Simu Liu steps into the role of Alexander Hale in the new Peacock series, The Copenhagen Test, a tense narrative where his character confronts the reality of mind-hacking technology. The drama, set to premiere all eight episodes of its first season on December 27, immerses viewers in a world where intelligence agencies face unprecedented internal threats, making “Simu Liu The Copenhagen Test” a critical topic for genre fans and those intrigued by cyber-espionage.
Simu Liu Embodies Paranoia and Precision as a Spy
Throughout the day, Simu Liu fully embraces the cautious demeanor of a spy while shooting for The Copenhagen Test. Adopting both the visible and emotional traits of a character living under constant surveillance, he carefully crafts movements and choices to reflect the heightened paranoia unique to someone who never feels truly safe.
What a spy never does is stand around for no reason,
Simu Liu, Actor
He’s got to walk off, because he’s got places to be. He’s got an assignment. He’s got to go.
Simu Liu, Actor
His dedication to realism, even at the expense of his time on camera, was apparent to those on set. Review of the footage later confirmed that these decisions enhanced the story’s tension and authenticity.
I like to show up prepared,
Simu Liu, Actor
It’s not lost on me how rare it is for someone like me to be given even a hypothetical opportunity to be the lead of something. So whenever there’s a chance, I want people to know I’ve been intentional with the material.
Simu Liu, Actor
The Complex World of The Copenhagen Test: Science Fiction Meets Spy Drama
The Copenhagen Test stands out for its blend of genres, merging classic British espionage influences, speculative technological threats, and meta-narratives about surveillance and performance. In this reality, hacking has evolved beyond computers and smartphones—now, even the human brain is vulnerable.
Simu Liu’s character, Alexander Hale, is a mid-level intelligence operative who becomes the subject of a technological invasion: nanites are embedded in his body, allowing an enemy to access his perceptions and relay sensitive intelligence. Alexander is soon pushed into fieldwork by his superior, played by Brian d’Arcy James, in a desperate attempt to trace and eliminate the source of the hack. With both friends and adversaries now potential threats, Alexander navigates a world in which trust is a liability and deception is survival.
It creates a lot of really juicy layers that’ll hopefully make the audience lean in. Where they’re like, ‘Okay, I see that he’s looking at this… but is he looking at this because he’s looking at it, or is he looking at it because he wants [the enemy] to see that he’s looking at it?’
Simu Liu, Actor
Alexander’s journey is as much about manipulating perceptions as it is about combating external threats.
He’s an elite actor, but he’s also a director because he’s literally controlling the camera and being a storyteller.
Simu Liu, Actor
Origins and Inspirations: How The Copenhagen Test Came to Be
Thomas Brandon, the series creator, initiated the project in 2017, inspired both by contemporary real-world events and by his affection for espionage and science fiction. His concept arose from observing intelligence community reactions to high-profile government breaches, leading him to contemplate who defends the integrity of nations from within.
I was watching what I thought was the only Trump term,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
There was this moment where he gave away classified information to Russian ambassadors, and you could see the shock waves go through the intelligence community. It made me think, What if there really were a ‘deep state’ — but not in the conspiratorial sense? What if there were a group of incredibly boring bureaucrats who actually believed in the ideals of what this country could be, quietly trying to hold things together?
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Brandon sought to blend his influences from the works of John le Carré and cutting-edge medical research, arriving at a story set only slightly in the future—but with believable technology.
I started wondering what ‘five minutes in the future’ looks like,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Right now, I worry about my laptop being hacked. Next would be your eyes and ears. Then I found out that this kind of technology — neural dust — already exists in medical research.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Grounding speculative ideas with personal stakes became Brandon’s central goal.
The most interesting character to explore through this lens is someone who is a first-generation American whose family history would ‘raise questions’ in a way that my family history never would,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
There would be this extra burden of proving your loyalty and your allegiance to this country. And I think that’s where the real thematic juice — what this says about this character and who we are as citizens in our own country — came from.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
First-Generation Identity at the Heart of the Story
The idea of cultural identity and the challenge of belonging play significant roles in the show’s narrative. Jennifer Yale, joining as co-showrunner, resonated with the theme of not fully belonging, offering creative and personal insights to the writers’ room.
It was always an underdog story,
Jennifer Yale, Co-Showrunner
As someone who’s half Asian, I connected to that first-generation feeling of not knowing where you belong. How much do you give to a country that doesn’t necessarily accept you as one of its own?
Jennifer Yale, Co-Showrunner
Executive producer James Wan identified Simu Liu as the ideal actor to bring this depth to the character, well before Liu’s rise as a Marvel star.
