Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea has signed on to play a retiring MI6 spy in new seven-part BBC Two political thriller ‘The Honourable Woman’, alongside Maggie Gyllenhall and Janet McTeer, which is set to screen next year.
The series is written and directed Hugo Blick with whom Mr Rea previously collaborated on BBC’s conspiracy drama ‘The Shadow Line’.
Maggie Gyllenhaal will play the lead part of the 'Honourable Woman' Nessa Stein who, as a child, witnessed her father, an arms dealer, being assassinated and inherited his company which she used to promote development projects between the Israelis and Palestinians.
When a Palestinian business man is murdered, she finds herself under the scrutiny of MI6 against the backdrop of rising political tensions in the Middle East.
Stephen Rea will play Hugh Hayden-Hoyle, an MI6 agent on the verge of retirement, while Janet McTeer will play the head of MI6.
Rea and McTeer have both been nominated for Oscars – the former for Neil Jordan’s ‘The Crying Game’ and the latter for ‘Albert Nobbs’ and Tumbleweeds’.
Mr Rea won an IFTA award for Best Supporting TV actor in 2010 for ‘Father & Son’ and was nominated three more times, for ‘Nothing Personal’, ‘Breakfast on Pluto’ and ‘The Halo Effect’.
Other cast members include Lindsay Duncan (‘The Hollow Crown’); Andrew Buchan (‘Broadchurch’); and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd); Eve Best (‘Nurse Jackie’).
Maggie Gyllenhall will soon be seen in Lenny Abrahamson’s next film ‘Frank’ opposite Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson.
’The Honourable Woman’ is produced by Eight Rooks and Drama Republic in association with Sundance Channel, and executive-produced by Polly Hill, Hugo Blick and Greg Brenman.
Production on the series starts next week in London.