Manhattan Co-Stars Harry Lloyd and Olivia Williams Star in ‘Counterpart’

Harry Lloyd
Harry Lloyd (Photo Courtesy of Starz)

Starz confirmed Harry Lloyd and Olivia Williams will star in the spy thriller, Counterpart. Williams and Lloyd join JK Simmons who was previously announced in a starring role in the series created by Justin Marks (The Jungle Book). Marks wrote Counterpart and Oscar nominee Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) is attached to direct the series’ first episode. Starz has given the drama series a two-season order of 10 episodes each.

Counterpart is produced by MRC, Anonymous Content, and Gilbert Films and has Tyldum, Marks, Jordan Horowitz, Keith Redmon, Bard Dorros, and Gary Gilbert executive producing.

In addition to Manhattan, Lloyd’s credits include Wolf Hall, The Theory of Everything, The Fear, Jane Eyre, and Robin Hood. Game of Thrones fans will never forget Lloyd’s performance as Viserys Targaryen. Viserys was killed off in season one episode six titled ‘A Golden Crown’ when Khal Drogo (played by Jason Momoa) poured boiling hot liquid gold over his head.

Williams’ resume includes roles in Rushmore, Maps to the Stars, The Sixth Sense, Seventh Son, and Dollhouse.

The Plot: Counterpart is the story of Howard Silk (Simmons), a lowly cog in a bureaucratic agency, who discovers that the agency he works for is really guarding a crossing into a parallel dimension. Through Howard and his “Counterpart” on the other side, the show will navigate themes of identity, what ifs and lost love. Williams will play the role of Emily Burton Silk, Howard’s wife, a mysterious woman whose secrets become the centerpiece of the first season’s story. Lloyd is cast in the role of Peter Quayle, an upper-crust director at Howard’s agency, whose carefully calibrated career slowly begins to unravel as he sinks deeper into the world of espionage and double lives.