Our Kind of Traitor

Coming To BritBox UK January 2022

On December 28, 2021December 28, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

The Escapist and Our Kind of Traitor

by Or Goren | Cord Busters | December 28, 2021

The new year brings with it quite a few additions to BritBox in the UK: From Steven Moffat’s classic comedy series – Coupling, to the final two series of The Saint, along with beloved old-school TV programmes for kids, a long list of British films, and more.

BritBox UK (it’s not the same as the US version) is a streaming subscription service owned by ITV and the BBC. It curates British TV programmes and classic films from ITV, BBC, Channel 5 and Channel 4.

The subscription normally costs £5.99/month or £59.99/year, and you can usually get a free trial (See my updated review of BritBox UK here). BritBox is currently running a promotion until January 10 – where NEW subscribers can get 50% off, so £2.99/month for up to 3 months. You can get the discount by subscribing either via Amazon Prime Channels, or directly with BritBox with the coupon code WINTER2021. As always, some content may be added later in the month, but these are the highlights for the month of January 2022:

January 1

The Escapist (2008)
Frank’s 14 years into a life sentence when he decides to break out of the London prison to set things right with his ill junkie daughter. He plans an ingenious escape requiring 4 inmates with different skills.
Starring Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, Liam Cunningham, Dominic Cooper and Brian Cox.

January 6

Our Kind of Traitor (2016)
A couple finds themselves lured into a Russian oligarch’s plans to defect, and are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.
Starring Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Stellan Skarsgård and Nadine Harris.

Read the rest of the original article at Cord Busters

Our Kind of Traitor Poll Print Media

The 7 Most Underrated Spy Movies of the 2010s

On July 10, 2021 By Gingersnap Comments Off

by Liam Gaugham | Collider | July 10, 2021

Spy movies remain a popular genre thanks to the continued success of the James Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises. Argo and Zero Dark Thirty emerged as awards contenders that provided a grittier look at modern intelligence, and action-comedies like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the Kingsman franchise have offered more subversive takes. However, there’s no shortage of great spy movies from the past decade that haven’t found an audience yet, and deserve more attention from film fans.

Check out these top-tier espionage thrillers from the past decade you may have missed.

Continue reading The 7 Most Underrated Spy Movies of the 2010s

Print Media Spy Wars

Boarding School Creates a Mild Sociopathy That’s Helpful to the Life of Espionage – Oct 4, 2019

On October 4, 2019 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Damian Makes His First Documentary Spy Wars With His Brother

by Lisa Campbell | iNews | October 4, 2019

Few British actors have set foot inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia, but as the star of the American spy thriller, Homeland, Damian Lewis was granted unprecedented access as part of his research.

While he jokes that his meeting with the director of the CIA, John Brennan, is “classified”, the story demonstrates his ability to get under the skin of characters through keen observation of the tiniest details. He describes the “incredibly poker-faced field operatives who had revealed only the smallest increments of expression and emotion, until Brennan walked in and the temperature in the room rose instantaneously.”

It’s an experience that stood him in good stead for his latest project, Damian Lewis: Spy Wars, which also marks his first foray into factual television.

The eight-part series – the first to come out of Lewis’ newly-launched Rookery Productions – airs on History from Monday in the UK and showcases the true stories and remarkable characters behind some of the most important international spy operations of recent years.

“I’ve done a lot of research over my career for Homeland and a movie I made, Our Kind of Traitor, and have read my John le Carre like everyone else. I enjoy the genre and thought it was an opportunity to look behind these popular stories and find out something a bit more intimate and personal about the people themselves, their decisions and the ramifications on global politics,” he says.

Continue reading Boarding School Creates a Mild Sociopathy That’s Helpful to the Life of Espionage – Oct 4, 2019

Print Media Spy Wars

The Real Stories Behind Some of the World’s Most Intriguing Espionage Cases – Sept 27, 2019

On September 27, 2019 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Spy Wars: kNOw More Secrets

by Nicole Lampert | Weekend Magazine | September 27, 2019

Damian Lewis thinks he would probably make a good spy, partly because of his schooling. Some of Britain’s best known spies – and traitors – went to public school, and the Eton- educated actor isn’t surprised.

‘If you’re sent away from home at the age of eight and you’re asked to cope with that situation, I think there’s an instinctive compartmentalising of one’s emotional life,’ he says.

‘That’s very helpful to a covert life of espionage. It helps you develop a mild sociopathy, which is clearly what spies need to have. Often they’re living multiple lives, not just double ones.

‘I think I’d be a good spy, better than James Bond, who’s a rubbish spy,’ he adds, despite being one of the favourites to take over the role from Daniel Craig.

