Interviews – Page 3 – Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce Dig Into a Real-Life MI6 Double Agent Story

On June 16, 2023June 17, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Best Limited Series First-Round Emmy Contender

by Hugh Hart | Los Angeles Times | June 16, 2023

He’s portrayed intense terrorist Nicholas Brody in “Homeland,” domineering mogul Bobby Axelrod in “Billions” and mercurial King Henry VIII in “Wolf Hall,” but Emmy-winning British actor Damian Lewis rarely plays the fool. Breaking type in the fact-based Cold War thriller “A Spy Among Friends,” Lewis chose to portray MI6 operative Nicholas Elliott, who’s stunned by the realization that his best friend Kim Philby is a traitor working for Communist Russia.

The MGM+ limited series, based on Ben Macintyre’s book of the same title, casts Australian actor Guy Pearce (“L.A. Confidential,” “Memento,” “Mare of Easttown”) as the lethally charming Philby. Set in 1963, “A Spy Among Friends” hopscotches through three decades of flashbacks that culminate inside a Beirut safe house: Elliott’s supposed to bring Philby back to England, where he’ll face the consequences of his treachery. Instead, Philby flees to Moscow.

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Album Mission Creep Interviews Music

Damian Lewis on His Debut Album

On June 14, 2023June 14, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

“Sod that, why can’t I have a go at something else?”

by James Hickie | Music Week | June 14, 2023

You may know him as the star of TV shows like Band of Brothers, Homeland and Billions, plus films like Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood, but Damian Lewis is adding another string to his bow in 2023. This week, he releases his debut album, Mission Creep, via Decca Records.

The journey to this point began a long time ago. A fan of everyone from John Martyn and The Rolling Stones to Velvet Underground and Eddie Cochran, Lewis tried to write songs in his early twenties before his nerves got the better of him. “I didn’t feel comfortable doing it,” he tells Music Week. “I didn’t know how to do it, I wasn’t confident.”

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Album Mission Creep Interviews Music

Damian Lewis on His Unlikely Rock Reinvention

On June 10, 2023September 23, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

A Really Happy Accident

by Neil McCormick | The Telegraph | June 10, 2023

Photo by: Rii Schroer for Universal Music

For his next trick, the Wolf Hall and Billions actor is turning rock star – and this time he’s not pretending. “Why doesn’t he stick to acting?!” says Damian Lewis, in a wry pantomime of outrage. The 52-year-old star of hit TV dramas from Band of Brothers to Billions, via Homeland and Wolf Hall, is anticipating the reaction to his boldest career move to date: on Friday, Lewis will release a debut album of his own songs.

“We’re notoriously bad at changing lanes in this country,” he says. “I’m fully aware of how dangerous it is for me, tiptoeing into another area of the arts. It’s a bit like standing up on top of the parapet going, ‘Right, take your shots, everyone; throw s— at me!’ ”

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Album Mission Creep Interviews Music

Damian Lewis Talks Ed Nash Through the Songs That Soundtracked the Pivotal Moments in His Life

On June 9, 2023June 14, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Nine Songs

by Ed Nash | The Line of Best Fit | June 9, 2023

Whilst his friends were exploring the worlds of Goth and Post-Punk, the young Lewis spent hours perfecting the Presley quiff and developing a lifelong love of ‘50s music. Fast forward to today and his acting career couldn’t be more different to his hero, rather than the missteps of The King of Rock and Roll’s film roles, Lewis’s body of work on screen and stage can only be described as illustrious.

Following his breakthrough as Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers, he’s shapeshifted through a range of characters, from Homeland’s Nicholas Brody to a delightfully devious Henry VIII in Wolf Hall, bringing an old-school charisma each part, which came full circle with his take on Steve McQueen in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.

