8 Great TV Performances

4. Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis brings depth, mystery, and complexity to Nicholas Brody, the American patriot turned terrorist on Showtime’s “Homeland.” While filming in the U.K., “ ‘Homeland’ dropped into my lap,” Lewis says, crediting his work as a mentally disturbed father in the film “Keane” as the catalyst for the offer. Michael Cuesta (who directed the pilot of “Homeland”) had seen Lewis in the indie and alerted “Homeland” executive producer Alex Gansa. “Everyone and his dog wanted to play this role, and I think there were lots of people who could have played it,” Lewis says. “I think in the end it was ‘Keane’ that got me the job.”

Continue reading on Backstage.com