‘What’s brilliant about Bond is his recovery. Each movie is two hours of him getting himself out of a massive mistake he made quite early on.’

It’s little wonder he’s fascinated by spies. He won acclaim as soldier-turned-potential-terrorist Nick Brody in Homeland, and was cast as MI6 agent Hector in the film adaptation of John le Carré novel Our Kind Of Traitor.

But as outlandish as those stories were, they don’t compare to the twists and turns in the real spy dramas he explores in his first documentary series, Damian Lewis: Spy Wars.

Continue reading The Real Stories Behind Some of the World’s Most Intriguing Espionage Cases – Sept 27, 2019

Appearances Interviews Print Media Screenings Spy Wars

Damian Lewis Looks at Real Life Spies in History’s New DocuDrama – Sept 12, 2019

On September 12, 2019September 19, 2019 By Gingersnap Comments Off

From Our Kind of Traitor to Spy Wars

by Matthew Bell | Royal Television Society | September 12, 2019

Having played a fictional spy in the John le Carré adaptation Our Kind of Traitor and a turncoat in long-running US thriller Homeland, Damian Lewis has turned presenter for History’s new espionage series.

The actor was initially reluctant when his brother, Gareth – one of the executive producers of Damian Lewis: Spy Wars – asked him to present. “I hadn’t done factual [before] and I don’t consider myself a presenter.

“But I enjoy the [spy] genre and I thought it was an opportunity to look behind these popular stories and see if we could unearth something a bit more intimate about the people themselves, and the ramifications on global politics of very personal decisions taken by individuals.”

Lewis was talking after a screening of an episode of Damian Lewis: Spy Wars at the British Museum in mid-September.

Continue reading Damian Lewis Looks at Real Life Spies in History’s New DocuDrama – Sept 12, 2019

Behind the Scenes Gallery Our Kind of Traitor Print Media

Hector’s House – Nov 9, 2018

On November 9, 2018November 10, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Our Kind of Traitor: A Behind the Scenes Filming Location

by Betty Wood | The Spaces | November 9, 2018

The home of MI6 agent Hector Meredith, played by Damian in the 2016 adaptation of John Le Carre’s Our Kind of Traitor, has been listed as ‘Property of the Week’ for a cool £1.495m.

The three-bedroom Langton Way property was built to a design by architects Peter Foggo and David Thomas in the early 1960s and is nestled, almost hidden, behind an inconspicuous brick wall in London’s Blackheath. The midcentury home has cocooning timber-lined interiors with rooms that are packed with warm wooden surfaces, including maple floors and pine ceilings. Floating cedar partitions informally divide its open-play layout while floor-to-ceiling glass bookends the main living spaces, creating sight-lines to its leafy garden. There is a wood-burning stove and white-washed brick walls, and a huge skylight channels light into the living room. Take a tour and view the slideshow here.

Read the rest of the original article at The Spaces

Audio Books Media TV/Film Projects

Find Damian at Your Online Canada Library – April 5, 2018

On April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Ontario and Beyond

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | April 5, 2018

Hello fans in Canada! Damian is at your fingertips at your local library. Find audio books, movies and a few television series from the Kingston Frontenac Public Library’s online catalogue.

Available:

Billions, seasons 1 & 2
Band of Brothers
Colditz
Forsyte Saga
Homeland, seasons 1, 2, 3
Much Ado About Nothing
Our Kind of Traitor
Queen of the Desert
The Situation
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Will
Wolf Hall

Click here to discover the library’s online Damian catalogue

Band of Brothers Billions Homeland Keane Our Kind of Traitor Print Media Wolf Hall Your Highness

Damian Lewis’ Path from Band of Brothers to Billions – March 23, 2018

On March 23, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Damian Discusses His Most Pivotal Roles

by Emily Zemler | LA Times | March 23, 2018

Source: LA Times – Photo by Genaro Molina

“I am interested in the imperfections in people,” Damian Lewis says. “I’m interested in the contradictions and in the moral struggle that often exists in all of us.”

This sensibility threads through many of the actor’s film and television characters, particularly his current role as shrewd hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod on “Billions.” The Showtime series returns for its third season tonight, bringing us even closer to understanding what exactly makes Bobby tick.

“He’s a fiercely loyal man,” Lewis says about Bobby. “He’s ruthless. He’s extremely competitive. For him, the game is everything. The playing of the game is the thing — and it is a game, so winning the game is paramount. He enjoys it.”

The role is a big shift for Lewis, 47, who got his start on British television before coming to the attention of American audiences in Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Although Lewis has since had several career-defining roles, particularly as Nicholas Brody in “Homeland,” that project lingers as one of his most important projects.