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Album Mission Creep Interviews Music

Blues & Soul Magazine Interview: Damian Lewis

On June 7, 2023June 13, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Changing Lanes

by Lee Tyler | Blues & Soul Magazine | June 7, 2023

Brit actor Damian Lewis CBE [for services to drama] is probably best known for his gritty multi-award-winning performances in hit TV shows Homeland and Band of Brothers. As well as a mesmerizing Henry VIII portrayal in the award-nominated show Wolf Hall and the must-watch character performance in the primetime hit show, Billions. His undoubted talent has transferred seamlessly to the big screen with a plethora of standout roles, including his memorable portrayal of movie icon Steve McQueen in the Quentin Tarantino produced film, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. So what’s the next stellar role for the North London and often NYC-based 52-year-old multi-talented actor, presenter and producer? Well, how about another string to his bow and a right turn into another Lewis passion that may surprise a few with his natural talent with a foray into the world of music.

As an actor, you can never accuse Lewis of not giving his all so when it comes to music and his debut album “Mission Creep,” be prepared for something very special. I’ll now let the singer/songwriter/guitarist himself fill you in on the finer points of his rootsy, blues, rock, jazz, folk and everything in between new long-player, as well as give us the lowdown on what drove his 2020 lockdown inspired desire to start writing songs, cut an authentically styled album and play a set of live dates as he takes time out of his busy schedule to share all on a recent Zoom call with yours truly.

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A Spy Among Friends For Your Consideration Interviews Print Media

For Sony Pictures Television, Championing Creatives Means Content That Stands Apart

On June 6, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

A Spy Among Friends

by Karen Idelson | Variety | June 6, 2023

Contributions of talented artisans on both sides of the camera are valued at the studio and are set to be acknowledged this awards season.

Whether working fervidly in the development phase or creating boundary-pushing visuals to serve a project’s narratives, Sony Pictures Television’s storytellers and artisans consistently find new ways to engage audiences and set the gold standard of crafting impactful television.

With its roster of diverse series and multifaceted talent, the award-winning television production and distribution studio aims to dominate across categories during the 2023 Emmy® race. The growing Sony Pictures Television universe features standout performances across genres, offering a glimpse into different cultural experiences and drawing inspiration from everything from the most beloved comic books to real-life spy stories.

“Across the studio’s slate, viewers have every type of story at their fingertips and can anticipate each series being crafted at the highest level of quality by the best artisans working in television today,” says Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.

A Spy Among Friends — Eyewitness to Reality

Damian Lewis applauds the writers behind the espionage thriller “A Spy Among Friends” for crafting dialogue that is detailed and authentic to the true story of a British spy for the Soviet Union.

“Alex Cary has this brilliant way of writing histories,” the actor says of the show’s writer and creator. “They read like capers and thrillers. We have photographic evidence of what these people looked like. We want to be true to who they are without doing impersonations.”

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Album Mission Creep Broadcast Media Down on the Bowery Interviews Makin' Plans Music Radio The Radleys Zaragoza

Damian Lewis on BBC Radio 6 Music

On June 1, 2023June 13, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Makin’ Plans with Gemma Cairney

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | June 1, 2023

Gemma Cairney sat in on Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 6 Music segment with Damian this morning and Gemma reported it was a pleasure to have him in the studio! His song ‘Makin’ Plans’ was broadcast as number 30 during the 38-tracklist programme with his interview here beginning around 2:05:54. The broadcast is only available for 28 days on BBC Sounds so catch it now!

Damian spoke about working with jazz musician Giacomo Smith and Kansas Smitty’s band, his three singles ‘Down on the Bowery,’ ‘Zaragoza’ and ‘Makin’ Plans’ that have been released on several platforms and described his signature sound as a hybrid of rootsy, singer-songwriter bluesy, rock-n-roll music.

