Spying Between Friends
Screen Rant: This show is awesome. I was hooked from the very beginning. All the twists and turns are very beautiful. Alexander, my first question is for you. How has the story of Kim Philby and the double agent genre influenced you? Because you’ve made two really interesting shows that dig into that particular genre.
Alexander Cary: I’m interested in espionage, I’m interested in this job, I’m interested in what it takes to do the job. How to keep your cover and how to achieve that level of duplication. How much of it is ideological? How many of them are elite? How many people just feel like you have an opinion about the idiot talking to you? All of these are things that I find fascinating. And then there’s its aftermath, the world you live in. If you think about the intelligence officers working right now, you would have to assume that, in Russia, Ukraine and everywhere else.
What’s not interesting about that and those people? They do this for many reasons. In this particular story, I was intrigued because Philby was arrested. That’s how? How does it feel to have a 23-year friendship where every word you say can have life-or-death consequences for you? And then Nicolas Elliot realized: “God, he’s been lying to me all this time, my life is meaningless right now.” It’s just the fascinating world of drama.
I totally agree. And then there’s Guy, one of the things I find most interesting about Kim is that he’s a double agent but he has a really sincere reaction to being accused of treason by so many people. So why do you think it’s a hot word for him?
Guy Pearce: He’s a very smart guy. And I think it feels too simplified, too simplified. It simplifies things in a way that I don’t think he respects. So I thought there was an opportunity to talk longer about his beliefs [and] Why he is doing what he is doing, he will take the opportunity, but just being accused or explained as a traitor is insulting to him.
Alexandra, you’ve worked with Damian Lewis twice already. He plays a double agent and a traitor intelligence officer. Can you talk about working with him again? How do you know he’s the perfect guy for the role of Nicholas?
Alexander Cary: He’s a great actor. The first day I worked with him, I shot a scene in my hometown and all he had to do was look out the window and act like there were reporters on his lawn. . If you look back, he did some things that made him back down. It was almost invisible and I realized I was dealing with a very special person. And then it turns out that he’s a really, really funny guy, and he’s fun to be around. It’s fun to work with him every day.
So I want to work with him. I want to work with people I like. I want to do a program about friendship of friends. We are friends because of our experience in homeland security. He felt the same way. Yes, this is great. If I’m lucky enough, I’ll get to work with him and Guy anytime. These guys are great and it’s fun to play with them.
Excellent. And then Guy surprises you the most when you play Kim because he’s based on a real person, but I love how you bring these complicated emotions to him.
Guy Pearce: The truth is it’s real. It’s really something that I find myself always surprised, that this actually happened. He really did. He’s keeping a secret and this game he’s making. It still makes me immediately, “Who did that? Why did he need to do it? How much is ego? How much is the thrill of the game? How much is pure belief system?” How can he justify the death he caused?”
Look at his background, look at his father, look at his father’s beliefs, and what his father says in terms of how the British treat Arab countries. You begin to understand how and why he believes the way he believes. It’s also funny because he’s in the middle of the British ruling class enjoying that booty and rejecting it. So he’s really stuck in the middle, isn’t he, Alex? He’s in a very special, spiritual kind of place in the world, and I think that plays a huge part in why he does what he does.
Alexander Cary: Well, the journey – never easy. The idea that he came to Vienna very young after graduating from university. He went to Vienna and helped Jews and Communists escape the fascists during the uprising. I thought, if I do something like that, at age 21 or whatever, if I do something like that, I’m going to think for a long time, that’s what defines me and [that] Other people’s experiences may pale in comparison, and [their] Knowledge of the world may be faint compared to me.
So it would be fun if you isolate that moment. It is an integrity. But then you move on to another chapter, how long can you live with it? How long can any of us last with whatever we just did? Not growing, not being honest with yourself? This is very interesting to me.
Guy Pearce: Yeah, that’s why it’s so important to include it in the story, isn’t it? Very good.
About Spy Among Friends
In 1963, Kim Philby, an old friend of MI6 intelligence officer Nicholas Elliot, is revealed to be a KGB double agent who defected to the Soviet Union, his personal and career in disarray. Elliott was asked what he knew about Philby’s behavior and his last interaction with his one-time friend while trying to spot other KGB moles.
first episode
spying among friends
Now available on MGM+, with new episodes on Sundays.