Legacy of Spies cast guide: who's playing who in the John le Carré series

Fans of The Night Manager and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, rejoice: the BBC is diving back into the treacherous, thrilling world of John le Carré.

Filming is officially underway in Prague for Legacy of Spies, a landmark eight-part series adapted from le Carré’s seminal 1963 novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and drawing heavily on material from his 2017 companion novel, A Legacy of Spies.

The stakes are life-and-death, the trench coats are suitably moody, and the cast list is frankly bursting with top-tier talent. With Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen stepping into the iconic shoes of spymaster George Smiley (following in the footsteps of Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman) and Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam leading the charge as maverick field operative Alec Leamas, this espionage thriller promises to be one of the television events of the year.

Produced by The Ink Factory and written by showrunners Stephen Cornwell and Clarissa Ingram (with lead directorial duties from Michael Lennox), the Cold War drama will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and MGM+ in the US.

But who else is populating the shadowy ranks of the Circus and the Stasi? Read on for your essential guide to the cast and characters of Legacy of Spies.

Meet the Cast

Matthew Macfadyen plays George Smiley

Who is George Smiley? One of literature’s most enduring and beloved spymasters. Quiet, intelligent, and deeply private, Smiley orchestrates operations for the British secret intelligence service (known as the “Circus”) from the shadows. As personal lives become collateral in a ruthless intelligence war, he is forced to navigate complex betrayals while anticipating the moves of his elusive Soviet counterpart, Karla.

Where have I seen Matthew Macfadyen before? The two-time Emmy and BAFTA-winning actor is fresh off his legendary run as Tom Wambsgans in HBO’s Succession. Period drama fans will forever know him as Mr Darcy in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film, while his rich TV CV also includes Spooks, Ripper Street, Quiz, Stonehouse, and Netflix’s recent Death by Lightning.

Charlie Hunnam plays Alec Leamas

Who is Alec Leamas? The maverick, hard-bitten field operative at the heart of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Leamas is drawn into a ruthlessly engineered intelligence war where loyalties fracture and betrayal is an everyday reality.

Where have I seen Charlie Hunnam before? Hunnam skyrocketed to fame as Jax Teller in the hit motorcycle drama Sons of Anarchy. He is also known for leading blockbusters like Pacific Rim and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, as well as starring in Shantaram, The Gentlemen, and Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

Agnes O’Casey plays Liz Gold

Who is Liz Gold? An idealistic young woman and British Communist sympathiser who falls passionately in love with Leamas. Her courage and deep-seated convictions become a major complication in a world where everyone is a pawn, forcing Leamas to make impossible choices. O’Casey is directly reprising the role after playing Liz to critical acclaim in the recent West End stage adaptation.

Where have I seen Agnes O’Casey before? The IFTA-winning Irish actress has made a name for herself in BBC drama Ridley Road. You may have also spotted her in Lies We Tell, The Miracle Club, Black Doves, and acting alongside Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These.

Dan Stevens plays Bill Haydon

Who is Bill Haydon? A brilliant, enigmatic, and exceedingly charismatic Circus insider and iconic antagonist. For le Carré fans, Haydon is a legendary figure within British intelligence, known for his sprawling network of contacts and incredibly complicated personal loyalties.

Where have I seen Dan Stevens before? First finding fame as the doomed Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, Stevens has since built a wildly versatile transatlantic career. He has starred as mutant David Haller in Legion, the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and recently appeared in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Netflix’s Zero Day.

Daniel Bruhl plays Josef Fiedler

Who is Josef Fiedler? A meticulous and highly dangerous intelligence strategist for the East German Stasi. He serves as a formidable adversary in the Cold War intelligence machine.

Where have I seen Daniel Bruhl before? The Spanish-German actor is widely recognised for playing Niki Lauda in Rush, Fredrick Zoller in Inglourious Basterds, and Marvel villain Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. He also recently starred in Netflix’s Oscar-winning wartime epic All Quiet on the Western Front.

Felix Kammerer plays Hans-Dieter Mundt

Who is Hans-Dieter Mundt? Fiedler’s associate and a brutal, unpredictable, and psychotically deadly enforcer for the Stasi.

Where have I seen Felix Kammerer before? Kammerer broke out globally as the young lead, Paul Baumer, in All Quiet on the Western Front, and can also be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein.

Devrim Lingnau Islamoglu plays Doris Quinz

Who is Doris Quinz? A young and dynamic East German woman who plays a high-risk game, delivering vital intelligence from the very heart of the East German operation directly to the West.

Where have I seen Devrim Lingnau Islamoglu before? The actress is best known to global audiences for starring as Elisabeth von Wittelsbach in the hit Netflix historical drama The Empress.

Jake Dunn plays Peter Guillam

Who is Peter Guillam? George Smiley’s fiercely loyal and trusted lieutenant (a fan-favourite role famously played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy film).

Where have I seen Jake Dunn before? You might recognise Dunn from Disney+‘s swashbuckling romp Renegade Nell, the film William Tell, or the recent series What It Feels Like for a Girl.

Safia Oakley-Green plays Molly Gibson

Who is Molly Gibson? An energetic, capable new intelligence officer and one of Leamas’ most trusted deputies in the field.

Where have I seen Safia Oakley-Green before? The rising star has featured in Out of the Darkness and the historical thriller The Bluff.

Ariyon Bakare plays Cy Aflon

Who is Cy Aflon? A seasoned US intelligence operative who brings an American perspective and agenda into Smiley’s Cold War universe.

Where have I seen Ariyon Bakare before? Bakare is a familiar face on British television, with memorable roles as Lord Boreal in BBC’s His Dark Materials, as well as starring in Mr Loverman, Good Omens, and Carnival Row.

The East German Ensemble

Rounding out the extensive, shadowy Stasi apparatus are a trio of acclaimed international actors:

Volker Bruch (Babylon Berlin, Generation War) plays Emmanuel Rapp, a high-ranking Stasi official.
Saskia Rosendahl (Fabian: Going to the Dogs) plays Lotte Gamp, Doris’ highly protective and courageous sister.
Patrick Guldenberg (The Ibiza Affair) plays Dr Karl Riemeck, a principled doctor who finds himself dangerously pulled into the treacherous world of espionage.