Netflix released the first look at Sacha Baron Cohen's dramatic TV turn.


The Spy sees the Emmy-nominated Who Is America? star and comedian traveling back to the 1960s to play Israeli clerk-turned-secret agent Eli Cohen as he goes deep undercover inside Syria on a perilous, years-long mission to spy for Mossad. Written and directed by Gideon Raff, the real-life spy thriller is based on true events. The six-episode limited series releases Sept. 6.


Eli Cohen is described as a man who wants nothing more than to be of service to his country, but he does his job so well that he finds it hard to strip off his double identity. The trailer sees him struggling with the divide as he grows more distant when he is able to return home: "Taking off the clothes, it doesn't work anymore. I can't put him away."


While living in Damascus, Eli became close enough to ambitious military leaders and their wealthy friends to earn a game-changing level of trust and information about Syria's secret anti-Israel activities.


Noah Emmerich (The Americans) plays Dan Peleg, Eli’s Mossad handler who tries to ease his own guilt over the sacrifices Eli makes, Hadar Ratzon Rotem (Homeland) portrays Eli’s wife, Nadia, who is left to raise their family on her own and knows something isn’t right about her husband’s government job. And Waleed Zuaiter (Colony) plays Amin Al-Hafez, a military officer who thinks he’s found the perfect ally in the undercover Cohen.


The Spy is written and directed by Emmy-winner Raff (Prisoners of War, Homeland and Tyrant), who co-wrote three of the series' six episodes with Max Perry. The series is produced by Alain Goldman (La Vie en Rose) and Légende Films.