Acclaimed TV series ’Homeland’ features actor Merab Ninidze

Popular Georgian actor Merab Ninidze is featured in the current season of award-winning American television series Homeland alongside the star cast of the long-running show.

Recognised for roles in the British crime drama series McMafia and feature films Jupiter's Moon and My Happy Family, Ninidze has now been selected for the acclaimed spy drama.

Ninidze was first featured in Season Seven, Episode Nine of the drama series that aired on Sunday. The voice of Ninidze’s character — high-ranking Russian intelligence official Mirov — was heard on a phone call in the episode.

The actor is expected to have more prominent appearances in the coming three episodes of the ongoing season, to be screened throughout April.

Homeland stars Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer and Nicholas Brody, a US Marine Corps scout sniper, in principal roles.

Mathison believes that Brody, who recently returned to the US after held in captivity by al-Qaeda, now serves hostile interests and represents security threats to the country.

Airing since 2011, the series received six Emmy Awards as well as two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Drama Series.

Ninidze was cast in the Hong Kong International Film Festival-winning feature 'My Happy Family'. Photo: Merab Ninidze actor Facebook page.

Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, two actors playing the principal protagonists in the series, also claimed Best Actor and Best Actress Awards respectively at Golden Globe ceremonies.

Born in Tbilisi, Merab Ninidze has appeared in Soviet, Georgian and foreign films and television series since his debut in the Golden Globe-nominated 1984 drama Repentance by Tengiz Abuladze.

He collected the 2017 Batumi Art-House Film Festival Best Actor Award for his role in in Kornel Mundruczo’s latest feature Jupiter’s Moon and appeared in Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross' award-winning work My Happy Family.

Ninidze was also in cast in the 2017 Berlinale-premiered drama Hostages by director Rezo Gigineishvili and is also recognised for his role in the 2001 Academy Award-winning feature Nowhere in Africa.