Friendly faces

Actor Damian Lewis and writer Alex Cary open up about their interest in bringing to the screen A Spy Among Friends, based on a true story of friendship and betrayal.

Based on Ben Macintyre’s book of the same name, A Spy Among Friends dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby. The lifelong friends were both British spies – but Philby later emerged as the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history.

This six-part series, airing on ITVX in the UK, is described as a story of duplicity, loyalty, trust and treachery, as Philby’s deeply personal betrayal – uncovered at the height of the Cold War – resulted in radical reforms of both British and US intelligence. The series debuts on MGM+ in the US in March.

In this DQTV interview, star Damian Lewis, who plays Elliott, and writer Alex Cary discuss why they wanted to give viewers a peek behind the curtain of this notorious spy story. They talk about why Elliott emerged as the focal point of the drama, their roles behind the scenes as executive producers and the fallout from the damaged friendship at the heart of the story.

A Spy Among Friends is produced by Sony Pictures Television, ITV Studios and Veritas Entertainment Group, and distributed by Sony.

tagged in: A Spy Among Friends, Alex Cary, Damian Lewis