Alexander Siddig Co-Stars in ‘The Spy’ with Sacha Baron Cohen {EXCLUSIVE}

Alexander Siddig has traded one shadowy world for another. After wrapping season 4 of Gotham, Siddig is now spending the summer in Morocco filming The Spy with Sacha Baron Cohen.

You may recognize Baron Cohen’s name from Da Ali G Show or Borat, two of his most famous comedic characters. But the actor has begun moving into dramatic roles with The Spy poised to be his breakout as a dramatic actor.

According to a press release from Netflix, the parent studio, this six-episode limited series tells the story of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen (Baron Cohen). Eli Cohen lived in Damascus undercover in the early 1960s, spying for Israel. He managed to embed himself into Syrian high society and rise through the ranks of their politics until he was uncovered by the Syrian regime, sentenced to death and publicly hanged in a Damascus square in 1965. Cohen is considered a national hero in Israel. His actions, connections and immense sacrifice have had lasting consequences, shaping the Middle East of today.

The series is written and directed by Gideon Raff who created the Israeli drama Prisoners of War, on which Showtime’s Homeland is based. He’s won a pair of Emmys for writing and producing Homeland.

Additional cast includes Noah Emmerich and Mourad Zaoui.

Netflix has not yet announced a release date for The Spy. With a strategy of releasing full seasons at once, and production running through the summer, expect an early 2019 release.