Joel Kinnaman's New CIA Thriller Series Has A Vital Message For The World

Published Oct 2, 2026, 12:43 PM EDT Joel Kinnaman hopes his new political thriller, High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam, will resonate with viewers long after the finale airs on October 4. Created by Daniel Stiepleman and Jonathan Wakeham, TNT's limited series follows CIA Agent John Nixon as he and the U.S. military capture and interrogate Saddam Hussein (Waleed Zuaiter). The attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 is still fresh in the nation's memory, but High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam offers what Screen Rant's Guy Howie calls a "refreshingly nuanced" perspective on the tragic events and central figures surrounding them. With one episode left to go, John finds himself ostracized in Washington circles as he opposes the order to execute Saddam Hussein. His take on the man and situation, much like the show's, is much more nuanced. ScreenRant's Ash Crossan interviewed Kinnaman prior to the release of High Value Target's final episode, discussing the heavy weight of portraying recent, real events onscreen, and the message he hopes viewers take away from the series as a whole. The actor also discussed his new Prime Video series Bishop and his take on the upcoming RoboCop reboot. How Joel Kinnaman Stepped Into John Nixon's Life For High Value Target ScreenRant: When you were diving into research for this series, what's something you absolutely could not believe was true that ended up being true? Joel Kinnaman: It wasn't so much that I was incredulous, but there was stuff that shocked me in the script and in John's book. Actually, it's in the show too: Saddam's reaction to 9/11. He was relieved when that happened, that finally America would see that they have a common enemy in these Wahhabi extremists. And who could have guessed that the narrative in the US would be that he was actually behind it, and then that was the impetus for invading. But it was also his reaction to the question of, "Why didn't you cooperate more?" Because he did cooperate to some degree, but why didn't he cooperate without a shadow of a doubt with the IAEA atomic inspectors? He was just saying that, "If I had proven without a shadow of a doubt that I didn't have any weapons, as soon as the inspectors left and the American gaze went somewhere else, then Iran would just invade. I have enemies all around. I had to try to thread the needle of making someone believe that I actually had teeth." And from his perspective, you totally understand that. That makes sense. In general, Saddam's whole story is very fascinating. It's a pretty incredible story, how he rose to power from where he came from, like how maybe he actually had CIA training at some point in Cairo where we were shooting. ScreenRant: When you're playing a real person, what's the most intimidating or challenging part of stepping into their lives and taking on this timeframe of history? Joel Kinnaman: John's not really a public person, so I'm not competing with public perception of who he is and how he's talking or anything like that. So, it is a little bit of free rein when it comes to what qualities I want to pick up from him. It's not like an impersonation assignment; it's more about finding the essence of him. I spent a lot of time talking to him, and I actually found that talking to him about relationships, and his relationship to his wife, was what really made me understand him and see who he was. Regardless of what character you're playing, you have to find love for your character, and that's really where I found love for John. I felt that the way he was devoted to his wife through her difficulties says a lot about his character and who he is. ScreenRant: What do you hope viewers feel after watching the finale of the series? Joel Kinnaman: I hope they feel satisfied that they got to watch something that shifted their perspective on a big, seminal American event. I found John's journey, his stance, and how he conducted himself, very courageous. And I felt a lot of gratitude for him because he brought his perspective to light so that we can – at some point, whenever we're ready – learn from a couple of the mistakes of the past. That'd be nice. We're clearly not doing it right now, but sometime, whenever we're ready, we can start learning from our mistakes. ScreenRant: You're also working on a new series, Bishop, with such an exciting cast. What excites you most about that project? Joel Kinnaman: I just came from shooting two scenes with my incredible father in the show, John Malkovich, who's just like the GOAT. And then Jennifer Jason Leigh is playing my aunt. So it's one beautifully fucked-up little family. And then Ulrich Thomsen, the Danish giant, is in it as well. And it's a really, really fun cast. And yeah, it's going very well. We're very excited. Actually, I have two days left. ScreenRant: Speaking of Prime Video shows, how do you feel about Dan Stevens taking on RocoCop? Joel Kinnaman: Oh, I love Dan Stevens. He's such a great actor. I thought that show that he did, Legion, was incredible. So he's perfect. I can't wait to see what he does with it. High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam's finale airs October 4 at 9pm ET/PT on TNT. Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network TNT Directors Krzysztof Skonieczny Cast