'James Bond: Spectre' Actor Ben Whishaw Leads 'London Spy,' BBC 2 Espionage Premiere Date!

Still largely unknown by name to American audiences, you likely know Ben Whishaw as the openly-gay actor, who plays tech-master Q in the latest Daniel Craig incarnation of the James Bond series, Spectre. Now, Whishaw is stepping out from the laboratory and into the spy role with the espionage thriller London Spy, a new miniseries from BBC Two.

The series will be aired in five hour-long installments and features Whishaw as Danny, a young party-going man whose lover, a Secret Intelligence Service agent, winds up dead. This sets into action a chain of events that thrusts Danny directly into the world of British espionage and intrigue.

"I liked the character very much, I was intrigued by him," Whishaw said at a BAFTA screening of the show, as reported by BT. "I was very gripped by the story, I had absolutely no idea of the world I was in and I didn't know what would happen from one moment to the next. It was perplexing, and beautiful, and it struck me as soon as I read it."

Also set to star are screen veterans Charlotte Rampling and Jim Broadbent. Fresh face Edward Holcroft will play the titular deceased spy.

Creator Tom Rob Smith is best known as the author of the Child 44 series of novels, the first of which adapted this year into a thriller starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo's Noomi Rapace.

"It's testament to Tom's wonderful scripts, that they have attracted such an incredible cast," said BBC Head of Independent Drama Polly Hill in a press release. "Together with Jakob directing, this is an exciting team which promises to make London Spy an unmissable drama for BBC Two."

While London Spy has been confirmed for a Nov. 9 premiere date on BBC Two in the United Kingdom, no US release date has been announced. Production partner BBC America has announced it will broadcast the miniseries later this year.