Naman Shrestha
Inspired by true events and based on the eponymous bestseller novel by Ben Macintyre, MGM+’s ‘A Spy Among Friends’ is a British espionage thriller series created by Alex Cary. Set in 1960s England, the narrative follows an intelligence officer named Nicholas Elliott who works for MI6. His entire life turns upside down when he discovers that one of his close friends and colleague named Kim Philby is a double agent who had been working for the KGB.
Having his trust broken, Nicholas starts questioning his life choices as Kim defects to the Soviet Union. Starring Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, Karel Roden, Monika Gossmann, and Jennifer Marsala, most of the show unfolds in the setting of 1960s England as you can see the streets filled with vintage cars and shops decorated suitably, almost giving you the impression that you have been transported to that time period. If you are intrigued to find out where ‘A Spy Among Friends’ is filmed, allow us to fill you in on all the details!
A Spy Among Friends Filming Locations
‘A Spy Among Friends’ is filmed in England and Romania, specifically in London, Kent, and Bucharest. As per reports, principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the period drama series commenced in October 2021 and wrapped up in the spring of 2022. So, let’s navigate through all the specific locations where the spy series is taped!
London, England
Since most of the story takes place in London, be it in the 1960s, it is only natural for the production team of ‘A Spy Among Friends’ to utilize the locales of the capital of England for shooting the majority of the series. The London Boroughs of Camden and Richmond upon Thames serve as two of the key filming sites for the Damian Lewis starrer. Furthermore, Goodenough College on Mecklenburgh Square stands in for the exterior of The Courtauld Gallery in 1960s London. On the same square, the filming unit also sets up camp in and around one of the houses, which doubles as the residence of one of the protagonists.
Islington is another London borough that features in ‘A Spy Among Friends’ quite heavily, with the cast and crew shooting various scenes around St. James Church Gardens at 3 Sans Walk, Sekforde Street, and Clerkenwell Close. In addition, Etheldene Avenue in the London Borough of Haringey can be spotted in a few important portions of the show as well. The director and the rest of the crew lined the avenue with rain stands to capture the scene involving the lead actor walking down the road with a line of vintage cars.
Kent, England
For shooting purposes, the production team of ‘A Spy Among Friends’ also moves to Kent, located just southeast of London. They set up camp on the Anchor Wharf and HMS Cavalier at The Historic Dockyard Chatham at Main Gate Road in Chatham, which doubles as a Russian ship and dock.
Bucharest, Romania
Additional portions for ‘A Spy Among Friends’ are also taped in the capital of Romania, that is, Bucharest. The city seemingly stands in for different locations across the world in the espionage series, including Berlin, Beirut, Istanbul, Moscow, and Vienna. Given its similar architectural styles to many other European cities, it serves as the ideal production location for a series like ‘A Spy Among Friends.’
Heaviest building in the world. But second largest. What is it? Where is it…? What’s the largest….?
Your starter for 10. pic.twitter.com/JlV5BC1vqX— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) February 10, 2022
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