After making his name by playing one of Band of Brothers’ most memorable characters (Major Richard Winters), and going on to headline the quirky yet intriguing cop-drama Life, British actor Damian Lewis is once again joining a U.S. TV drama; as he’s recently signed on to appear in Showtime’s Homeland.
Lewis’ film career hasn’t exactly been glowing (as movies he’s starred in; such as Dreamcatcher and Stormbreaker; have gone largely unnoticed) however his TV career has always been worth following, and looks to continue on a stellar path with Homeland; a show centering on war, conspiracy, and terrorism.
Homeland will focus on a US Marine Sergeant named Scott Brody (to be played by Lewis) who gets taken prisoner during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and spends nearly a decade in captivity before being rescued, returning home, and then landing under the surveillance of the C.I.A.; who believe he may be involved in an Al Qaeda plot to attack America.
Fellow Brit Laura Fraser (A Knight’s Tale) is attached to appear as Brody’s wife Jessica (who happens to have gotten involved with his best friend while he was away), with Claire Danes (Stardust) picking up the part of Carrie Anderson (the C.I.A. officer intent on proving Brody’s Al Qaeda involvement), and Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds) rounding out the main cast as Anderson’s boss Saul; a longstanding C.I.A. chief.
Homeland’s pilot episode is still in the pre-production stages at the moment, and as such there’s no telling whether or not it will eventually get picked up by the network, although Showtime are fast becoming a channel well worth watching (thanks in no small part to them airing shows such as Dexter, and The Tudors), and as Homeland not only has a number of interesting themes, but comes from 24 veterans Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, it stands a strong chance of get picked up, and should be one to look out for.
