Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce star in espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends

Watch A Spy Among Friends trailer for a sneak peek:

What is A Spy Among Friends about?

Based on Ben Macintyre’s New York Times bestseller, A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, this ITVX exclusive is a historical drama to watch out for.  

The complex Cold War drama follows British spies and close friends Nicholas Elliot (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce). However, their friendship and British national security are compromised when it is revealed that Philby has been betraying Elliot and his country for their entire friendship, leaving Elliot questioning himself, his judgement and who he can really trust now his closest friend may be a double agent.  

As Philby makes his escape to Moscow, Elliot himself comes under scrutiny. Did he help Philby escape? Is he also a double agent? Or do he and Philby have a larger scheme up their sleeves...?  

From the producers of Homeland, the drama was described by ITV as 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.'  

Is A Spy Among Friends based on a true story?  

Remarkably, yes. While much of the story may seem larger than life, most of the story is based on reality.  

In fact, Kim Philby was the most notorious Soviet mole and British defector in history, feeding crucial intel to the Russians throughout his career and during the early years of the Cold War. It wasn’t until 1963 that Philby’s treachery as a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring was revealed, but before then Philby was Nicholas Elliot’s closest friend with the two spies sharing seemingly everything – or so Elliot thought.  

It was only Anna Maxwell Martin's character of Lily Thomas in the show which is fictional. Maxwell Martin's character was created by the show writers as a depiction of the MI5 Security team who really brought Philby’s betrayal to light.  

Who is in the cast of A Spy Among Friends?  

The amazing, all-star cast includes: 

• Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winning Damian Lewis (Homeland, Billions) as Nicholas Elliot, who will also act as executive producer of the series 

• Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mare of Easttown) stars alongside Lewis as Kim Philby, Elliot’s fellow MI6 agent and lifelong friend 

• Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, Line of Duty) as Mrs. Lily Thomas from MI5’s Security Office 

• Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life, The Pact) as Sir Roger Hollis 

• Stephen Kunken (Billions, The Handmaid’s Tale) James Jesus Angleton 

• Edward Baker-Duly as Ian Fleming (otherwise known as the author of the James Bond novels...) 

How can I watch A Spy Among Friends? 

You can watch all six episodes of A Spy Among Friends on ITVX as of Thursday 8th December to kick off the launch of the exciting new platform. 

Find out more about what to watch on ITVX!