Sacha Baron Cohen will always be remembered for bringing to life iconic characters like Borat, Bruno and Ali G. He’s a comedic presence that can be forgiven for absolute trash like Grimsby.
However, it looks like Cohen is set to make a rare serious turn for an upcoming Netflix series. The Spy tells the story of Israeli spy Eli Cohen who goes undercover in Syria in the early 1960s, and who happens to be a distant relative of Baron Cohen. Check out some first look images above and below.
The series is written and directed by Gideon Raff, who also created the Israeli drama Prisoners of War, which was the basis for Homeland.
I’m excited to see Cohen’s acting chops on full display. With his level of commitment to his roles, I have no doubt he’ll do his relative justice.
Plot Synopsis:
The Spy is inspired by the story of legendary former Mossad agent Eli Cohen (Baron Cohen), who successfully goes undercover in Syria in the early 1960s. Cohen becomes close enough to ambitious military leaders and their rich friends to earn a game-changing level of trust about Syria’s biggest anti-Israel secret initiatives.
Baron Cohen’s Eli Cohen is a man who wants nothing more than to be of service to his country, but he does his job so well that he finds it hard to strip off his double identity. Cast also includes Noah Emmerich (The Americans) who plays Dan Peleg, Eli’s Mossad handler who tires to ease his own guilt over the sacrifices Eli makes, Hadar Ratzon Rotem (Homeland) as Eli’s wife, Nadia, who is left to raise their family on her own and knows something isn’t right about her husband’s government job, and Waleed Zuaiter (Colony) as Amin Al-Hafz, a military officer who thinks he’s found the perfect ally in the undercover Cohen.
The Spy hits Netflix on September 6, 2019.
Will you be watching The Spy? Do you think Cohen will do a good job?
