Ever since his defection to Moscow in 1963, the name Kim Philby has been a byword for treachery and betrayal. Now the incredible story of the most damaging spy scandal in British intelligence history is explored via a fresh lens in six-part ITVX drama A Spy Among Friends. Starring Guy Pearce as the charming, ruthless Philby, and Damian Lewis as his closest friend, and fellow MI6 agent, Nicholas Elliott, who finds himself under suspicion when Philby flees to Russia for a life in exile, the show brings to light a new, very personal side of the Philby affair and the complex, fluctuating politics of the time.
To find out more about this fascinating tale of two spies, we spoke to the show’s executive producer Alexander Cary and author Ben Macintyre (who wrote the bestselling book on which the series is based) about how they brought this compelling story to life on-screen…
