The Diplomat: Netflix release date, trailer, and cast with Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, and Rory Kinnear

Keri Russell stars in The Diplomat, Netflix's new political thriller from a writer of The West Wing and Homeland
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The Diplomat, a new political thriller, is coming to Netflix this April. Keri Russell stars as Kate Wyler, a career diplomat suddenly thrown into an ambassadorial role in London – one that’s much more ceremonial than she’s used to.

The series, which comes from former Homeland and The West Wing writer Debora Cahn, follows Wyler as she adjusts to the demands of the job in London, navigating an increasingly complex personal and professional life against the backdrop of the unexplained bombing of a British naval cruiser at sea.

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Here’s everything you need to know about The Diplomat before it arrives on Netflix this April.

What is it about?

The official Netflix synopsis explains that The Diplomat begins “amid an international crisis, where a career diplomat juggles her new high-profile job as ambassador to the United Kingdom and her turbulent marriage to a political star.”

Who stars in The Diplomat?

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford in The Diplomat (Credit: Alex Bailey/Netflix)Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford in The Diplomat (Credit: Alex Bailey/Netflix)
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Ato Essandoh as Stuart Heyford in The Diplomat (Credit: Alex Bailey/Netflix)

Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, a career diplomat thrown unexpectedly into a world of pomp and circumstance in London. Russell is best known as Claire Jennings in The Americans, but you might also recognise her as Felicity from JJ Abrams’ Felicity. She’s also starred in Extrapolations, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Cocaine Bear.

Rufus Sewell plays Kate’s husband Hal Wyler, himself a former diplomat adjusting to a loss of influence. The Diplomat is Sewell’s second big Netflix series of the year – you might remember him from Kaleidoscope back in January – but he’s also appeared in films like A Knight’s Tale, The Father, and Old. 

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They’re joined by Ato Essandoh (Altered Carbon) as chief of staff Stuart Heyford, Rory Kinnear (Years and Years) as UK Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge, Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as a Dominic Cummings-esque political operative, and David Gyasi (Carnival Row) as the UK Foreign Secretary among others. 

Who writes and directs the series?

Debora Cahn created The Diplomat and acts as showrunner. Cahn has previously worked on series like espionage drama Homeland, musical biopic Fosse/Verdon, and medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, but perhaps her most relevant former credit is The West Wing. Cahn wrote 15 episodes of The West Wing, including Series 5 episode The Supremes (in which Glenn Close plays a nominee to the Supreme Court).

Simon Cellan Jones directs the first two episodes of The Diplomat. Cellan Jones is best known for his work on Our Friends in the North, See, and Some Voices. The remaining episodes of the series were directed by Andrew Bernstein (Foundation), Liza Johnson (Room 104), and Alex Graves (The West Wing). 

Is there a trailer for The Diplomat?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When is The Diplomat being released?

The Diplomat will arrive on Netflix on Thursday 20 April, with all eight episodes being made available to stream at once as part of a boxset. You can sign up for Netflix right here.

How many episodes is The Diplomat?

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The Diplomat is an eight-part drama, with each episode running to somewhere between 50 and 60 minutes.

Does it have anything to do with The Diplomat on Alibi?

Confusingly enough, Netflix’s The Diplomat is actually the second series of the same name to arrive this year. It follows on the heels of Alibi’s The Diplomat – a six-part crime drama from the producers of Line of Duty, set in the British consulate in Barcelona and starring Sophie Rundle and Serena Manteghi – but there’s no relation between the two series. How does each compare to the other? Well, that's a different question.

Is The Diplomat any good?

Yes, it is! We discussed it on a recent episode of our Screen Babble podcast, and gave it a very enthusiastic review there.

Why should I watch The Diplomat?

It’s one to check out if you’re a fan of political dramas (particularly those that series creator Debora Cahn worked on, like The West Wing or Homeland). You might also want to give it a look if you’re a fan of Keri Russell.

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