The Agency star teases complex spy thriller "rife with surprises"
"In every episode, a quality was revealed about a character that I didn't see coming, or a turn would happen that I couldn't have predicted."
New Paramount Plus spy series The Agency features a stacked cast full of A-listers, but that isn't the only appeal - it's also set to feature some shocking twists.
That's according to Katherine Waterston who plays Naomi in the series, starring opposite Michael Fassbender, Richard Gere, Jeffrey Wright and Jodie Turner-Smith.
She was speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the show, which has been created by brothers Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, is based on the French series Le Bureau des Légendes, and is produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
Waterston said of the show: "When they sent me the scripts I watched the first few episodes of Le Bureau, which is an amazing show, and so I turned it off. Because I loved the performances so much, and I didn't want to be influenced by them. And so the Butterworths called me and they sort of pitched the long the long range view for the character."
Waterston continued: "And I'll never forget where I was standing in the street as I heard them tell me where she was going to go and what was going to happen to her. I just remember standing there thinking, 'I'm so fortunate that they want me to do this', because it was just so complex and surprising and fun.
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"But yeah, in terms of the first season, I think in every episode, a quality was revealed about a character that I didn't see coming, or a turn would happen that I couldn't have predicted. So yeah, it's really rife with surprises, I think, on all kinds of levels."
The series sees Fassbender's character Martian, a covert CIA agent, ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. However, when the love he left behind reappears, his career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart.
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Waterston also spoke about this romantic strand within the series, comparing the show with other spy thrillers, such as the James Bond franchise.
She said: "I guess we know, for all the sort of macho appeal of James Bond, all those fellas who maybe are going for the stunts and the action sequences, they sat through quite a lot of romance. I don't think that people mind, you know?
"It creates a very nice balance on a show too. Right when you think you know what kind of show you're watching, it takes you in a different direction, either emotionally or narratively, in another way. And so, yeah, I think that's great."
The Agency is available to stream on Paramount Plus from Saturday 30th November.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