This was before Shang-Chi had come out. Simu was in Australia doing reshoots for it and we Zoomed,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
There was something about how good a listener he was. I thought, Okay, this guy can do more than action. He got the material.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Simu Liu on Transitioning from Superhero to Spy
Simu Liu came to the project during the pandemic, reflecting on his growth from his days in Toronto to his leading role in a major Marvel film. Despite lacking Hollywood experience at the time, Liu was immediately drawn to the script’s focus on the burdens facing a Chinese American analyst embedded in the deepest layers of American secrecy.
I had gone straight from being a kid living in Toronto to filming this big Marvel movie across the world. I’d never even been to Hollywood. But suddenly, I was taking things they told me were called ‘general meetings,’
Simu Liu, Actor
Nobody had told me what an ‘attachment’ was. I didn’t have any of that background knowledge. But this script got sent through — a really intimate look at how it would be if someone like me worked at the CIA, meaning someone who was born in China. I mean, let’s not mince words: There’s always been political tension between China and the U.S. So what does it mean for [Alexander, a first-generation Chinese American] to be an analyst and safeguarding some of America’s highest level of secrets? What barriers must he deal with? What kind of loyalty tests does he face?
Simu Liu, Actor
Testing Loyalty: The Show’s Defining Moral Dilemma
The series begins with the titular Copenhagen Test, a defining sequence in which Alexander must make a life-or-death choice while on assignment in Belarus. The situation—where he is told by an unseen voice that there is only room to save one person in a helicopter, and he must prioritize an American—sets the stage for recurring themes of loyalty and moral ambiguity. The outcome of Alexander’s decision looms over his present as he works for the Orphanage, a shadowy agency within U.S. intelligence tasked with internal oversight.
Simu Liu worked closely with the show’s writers to accurately depict Alexander’s struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, ensuring a reasoned and realistic portrayal.
I was really hard on them about the panic attacks,
Simu Liu, Actor
You can’t just throw one in when it’s convenient for the story. Panic doesn’t happen after a fight — it hits in the quiet moments, when the pillars of your reality start to shake.
Simu Liu, Actor
Simu Liu’s Influence Behind the Scenes
As both leading man and executive producer, Liu contributed more than just his on-screen presence. Thomas Brandon credits Liu with reshaping the character’s essence, shifting Alexander from a stern and withdrawn figure to a more charismatic and relatable protagonist.
He also brought this lightness, this charm that hadn’t been there before,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Originally, Alexander was dour, brooding. But Simu’s natural effervescence gave us someone you want to root for, even as he’s walking down a thousand hallways broodingly.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Jennifer Yale reveals that Liu was directly involved with the writers during the early weeks, actively shaping character relationships and contributing creatively far beyond the responsibilities of a typical executive producer.
Simu actually joined our writers’ room for the first two weeks,
Jennifer Yale, Co-Showrunner
He loves the creative process. He wasn’t just an executive producer in name. He’d focus on relationships between other characters, not just his own. He was so thoughtful about the story as a whole.
Jennifer Yale, Co-Showrunner
A Multidimensional Cast Drives the Narrative
Melissa Barrera plays Michelle—also known as Natalie—a covert operative who becomes entangled with Alexander. Her role requires rapid adoption of new identities, blurring lines between truth and lies. Barrera explains her fascination with spy stories and her childhood obsession with Alias, bringing excitement and authenticity to her character’s journey.
I grew up on spy shows,
Melissa Barrera, Actor
Alias was my obsession. In school, I’d take a pen and write the symbol that they had on [my arm]. I was Googling how to become a spy, how to get recruited by the CIA. It was that level of obsession.
Melissa Barrera, Actor
I was at a point in my life where I needed to have fun,
Melissa Barrera, Actor
Action, Authenticity, and Chemistry: Building the Show’s World
Barrera’s commitment extended to demanding fight sequences, choreographed by Chris and James Mark—YouTube parkour stars from Toronto who influenced Liu’s own athletic background.
She’s such a badass,
Simu Liu, Actor
I actually grew up idolizing them as a 14-year-old kid. They were these OG YouTube stars doing parkour all over the city,
Simu Liu, Actor
It was watching those videos that made me want to go out and learn gymnastics and back flips and things like that.
Simu Liu, Actor
Learning choreography came naturally to Liu, but Barrera made sure she could match him scene for scene, striving for both believability and inspiration from cinematic icons.
