The agency released Michael Fassbender’s dark chapter in the spy genre

The Agency is set to premiere on Paramount+ this week. Captained by Michael Fassbender and featuring a supporting cast that includes acclaimed talents such as Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere and Jodie Turner-Smith, this ten-episode series focuses on Martian (Fassbender), a veteran CIA agent who is ordered to leave his secret role. and returning to London Station after six consecutive years in the area.

Martian’s story runs parallel to that of two other CIA agents, Coyote (Alex Reznik) and Danny (Saura Lightfoot-Leon), both of whom are at very different stages in their secret careers. Tension rises when Martian is reunited with Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith), an old flame from his life before the lies, and is faced with a moral dilemma in his undercover work.

Screen speech was on site to The Agencyat the world premiere in New York City and chatted with several of the Showtime show’s cast and crew on the red carpet.

Michael Fassbender compares the agency’s Martian to the killer

Fassbender played a similar character to David Fincher in 2022

Screen Rant: You’re no stranger to sacrificing your personal life to play a character like this. I love The Assassin that you did a few years ago. Did you find any parallels between Marciano and The Assassin?

Michael Fassbender: Yes, actually. Both appear to be in crisis. They are both sociopaths. They are different, but many things are contained [them]. There’s this kind of discomfort within them in terms of fitting into a social scene or being easy in a social setting, but they’re also different. I think Marciano is definitely easier with this. He also has a family, an ex-wife and a daughter. There were similarities, the kind of sociopathic tendency in both of them in crisis over this.

And these are just two characters from his extensive filmography. You played David in Foreigner films. You played Magneto and all the Fox X-Men films. What would intrigue you most: finishing your trilogy as David in the film Foreigner franchise or bring your version of Magneto to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Michael Fassbender: To be honest, I don’t think about that either. I’m focused on this (Agency) and I don’t look too much into the future. I had a lot of fun doing both. [I was] I feel very lucky to work with Ridley Scott. Love it. We made three films together. If he wants to try another one, I’m always there to work with him. He’s a master, but I don’t really think about it.

Source: Rant Plus Screen

Jodie Turner-Smith Teases Sami’s Dynamic with Michael Fassbender’s Martian at the Agency

The actress stars alongside Fassbender’s CIA agent

Screen Rant: Your character has a fascinating dynamic with Marciano. It’s full of tension. There’s so much going on. What can you tease fans about what that dynamic will be like?

Jodie Turner-Smith: There’s so much more to come from Sami, so much more to come. We don’t know what she’s doing, what’s happening and what’s dangerous for Marciano. We’ll see.

We’ll see. Also in your future, you have Tron: Ares coming out next year. Is your Athena as wise as the true goddess of wisdom?

Jodie Turner-Smith: She is wise and also a warrior.

Source: Rant Plus Screen

Joe Wright retires old franchises for agency

The director compared the series to the Ipcress files

Screen Rant: The world of spies is in good hands now in Hollywood. For fans who will be watching this show, who are already familiar with the spy genre, what are some good comparison films or series that you think you took from the tone to create The Agency?

Joe Wright: I’m a big fan of those spy thrillers from the ’60s and ’70s. I feel like in the ’60s there was kind of a fork in the road where James Bond went in one direction and The Ipcress File [with] Michael Caine went in the opposite direction, and this is certainly more of that genre.

Absolutely. You work with George Clooney on this project. He was producing it. What was it like working with George and what were some of the things he impacted when it came to the production?

Joe Wright: It was great working with him and getting his feedback on the scripts and so on. I think [he impacted] rhythm. I think the pace was important.

Incredible. There are some of your projects that I absolutely adore. The “Nosedive” episode of Black Mirror I think it’s fantastic. Also, Pan 2015. Once Upon a Time was a spin-off based on Hook. Is there any update on this? Will it ever see the light of day?

Joe Wright: I have no idea. I have no idea about this.

Source: Rant Plus Screen

Alex Reznik saw signs of his agency character everywhere

Reznik was reminded of “Coyote” in his personal life

creen Rant: You have the best blazer on this carpet. You also have the best character name [in the show].

Alex Reznik: I’ll tell you a funny story. We started filming in June, in London. The whole shoot took place in London, Estonia, and then I went home. I live in Los Angeles and I was walking my dog ​​in the neighborhood and I see signs of a coyote. People are saying, ‘Be careful, coyotes are starting to show up in the neighborhood.’ This was after I was cast. I already knew the character’s name. No. This is a neighborhood where I would normally walk my dog. So when I came back I wasn’t between episodes, I got home and went for a walk with my dog ​​and these signs started to appear. ‘We have a coyote in the neighborhood. Take care.’ And now I’m literally the neighborhood Coyote.

Screen Rant: What can you tell us about Coyote?

