Sacha Baron Cohen, the actor and comedian best known for his outrageous comic characters like Ali G and Borat, is taking a serious turn for Netflix.
Baron Cohen will star in The Spy, a six-part limited series about the life of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will be Cohen's first starring TV role since Da Ali G Show, his HBO series that ended in 2004.
Eli Cohen went deep undercover in Damascus, Syria in the '60s, and insinuated himself into Syrian political high society. Posing as a military and political adviser, he would host wild parties at his home, during which he would listen closely to high-ranking Syrian officials and businessmen as they gossiped. He was -- spoiler alert -- eventually discovered and executed. But his work shaped the modern Middle East and he is regarded as a hero in Israel.
Baron Cohen previously spoofed the spy genre in his last movie The Brothers Grimsby, which was a box office failure. Hopefully his more straightforward take on the genre will fare better.
The Spy will be written and directed by Homeland executive producer Gideon Raff.
No premiere date has yet been set.
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