Original-Cin Q&A: Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis Talk Spies, Lies and A Spy Among Friends

By Bonnie Laufer

A treat for all fans of actors Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, the new miniseries A Spy Among Friends, a British espionage thriller based on the bestselling book of the same name, is streaming now on Prime Video.

Set in England in 1963, the series finds Nicholas Elliott (Lewis) working for MI6 as an intelligence officer. But he is left in turmoil when he learns his close friend and colleague Kim Philby (Pearce) has been secretly working as a double agent for the KGB and has defected to the Soviet Union.

It's high-stakes drama at its best and no one pulls it off better than Lewis and Pearce. Our Bonnie Laufer spoke with Pearce and Lewis about the series and tried to find out if they could pull off a lie.

ORIGINAL-CIN: Damian, you’re not only starring in this series, but you are executive producing. Was there something specific that connected you to the character of Nicholas Elliott?

DAMIAN LEWIS: I was just interested in the guy who gets betrayed. I was interested in playing every man he represents, every country, every intelligence agency and political institution, but at the micro-personal and intimate level. I just had to play him. Philby, on the other hand, is the rock star. He was unbelievable having pulled that off. He was adored and admired. Elliott looked up to him like an older brother. It was sort of the younger brother/older brother relationship. He looked up to him so much and almost sort of wanted to be him.

Then the personal tragedy for Elliott, I think it's really his fault that Philby continues to get away with it for so long. He facilitates his escape each time and all because he just can't imagine that Philby or anyone like them would be doing something like betraying his country and his friends to the Russians. So, there was a lot to attach myself to which was really fun to play.

O-C: Guy, what a juicy role getting to play this double agent who pretty much duped the world. How were you able to look at him and justify what he did to play him?

GUY PEARCE: I don't know the answer. I mean, I really vacillated throughout the process. I decided to just look at it simply and listen to what he claimed, which was that he had a belief in communism his whole life and the best way to honour that was to work from within on the other side.

Clearly, he caused so much damage. I immediately thought, ‘I can't really see how he necessarily can justify that.’ Very quickly in that sort of process of thinking I'm then looking at his ego, perhaps that he is sociopathic. I was curious also for him how it changed over those years. Maybe in the beginning there was a wide-eyed belief in communism and what he was claiming to believe in. I think he was so intoxicated by the excitement of it, just being a spy.

I also think he had such an ego that he probably thought he was a whole lot better than those around him. I feel like that just sort of snowballed and it's like juggling with two balls and then you want to juggle with three and then the next thing you know, you're juggling 12 chainsaws (laughs)! Thinking, ‘This is the only thing that's going to excite me now.’

So, the fact that he's dangling the CIA off one hand and MI6 off the other and the KGB in there as well… that's how I think it's justified for him. It was selfish and he was smart enough to never admit to that. He was smart enough to be able to present his case forever. And you know, as Damian says, to those close around him who perhaps question him in 1955, to get himself off the hook. I'm sure he found getting right up against the exposure enthralling, but then in two swift charming moves, being able to get himself out of it. It was all just such a fascinating character study.

O-C: Both of you have had such illustrious careers I can't believe you've never worked together before.

GP: That’s true, we never worked together and we'll never work together again! (laughs)

DL: Hold on, can we pitch our podcast? We've got a podcast we want to do.

O-C: Of course, I’d be happy to moderate if you need someone.

GP: Our podcast idea is to talk about the films that we didn't get to do. Or to talk about the scenes in the films that were cut out.

O-C: I would listen to that. But Damian, did you guys instantly connect when you started this series? It had to be a bit complicated playing a guy who discovers his best friend and colleague betrays him.

DL: I loved Guy and then I hated him.

GP: So confusing.

O-C: So where have you landed now?

DL: Well, here we are. We’re doing press together, so I guess I’m back to liking him (laughs).

GP: I will never betray Damian, just so you know.

DL: Here we are in our little screen, sharing the screen again one last time until someone stupid enough employs us both again.

GP: Don’t forget about our podcast!

DL: I’m up for it, but that's just because I'll take anything (laughs).

O-C: Being actors, this might be a dumb question but are you good liars?

GP: It depends but usually not because I hate the idea of it. Little white lies I can do and then you can forget about them, but I've told some doozies in my time. So no, not really. I suppose.

O-C: And Damian? How good a liar are you?

DL: Never over-explain. That's how you get through a good lie, never over explain.