‘Downton Abbey’ Alum Allen Leech Joins Sophia Bush’s ‘Surveillance’
Sophia Bush has found her character’s partner in crime (and life!) for the upcoming CBS spy drama Surveillance. Allen Leech, who played Tom Branson on Downton Abbey, has officially joined the 2019 series, which was handed a production commitment from the network earlier this year.
Surveillance is a “complex and timely spy thriller centered around a woman named Maddy (Bush), the head of communications for the NSA. She’s a charming operative who finds her loyalties torn between protecting the government’s secrets and her own.” According to Deadline, Leech will be playing “Mike, Maddy’s husband and an accomplished former CIA operative.”
The series was created by The Passage’s Matt Reeves and written by Sons of Liberty’s David C. White. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan director Patricia Riggen will step behind the camera for the series as well. It’s important to note that Surveillance was only given a production commitment, meaning that CBS could back out and pay a fine. The cast, which also includes Stranger Things’ Matthew Modine, has already begun shooting the pilot and based on Sophia Bush’s enthusiasm, we’d be surprised if the series doesn’t get picked up.
[row]“This what I’ve been up to this year, fam. Developing this project. Getting this character that feels like she already lives in my bones ready for you. I am so excited to finally be able to share this “blockbuster commitment” with all of you!! #HereWeGo #Surveillance,” the actress said in a tweet.[/row]
Leech is currently in theaters in the record-breaking musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody where he plays Paul Prenter, Freddy Mercury’s personal manager. He will soon be reprising his role as Branson for the upcoming Downton Abbey follow-up film. Other credits include The Imitation Game, Rome, Black Mirror and Bellevue.
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.