Alex Reznik: Coyote is a secret agent who has been stationed in Belarus for three, four, maybe five years. He’s there as a financial analyst as is Martian (Fassbender), who is coming back from six years. Coyote is in the trenches. So what’s cool about the show with us, like myself, Sarah’s character, Danny and Martian, you get to see three different stages of what it’s like to be a CIA agent. Living this double life, basically as a secret agent and stationed abroad.

Marciano coming back, having to deal with the psychological element of what it’s like to be away from everyone for six years and start life over again. Coyote is in the trenches. He’s throwing punches left and right, but he’s also throwing curveballs because he’s accumulating, supposedly to accumulate assets for the government and help with what’s happening now in current events, which is the war in Russia and between Russia and Ukraine.

Screen Rant: You had a role in The social network many years ago. One of the best films of all time, in my opinion. There is always talk about the possibility of making a sequel; Jesse Eisenberg was talking about this recently. Do you see value in revisiting this film, and if so, would you return?

Alex Reznik: I think they’re already working on it. I think there is something afoot. I think Mr. Sorkin is writing something. I don’t know if I would come back, but hey, it’s the next chapter. I think it would be great to see what happened when the film came out in 2010. A lot has changed. What’s going on with the Winklevosses? Where are they? Obviously we know where Zuckerberg is, but I’m curious. I think this is something that could be in the works.

Source: Rant Plus Screen

Harriet Sansom Harris teases tense dynamic with Michael Fassbender at agency

Harris’ Blake Plays a Therapeutic Role in Fassbender’s The Martian

Screen Rant: Harriet, congratulations on this show. It’s absolutely phenomenal. What can you tell me about Dr. Blake?

Harriet Sansom Harris: I find her fascinating. I was so thrilled that they wanted me to play this role because I knew it would be with Michael Fassbender, and I’m a huge fan of Michael. I knew she bothered him, but she was also attracted to him. Maybe not in a hubba hubba kind of way, but it’s hard for Michael not to think that there’s a lot going on there, but he’s so fascinating and she has to keep going through that puzzle to try and get some kind of thing. of clarity about who he is and what his motivations are and whether he really is fit to return to the field because he came home after six years. That’s a long time for any agent to be someone else.

As an actor, I think the longest stint I’ve ever done was 16 months, and you start to identify with the character to a certain extent. You don’t start carrying knives around, but to be someone else, you have different relationships, you really leave everyone behind. I think maybe I realized that when I was in London for five months. It couldn’t be more wonderful because it’s London and it’s just fantastic. So every now and then I thought it would be great to just go home for a week. Michael’s character can never do that.

He’s out there and there’s this relentless pressure to be this other person that he created and to be that person perfectly. I think that was a really interesting idea, that he’s at war with himself. In a way, he’s at war with the world, and it’s her job to see if he can produce again. This is cruel. It’s almost as if a physiotherapist said: come on, you can do it.

Screen Rant: I’m excited to peel back the layers of Mars. This is a spy show, but it seems like the big focal point is human interactions and conversations. Without getting into spoilers, did you have a scene with a particular character that you felt like that conversation really resonated with you as an actor?

Harriet Sansom Harris: I think all the scenes I had with Michael, but I also had a great scene with Jeffrey. I have a wonderful scene with Katherine where she’s very quick and kind of excited, but she’s hitting someone else. It’s a lot of fun to work with everyone. I don’t know if I have a favorite scene. There’s one scene that’s bigger than the others, and that was a really great scene, I think.

​​​​​​Source: Rant Plus Screen

Danny finds himself on the opposite side of Mars and Coyote

Screen Rant: I love how much I was on the edge of my seat watching [this show]. Can you tell me a little about your character and your role in The Agency?

Saura Lightfoot-Leon: I play Danny, who is a young undercover intern who is kind of lost. You can see her struggle as she learns the ways of the world and also the human ways of having to deal with the sacrifices you have to make and being in high pressure situations, being quick.

There is a lot of great talent involved in this project, especially behind the camera. George Clooney helped produce it. Have you ever worked with George and seen what his fingerprints looked like on the show?

Saura Lightfoot-Leon: I haven’t met him yet, which is a shame. I know. But there was Grant Heslov who was also producing and directing, who is his partner on the work. Grant is wonderful. We had a lot of top notch people, I would say, like you said, cast and crew. It felt like everyone was pushing the show forward. I feel very lucky to be a part of this.

The spy genre as a whole seems very strong in Hollywood right now. THE Mission: Impossible films. James Bond ended well with Daniel Craig. What does the Agency add to this genre? What makes the Agency unique?

Saura Lightfoot-Leon: The darkness of it. It’s not a flashy show. It’s about real people who are living this life. It’s the ugly side and also the cool side. There’s a lot of cool stuff, but yeah, it’s the human, version of it.

