Endeavour's Shaun Evans lands new role in huge ITV drama as troubled MI5 agent
Shaun Evans, known for his roles in Endeavour, Vigil and Until I Kill You, has secured a new role in ITV's upcoming thriller, Betrayal. He will portray John Hughes, a spy who attempts to thwart "a serious and dark threat to national security while making sense of his own place in the world".
ITV has released some details about what viewers can anticipate from the new series. Shaun's character joined MI5 "during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil but now, he is in his mid 40s, married with two children and is struggling to adapt to the new MI5."
The plot summary continues: "On a hunch, John meets Ehsan, a British Iranian man with links to the Manchester gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil. Before he can share intel, Ehsan is executed by a lone gunman, and John impulsively kills the assassin in retaliation.
"This triggers a chain of events which puts John in direct collision with his superiors who are furious that he appears to have got involved in a Manchester gang turf war.
"John thinks there's more to it than that and starts digging into Ehsan's past. He knows he'll have to redeem himself if he's to save his career and reputation, all the while struggling with his own mental health after having killed a man," reports the Express.
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As the plot thickens in the upcoming series, viewers will witness John's struggle to salvage both his career and marriage amid challenges posed by Mehreen, an intelligence operative assigned to replace him on the Iran desk.
The synopsis reveals: "Their connection is electric, and John must wrestle with temptations his younger self would readily have surrendered to."
"Struggling with his own demons, his love for his family and his complicated loyalty to the institution he's been part of for over 20 years, John sets out to find the truth of the explosive security threat to the UK before it's too late."
Set against the backdrop of London and Manchester, filming for Betrayal is slated to commence in early 2025. Shaun expressed his enthusiasm about his new role, stating: "I'm delighted to be returning to ITV with this exceptionally well written and timely project."
"It's a great privilege to reunite with David Eldridge and bring to life his insightful take on the world of espionage. And it is of course a joy to be collaborating once again with the first-rate team at Mammoth Screen. I look forward to sharing it with ITV audiences soon."
Writer David Eldridge also shared his excitement: "I'm thrilled to be working with ITV and Mammoth Screen on Betrayal, an espionage drama rooted as much in the trials and betrayals of family life as in the bloody, dangerous business of spying."
"It's also a pleasure to be collaborating again with Shaun Evans for whom I have created the show's leading role out of favour intelligence officer John Hughes."