In an exclusive revealed by Variety, Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville has been cast alongside the likes of Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, and Jodie Turner-Smith in the upcoming Paramount+ with Showtime espionage political thriller series, The Agency. Based on the French series Le Bureau des Legendes, The Agency follows, “Martian (Fassbender), a covert CIA agent, ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind reappears, romance reignites. His career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart; hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.”
It’s been reported that Bonneville will play the role of James Richardson, a man described as, “a British agent who has a long-standing history with Martian.” Bonneville’s ability to master a tricky drama makes him the perfect fit for this sort of series, with darkness behind an unassuming stare something of a penchant for the actor. This is most evident in Bonneville’s work in Douglas is Cancelled, the recent British miniseries that unpacked the role of misogyny in British broadcasting. Bonneville’s unique ability to be both charming and potentially sinister makes him a wonderful fit for any series with both style and edge, something a political thriller such as The Agency will be hoping to provide.
Bonneville’s Mr. Brown Will Return in the Upcoming ‘Paddington in Peru’
Although perhaps best known for his work on Downton Abbey, it is the Paddington movies that Bonneville has been most highly rated for, with both films to date already heralded as unquestionable classics. With Paddington and Paddington 2 achieving 97% and 99% respectively on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it’s no wonder audiences are extremely excited about the return of the soft-spoken bear in Paddington in Peru, especially considering the ensemble cast of acting royalty already announced for the film. This includes the likes of Bonneville, Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, and many more. A synopsis for the upcoming Paddington in Peru reads:
“PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington’s story back to Peru, as he, and the Browns, visit his beloved Aunt Lucy. A thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon and beyond.”
Hugh Bonneville has been officially cast in the upcoming political thriller The Agency. You can also catch Bonneville in the upcoming Paddington in Peru when it arrives in theaters on January 17, 2025.
via Collider