Anna Maxwell-Martin is one of Britain's best actors, with an incredible range of performances under her belt. From belly-laughing comedy roles (Motherland is our forever comfort show), to gritty police dramas such as her role on Line of Duty, and a moving and powerful performance in Until I Kill You.

However, those aren't her only standout roles, and one of our favourite performances of Anna is in the espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends, which she stars in alongside Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce.

The 2022 six-part thriller series is based on the book of the same name by Ben Macintyre, about real life Britain SIS agents, set in 1963 and it's well worth a watch. Here's what to know about it.

What is A Spy Among Friends about?

A Spy Among Friends is based on the non-fiction book A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre, which details the life of Kim Philby who was a British Intelligence officer and Soviet Union mole.

The TV series focusses on another real life British agent called Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) who discovers his best friend and colleague of many years Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) has actually been a double agent for the KGB for years.

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ITV

Anna Maxwell-Martin stars in the series as Lily Thomas, who ends up interrogating Elliot under the suspicion he is in cahoots with Philby and it makes for a terrifically tense scene.

Since its debut in 2022, the show has received rave views from critics and viewers alike, with IMDb awash with glowing accolades for the drama. One viewer said the show's pacing was "perfect", a crucial factor in our drama watching, and another said it was better than the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which follows a similar plot.

As for Anna's performance in the series, Yahoo! News described her as "superb" and The Times said she was a " dazzling antidote".

Who stars in A Spy Among Friends?

Alongside Anna Maxwell-Martin, leading the series is Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliott and Guy Pearce as Kim Philby. Lewis is best known for his roles in TV shows including Homeland, Band of Brothers, Billions and Wolf Hall.

Pearce meanwhile, is mainly a movie actor best known for starring in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, L.A. Confidential, The Brutalist, and Prometheus.

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ITV

Also starring in the series are the following:

  • Adrian Edmonson as Sir Roger Hollis, the director general of MI5.
  • Stephen Kunken as James Jesus Angleton, an American CIA officer.
  • Nicholas Rowe as Sir Anthony Blunt, an art historian and Soviet spy.
  • Thomas Arnold as Guy Burgess, a British diplomat and Soviet double agent.
  • Daniel Lapaine as Donald Maclean, a British diplomat and Soviet double agent.

Where can I watch A Spy Among Friends?

All six episodes of A Spy Among Friends are available on ITVX now.

A Spy Among Friends is available on ITVX now