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A Spy Among Friends Interviews Print Media

Here’s What Influenced Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis’ Performances In ‘A Spy Among Friends’

On March 15, 2023March 22, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Lewis and Pearce Make For a Formidable Pairing

by Simon Thompson | Forbes | March 15, 2023

There is a simple explanation for why the story of Kim Philby, a British intelligence agent spying for the Russians, might seem familiar. The fascinating real-life tale has been the inspirational jumping-off point for countless characters in the genre, from books to movies.

In A Spy Among Friends, a limited series streaming on MGM+, Philby, played by Guy Pearce, takes center stage in his own right. Damian Lewis plays Nicholas Elliott, his friend and the man given the job of bringing the double agent to justice. It’s based on the Ben Macintyre’s New York Times NYT best-selling book.

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A Spy Among Friends Interviews Print Media Video

A Spy Among Friends: Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce on Playing Secret Agents

On March 15, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Duplicitous Characters

by Maggie Boccella | Collider | March 15, 2023

Imagine finding out your best friend of nearly thirty years had completely betrayed you and everyone else they loved, for the entirety of your friendship. That’s the concept behind MGM+’s newest thriller series, A Spy Among Friends, except the tensions are racketed to an all-time high: not only are Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) friends, but also intelligence officers for the UK’s MI6, and Philby is one of the most notorious double agents in history, supplying information to the KGB.

A Spy Among Friends follows the two men in the aftermath of Philby being found out, and subsequently pursued, by British intelligence in the 1960s, flipping back and forth between the beginnings of Philby and Elliott’s friendship and the present, where Elliott is being questioned about his attempts to bring Philby into custody in Beirut, where he escaped and eventually defected to the Soviet Union. The truth is twisted and obscured as the series follows the two men throughout their lives, questioning just how much we can really trust those we hold dear.

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A Spy Among Friends Interviews Print Media Video

Guy Pearce and Alexander Cary Video Interview: A Spy Among Friends

On March 13, 2023March 14, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Why Alex Cary Cast Damian Lewis

by Caitlin Tyrrell | Screen Rant | March 13, 2023

A Spy Among Friends is based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, which examines the true story of the most infamous double agent in the Cold War. The limited series, adapted for television by Alexander Cary, examines the friendship between Nicholas Elliot and Kim Philby both before and after Philby’s status as a KGB double agent was revealed. Following this revelation, Elliot met with Philby to gather information, but the double agent escaped to the Soviet Union.

Elliot was closely scrutinized after this by American and British intelligence agencies. While under investigation, Elliot attempts to discover any other KGB moles that are hiding in the British government. A Spy Among Friends features an impressive cast led by Guy Pearce, Damian Lewis, Anna Maxwell Martin, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Kunken, Nicholas Rowe, and Anastasia Hille.

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A Spy Among Friends Interviews Print Media

A Spy Among Friends: Why Damian Lewis was Surprised by the True Story

On March 13, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Who Is Nick Elliott?

by Roxy Simons | Newsweek| March 12, 2023

Damian Lewis found making A Spy Among Friends with Guy Pearce a “surprising” experience, he told Newsweek, because of the intricacies of the real story the MGM+ drama is based on.

Lewis plays Nicholas Elliott, the best friend of Pearce’s Kim Philby, who is widely seen as one of the most notorious double agents in history. The British Intelligence agent was a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring that secretly fed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and the Cold War.

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A Spy Among Friends Interviews Print Media

A Spy Among Friends Brings Cold War to New Generation

On March 12, 2023March 12, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

“Russia Has Never Been More Topical”

by Stephen Schaefer | Boston Herald | March 12, 2023

“A Spy Among Friends,” streaming Sunday on MGM+, reflects on a key chapter in post-WWII espionage history when the Cambridge Five, a quintet of Cambridge University graduates, were exposed as Russian spies.

The most notorious and most damaging, guilty of a thousand deaths, was British MI6 officer Kim Philby, a double agent for the Soviets. He served in postwar Washington, DC and cleverly escaped exposure in the early 1950s when two of his fellow Cambridge spies defected to Moscow.

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