Damian Lewis is set to lead the cast of A Spy Among Friends, a new six-part spy thriller coming to ITVX. The series, adapted from Ben Macintyre's New York Times best-selling book of the same name, dramatises the true story of two British spies and lifelong friends during the Cold War.
The plot centres on Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby, the latter described as the most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent in history. Philby's betrayal, uncovered at the height of the Cold War, resulted in the gutting of British and American Intelligence, and the story explores themes of loyalty, trust and treachery.
Lewis will play Nicholas Elliott, while Guy Pearce takes on the role of Kim Philby. Philby was exposed in the 1960s as a member of a British spy ring known as the Cambridge Five. The cast also includes Anna Maxwell Martin and Adrian Edmondson.
The drama is scheduled to land on ITVX, ITV's new free streaming service, in the autumn. It marks Lewis's biggest role since stepping down from his part as Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series Billions in late 2021.
Discussing his departure from Billions, Lewis 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 playing the character for five years was "easily the most time I've spent playing one character".
