According to Deadline, Academy Award nominee Frank Langella has joined the FX Cold War drama The Americans. He’s landed a recurring role as Gabriel, the former KGB handler of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, respectively).
Gabriel is forced to come out of retirement in the upcoming third season now that Claudia (Margo Martindale) has had a falling out with her two former spies.
Claudia will likely still factor into the series, though executive producer Joel Fields says that they “don’t have it in a script yet. Claudia is secretive and unpredictable!”
Fields and co-producer Joe Weisberg issued the following statement regarding Langella’s casting:
“We’ve been huge fans of Frank’s work for a long time, and it’s been such a pleasure getting to know Frank himself in the beginning stages of working together on the character of Gabriel. We look forward to a great season together, and to what we’re sure will be a phenomenal creative collaboration.”
The Americans returns to FX for its third season in January 2015.
