UNDERCOVER HERO
salesman From Greville turned Wynne, spy and the British hero, to the brave Russian mole he tapped for vital information, here are all the main players in The Courier – and how their intelligence work prevented nuclear fallout
THE UNSUSPECTING SPY IN OUR MIDST Greville Wynne
As a middle-aged businessman, Greville Wynne seems an unlikely candidate for an international super spy. But in the eyes of Western intelligence services, this made him the perfect candidate.
Brought to life by Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Wynne’s extraordinary bravery saw him travel to and from the
Soviet Union to meet the Russian mole Oleg Penkovsky, putting his life in danger to save the world. Thanks to him, the West was able to get crucial information that defused the Cuban Missile Crisis.
THE RUSSIAN MOLE
Oleg Penkovsky
Merab Ninidze plays Soviet intelligence officer Oleg Penkovsky, the prize mole who put his life on the line in order to prevent a war no one on earth would be able to return from.
As a senior Soviet, Penkovsky’s efforts to share clandestine information were as dangerous as sending a British civilian behind the Iron Curtain.
Perhaps it was this that caused him and Wynne to form such a close bond – one that caused Wynne to return to Moscow to extract his friend Penkovsky, despite the risks.
BRITAIN’S SECRET SERVICE
Greville Wynne put his life in danger to save the world
Dickie Franks
As far as Greville Wynne was concerned, his acquaintance Dickie Franks was a government employee loosely connected to the Ministry of Trade.
But on one fateful day in 1960, Wynne learned that there was more to his friend than met the eye.
Franks, played by Angus Wright, worked for MI6. After familiarising himself with Wynne’s work as an international salesman, he asked that in future this civilian concentrate his work in Moscow – a move that changed the course of history for the better.
THE TRUSTY ALLY
Emily Donovan
Emmy Award winner Rachel Brosnahan has one of the most intriguing roles in The Courier. Her character, a
CIA operative, is actually an amalgamation of a number of CIA agents who helped Wynne.
Spies such as Emily played a vital role in not only training Wynne, but keeping him safe while he was behind enemy lines, too.
But as a female character, she also makes for an interesting foil in a patriarchal setting. She must strive to prove herself more than her male counterparts would have done – and all to ensure Wynne, Penkovsky and the world stay out of harm’s way.