Let’s close with this one. You mentioned that your character has to give up a lot of things in order to face this life. If you were a secret agent and had to give up something in your life, what would be the hardest thing to let go of?

Saura Lightfoot-Leon: My family.

​​​​​​Source: Rant Plus Screen

Reza Brojerdi Coincidentally Shares a Name with His Agency Character

Brojerdi plays Reza at the agency… and in life

Screen Rant: Reza, your character has the same name as you in real life. Was it a coincidence or did it happen because your name is Reza?

Reza Brojerdi: I got the sides to audition and the guy was called Reza and I auditioned and I said at the end of the audition, ‘Look, I’m a real Reza, I can do this.’ And maybe they liked it. I don’t know. It just happened. And they asked me if I was okay with it and I said, ‘Yes, of course. Why not?’

What is the biggest difference between Reza in real life, you and Reza, the character, and also what is the biggest similarity?

Reza Brojerdi: I think the biggest difference is that he’s working with different ideas than I do in real life. And the biggest similarity is that we are both Iranian. I was born in Iran too.

Wow. How about that? The Agency is being released at a time when the spy genre is so rich in Hollywood. What it does The Agency add to this genre?

Reza Brojerdi: For me it’s a very different thing. I’ve seen a lot of agent movies. I’ve seen a lot of action movies. And this one is different because it delves deeper into the characters, into what they have to go through. What if you want to be a spy? I think it costs much, much more than most movies, shows or series will count. And this one is sharp.

And you also mentioned the fact that we’re on the edge of our seats because it’s serialized television. It also helps that we’ve seen so many spy movies, but you get your resolution in the cinema. This time, it’s week after week. We’re starting to flesh out the characters. Does having this in an episodic format make it even more unique?

Reza Brojerdi: I’m not sure. I can’t say that. I think the show, I mean, is so extraordinarily written and the characters that we have are so special and unique. I think that will be the most important thing, that these characters slowly lead the series to where it needs to go.

​​​​​​Source: Rant Plus Screen

Christopher McDonald shows support for the agency and teases Happy Gilmore 2

The Happy Gilmore actor loves the spy genre

Screen Rant: What brings you to the screen tonight The Agency?

Christopher McDonald: Well, I’m a fan of this genre. I love the actors in it. Michael Fassbender is great. Ricardo Gere. I like seeing you around. Jeffrey Wright. It’s just great people and a great story. I watched the trailer and said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m in.’ I took my wife. I’m in New York making a little film and I thought I’d have a night off. They invited me. I’m going. I walked through the rain. By the way, it’s raining outside. We went down and made time and arrived early.

You mentioned that spy franchises are very big on what you’re watching. Which spy franchise is right for you?

Christopher McDonald: Well, I would have to choose James Bond. You can choose any title, starting with the early greats and working your way up to the great Daniel Craig. I watched them several times. Tom Cruise does something really good [spy movies] also. He kills in [those Mission: Impossible movies] and he does his own stunts. He’s at the top of the game, so that kind of thing. I really love seeing how much effort they put into it. I know it’s a lot, a lot, a lot of work, so I’m a big fan of this, this whole genre, just because it’s something that interests me.

The world of spies is in good hands now in Hollywood. The world of comedy too. You’re coming back to Happy Gilmore reuniting with Ben Stiller as well as Adam Sandler. One of my favorite fighters, MJF, is also in the film. What was it like being back on set with those guys and also integrating with some of the new guys?

Christopher McDonald: I can’t even talk about it. No. Nice try, huh? You tried to get me out of my NDA (laughs). No, I learned my lesson. I got a slap on the wrist. There are a lot of great people at this. You will be happily surprised to see some of the people they have. It’s full of cameos from wonderful people and the story is fantastic. It’s great, and it’s about time they did it because the fans demand it. It’s all very exciting, so I’m really happy to be a part of it.

Are there any characters from your early career that you would like to revisit, like Shooter McGavin?

Christopher McDonald: Oh, sure. I would play Darryl Dickinson again in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise. He was a job. He was the kind of guy you see at airports. Just a charming character. There was a lot of comedy. At the same time, I’ve played a lot of characters that I’d like to redo again, but this one stands out the most because I just saw Gladiator II yesterday and loved it, and Ridley is still doing it in his mid-eighties. God love him.

Source: Rant Plus Screen

More About The Agency Season 1

Based on the French series Le Bureau des Légendes, Showtime’s The Agency is a remake of the critically acclaimed hit French drama Le Bureau des Legendes, the new political spy thriller follows Martian (Fassbender), a secret CIA agent ordered to abandon your secret life and return to London station. When the love he left behind reappears, the romance is rekindled. Your career, your true identity and your mission are against your heart; throwing them both into a deadly game of intrigue and international espionage.

Check out other Screen Rant interviews at The Agency here:

The Agency premieres on Paramount+ (with SHOWTIME) on November 29.