EXCLUSIVE: Lena Góra has joined the cast of the four-hour TNT miniseries Debriefing The President as the co-lead opposite Joel Kinnaman. She has taken on the role of Polly Stevens, the female lead on the project currently shooting in Cairo, sources tell Deadline.
Polly is a colleague of Kinnaman’s real-life CIA analyst John Nixon, whose book of the same name inspired the series. Rhona Mitra was originally attached to play Polly, but has since departed the series for unknown reasons.
Debriefing the President is a limited series that tells the story of CIA analyst John Nixon (Kinnaman), who became the first American to positively identify and interrogate Saddam Hussein following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The series delves into Nixon’s personal journey as he grapples with the complexities of his mission (2003-2006). Through his interactions with Saddam, Nixon gains a deeper understanding of the Iraqi dictator, the potential consequences of the invasion, and the humanitarian and geopolitical turmoil that would ensue.
Set to premiere later this year, the show marks TNT’s first scripted series greenlight since the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger of 2022, and comes as part of the network’s renewed focus on premium event programming. It’s directed by Krzysztof Skonieczny and exec produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Kinnaman, Stuart Manashil, Michael Kupisk, Peter Gerwe, Shelley Browning, and Leslie Greif. Cristi Bostanescu and Eric Tomosunas serve as producers.
Debriefing the President explores themes of truth, justice, the weight of history, and the personal and professional sacrifices made in the pursuit of national security.
Góra’s new gig arrives following the success of her new MAX suspense thriller series, The Eastern Gate. Since its premiere, it has set several records for its streamer. As we reported in March, Season 1 has ranked as the second-most watched scripted title in Europe this year, trailing only The White Lotus Season 3, and attracted the largest audience for an EMEA original since Max’s launch in June last year, as part of the streamer’s ongoing global rollout. The show was renewed for a second season
Góra recently co-wrote, produced, and acted in the film Roving Woman, directed by Michal Chmielewski and executive produced by Wim Wenders. She also co-wrote and starred in the film Imago, which screened at Cannes. For her performance, she garnered a Best Actress win at the Gdynia Film Festival (Poland’s version of Cannes). Next up is the project Erupcja alongside Charli XCX, produced by Jeremy O. Harris.
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