The Sympathizer TV Series Poster

The Sympathizer

TV-MA
English
April 14, 2024
1hr
Season: 1
Episodes: 7
Status: released

Trailer, Teaser & Videos

The Sympathizer TV Series Details:

Based onThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Country United States
Canada
Language English
GenreBlack comedy
Historical drama
Spy thriller
War drama
Season1
Episodes7
Release dateApril 14, 2024 â€“ present
Running time1hr
Age ratingTV-MA
StarringHoa Xuande
Robert Downey Jr.
Toan Le
Fred Nguyen Khan
Duy Nguyá»…n
Vy Le
Ky Duyen
Phanxinê
Kieu Chinh
Alan Trong
Sandra Oh
Created byPark Chan-wook
Don McKellar
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Fernando Meirelles
Marc Munden
Written byDon McKellar
Park Chan-wook
Anchuli Felicia King
Maegan Houang
Naomi Iizuka
Produced byInman Young
Jes Anderson
Ted Pacult
Executive producersPark Chan-wook
Don McKellar
Robert Downey Jr.
Susan Downey
Amanda Burrell
Niv Fichman
Kim Ly
Ron Schmidt
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Jisun Beck
John Sloss
Ravi Nandan
Hallie Sekoff
Cinematography by Kim Ji-yong
Barry Ackroyd
Edited by Jin Lee
Vikash Patel
Music byCho Young-wuk
Casting ByJennifer Venditti
Production Design byDonald Graham Burt
Alec Hammond
Production locationsUnited States
Thailand
Production CompanyTeam Downey
Rhombus Media
Cinetic Media
Moho Film
A24
Distributor HBO

The Sympathizer TV Series Cast & Character:

  • Hoa Xuande as the Captain, a police captain in Saigon who is secretly a communist spy for the North
  • Robert Downey Jr. in several antagonist roles including (in order of appearance):
    • Claude, a CIA agent who mentors the Captain
    • Professor Hammer, the Captain’s Orientalist grad school professor
    • Niko, an auteur filmmaker making a film on the Vietnam War, based on Francis Ford Coppola
    • Ned Godwin, a Congressman in Southern California trying to appeal to the local Vietnamese American population
  • Toan Le as the General, a high-ranking Southern Vietnamese general that the Captain serves under
  • Fred Nguyen Khan as Bốn, the Captain’s childhood best friend
  • Duy Nguyá»…n as Mẫn, the Captain’s other childhood friend and his handler
  • Vy Le as Lana, the General’s daughter and the Captain’s love interest
  • Ky Duyen as Madame, the General’s wife
  • Phanxinê as the Major
  • Kieu Chinh as the Major’s Mother
  • Alan Trong as Sonny, a Vietnamese American reporter and the Captain’s former college rival
  • Sandra Oh as Ms. Sofia Mori, a middle-aged Japanese American secretary who develops a sexual relationship with the Captain
  • VyVy Nguyen as the Major’s wife
  • Kayli Tran as the Communist Spy
  • Scott Ly as Gunner Dao
  • David Duchovny
  • John Cho
  • Marine Delterme

Storyline:

The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life.

About The Sympathizer TV Series:

The Sympathizer is a historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The series was created by co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with Park directing for the series as well.

In April 2021, Viet Thanh Nguyen announced that his novel The Sympathizer had been optioned by A24 to be adapted into a television series with Park Chan-wook directing. Rhombus Media is also involved in the production.

In July, HBO ordered the series from A24, and Robert Downey Jr. joined the project in a producer and co-star role. The state of California awarded the production over $17.4 million in tax credits ensuring significant production would take place in state. Marc Munden and Fernando Meirelles were also hired to direct some episodes of the series.

Casting director Jennifer Venditti opened a worldwide casting call in order to find a main cast of Vietnamese descent, ultimately hiring Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, and Alan Trong. Recurring roles for Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen were also announced in November 2022, and Downey was portraying several supporting antagonistic roles representing the American establishment. In May 2023, Scott Ly and Marine Delterme joined the cast, in recurring roles.

Filming took place in Los Angeles and Thailand. Downey shaved his head for the series in order to save time required to use a bald cap for each of the various characters he portrayed. A significant portion of Downey’s performance was also improvised.

The series premiered on HBO and became available to stream on Max on April 14, 2024.

The Sympathizer TV Series Episodes List:

No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal air date
1“Death Wish”Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wook and Don McKellarApril 14, 2024
2“Good Little Asian”Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wook & Don McKellar and Naomi IizukaApril 21, 2024
3“Love It or Leave It”Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wook & Don McKellar and Mark RichardApril 28, 2024
4“Give Us Some Good Lines”Fernando MeirellesPark Chan-wook & Don McKellarMay 5, 2024
5“All for One”Marc MundenPark Chan-wook & Don McKellar and Maegan HouangMay 12, 2024
6“The Oriental Mode of Destruction”Marc MundenPark Chan-wook & Don McKellar and Anchuli Felicia KingMay 19, 2024
7“Endings Are Hard, Aren’t They?”Marc MundenPark Chan-wook & Don McKellarMay 26, 2024

Where to Watch The Sympathizer (Stream)

Max
stream

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