“Some jobs are just gigs, but some jobs have the ability to be life-changing,” he notes. “They just alter you in some small way. ‘Band of Brothers’ was definitely one of those.”

Here Lewis discusses several of his most pivotal roles:

Bobby Axelrod, “Billions” (2016-2018)

“What attracted me to Bobby Axelrod was to get to play a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants and see where that takes him personally. To find out, during the course of the show, how corrupting that is on a man who is prepared to cross one line after another. What does it do to one’s soul? I saw that as potentially where it was going. And it’s enormous fun. He’s a form of gangster and it’s fun playing that kind of guy.”

Continue reading Damian Lewis’ Path from Band of Brothers to Billions – March 23, 2018

Our Kind of Traitor TV/Film Projects

Our Kind of Traitor on the Telly This Sunday – Feb 13, 2018

On February 13, 2018February 15, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Announcement: Damian on the Telly in the UK

by What’s On TV | February 13, 2018

When: Sunday, February 18
Where: Channel 4
Who: Lucky fans in the UK

Synopsis: On holiday in Marrakesh, ordinary couple Ewan McGregor and Naomie Harris are caught up in the murky world of Russian dirty money.

McGregor and Harris are trying to repair their fraying marriage, with McGregor’s university lecturer smarting with guilt over an affair with a student and somewhat emasculated by lawyer wife Harris’ higher-earning profession.

He unexpectedly befriends a flamboyantly gregarious, very wealthy, Russian (Stellan Skarsgård) and gets a brief taste of his luxurious existence.

However, he turns out to be a money launderer for the Russian mafia and wants McGregor to pass information to MI6 about his boss’s dealings with leading members of the British establishment.

However, Lewis’ devious superiors are reluctant to grant what Skarsgård requires in return – asylum in Britain for his imperiled family.

Continue reading Our Kind of Traitor on the Telly This Sunday – Feb 13, 2018

Behind the Scenes Our Kind of Traitor Print Media Video

Our Kind of Traitor: Where to Find the Plush Hotels and Spectacular Locations – Sept 5, 2016

On September 5, 2016February 9, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Where was Our Kind of Traitor filmed? Location Guide to the John le Carré Film

by RadioTimes – September 5, 2016

The John le Carré thriller stars Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis and some opulent scenery. Our Kind of Traitor – which is out on DVD next week – was adapted from a John le Carré thriller and boasts a stellar line-up: Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Damian Lewis and Stellan Skarsgard.

McGregor plays a poetry professor who’s befriended by a wealthy Russian (Skarsgard) while on holiday with his girlfriend (Harris). On their last night, the Russian reveals that he’s involved with the Mafia and needs the professor’s help.

And like The Night Manager, this film jets off to some pretty spectacular locations: luxury hotels in Marrakech, an even more luxurious Parisian spa, a snowy Alpine hideaway.

In an exclusive video, Damian Lewis, Naomie Harris and director Susanna White take us behind the scenes:

We also tracked down location manager Adam Richards, whose other films include Florence Foster Jenkins, Atonement and Pride & Prejudice, to find out how we can follow in the poetry professor’s footsteps (preferably without bumping into the Mafia en route).

Continue reading Our Kind of Traitor: Where to Find the Plush Hotels and Spectacular Locations – Sept 5, 2016

Broadcast Media Media Our Kind of Traitor Readings

Damian Lewis Reads John le Carre’s Our Kind of Traitor, September 3, 2016

On September 3, 2016October 8, 2017 By Damianista Comments Off

Media Our Kind of Traitor Print Media

Damian Lewis Says He Plays American Characters So Often He Forgets to Speak in a British Accent – July 8, 2016

On July 8, 2016October 8, 2017 By Damianista Comments Off

Damian Lewis Says He Plays American Characters So Often He Forgets to Speak in a British Accent

By Alexa Valiente, ABC News, July 8, 2016

Damian Lewis says he’s been playing American characters for so long that sometimes he forgets to speak in his British accent.

“I go get my groceries in an American accent,” Lewis said in an interview with Peter Travers on ABC News’ “Popcorn with Peter Travers.” “And I get halfway through paying and I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m British, and I have no idea why I’m talking in an American accent to you but I’ve been doing it all week.”

While most people know him as the American characters Bobby Axelrod on the Showtime show “Billions” and Nicholas Brody in another Showtime show “Homeland,” Lewis can finally speak in his British accent in his latest film “Our Kind of Traitor.”

In the movie, Lewis plays the British character Hector, who works for the British secret intelligence service MI6 and has a grudge against a politician who’s done something unspeakable to him and his family.

Continue reading Damian Lewis Says He Plays American Characters So Often He Forgets to Speak in a British Accent – July 8, 2016