I’d drill the routine for weeks and Simu would show up and be like, ‘Oh, let me try to remember it really quick’ and then do it perfectly,
Melissa Barrera, Actor
I think it was in one of the Mission: Impossible movies that he has this really cool elbow sequence,
Melissa Barrera, Actor
And I was like, ‘That’s Michelle’s style.’ I wanted to get really specific, so we dug into where she would have been trained. General audiences might not pick up on it, but people who know fighting, I hope they clock the small things that we added in as we established her fighting language.
Melissa Barrera, Actor
Yet, the emotional complexity of the show is as crucial as the physical action, with romance and trust issues subtly woven throughout Alexander and Michelle’s relationship.
The audience has to believe something real is happening between them,
Melissa Barrera, Actor
Even if she’s lying, there are these moments of honesty where you want to believe she likes him. Honestly, I don’t even know how much of it is real.
Melissa Barrera, Actor
Liu adds that the dynamic mirrors reality show relationships, where authenticity and performance overlap.
They know people are watching, they’re performing, but maybe there’s something genuine underneath. That duality is what makes it interesting.
Simu Liu, Actor
Tracking the Spy: Parker’s Role and the Power Dynamic
Sinclair Daniel portrays Parker, a junior analyst drawn into the heart of the operation after demonstrating rare insight into Alexander’s hacking situation. Spending most of her time in a control room, Parker develops a profound if distanced connection to Alexander, having to anticipate his every move from afar.
It’s funny, because her most important relationship is with someone she doesn’t meet,
Sinclair Daniel, Actor
Some days I’d be staring at a gray screen for hours, pretending I could see him. It got lonely, but also kind of perfect for the role,
Sinclair Daniel, Actor
Parker’s involvement shapes Alexander’s reality at every level.
someone must know Alexander completely, intimately, inside and out,
Simu Liu, Actor
Everything that Michelle is saying and everything that is placed in his life, Parker is the architect of all of that.
Simu Liu, Actor
Barrera comments on the unique triangle formed among Alexander, Parker, and Michelle, noting the shift in scripting to bring the two women together for in-person scenes due to the electric dynamic between the actors.
They realized our dynamic was so electric that they changed some phone calls into in-person scenes,
Sinclair Daniel, Actor
It became this odd-couple friendship: two women who wouldn’t normally connect, but somehow do.
Sinclair Daniel, Actor
Twists, Tensions, and Complicated Loyalties in the Orphanage
With layered relationships and unclear allegiances, The Copenhagen Test thrives on ambiguity. Series creator Brandon emphasized that even the most suspicious characters are written with truthful motivations.
We worked hard not to cheat,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
You can’t just have someone deliver a line ominously and then reveal they’re the good guy later. We always asked, ‘What’s true for this character right now?’
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Among the supporting cast, Mark O’Brien brings Cobb—a skeptical analyst—to life, challenging Alexander’s loyalties and putting further pressure on the protagonist.
This show taps into that. Cobb might seem like an antagonist, but really, he’s just telling the truth — and Alexander knows it. That’s what makes it tense.
Mark O’Brien, Actor
Brian d’Arcy James portrays Moira, the director of the Orphanage, providing pragmatic leadership while constantly questioning trust within the organization.
These people make morally questionable choices for what they believe is the greater good. It’s fascinating to step into that mindset,
Brian d’Arcy James, Actor
And it was really satisfying to get to go toe-to-toe with Simu’s character — who is arguably the coolest person you’ve ever seen on television — and get to be in this situation when we concoct our plans to really be playing a cat and mouse game. We’re both on the razor’s edge of trying to figure out How much can I trust you?
Brian d’Arcy James, Actor
Kathleen Chalfant rounds out the leadership team as St. George, the enigmatic authority figure whose quiet presence and visual symbolism provide a mysterious contrast to the rest.
It’s an interesting character to play because she doesn’t talk very much. There’s a thin line between subtlety and doing nothing at all…. You hope you’re always on the side of subtlety,
Kathleen Chalfant, Actor
Almost everyone else wears dark colors, and she’s always in white. It says something: that she’s both mysterious and wants you to see that she’s there.
Kathleen Chalfant, Actor
Visual Style: Timelessness Meets Realism
Director Thomas Brandon and co-showrunner Jennifer Yale aimed for a visual style that is both classic and forward-looking.
The enemy can see through his eyes and hear through his ears,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
but they can’t see his face. We wanted the audience to have that private window into his real thoughts.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
We always said it’s a period piece, just for a period that hasn’t happened yet. We’d tell every department: Give us something new and digital, but also something old and tactile,
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
there’s nostalgia baked into spy stories. You feel like you’re watching something classic, but we’re doing it in a way you haven’t seen before. We mixed the ’70s wood-paneled warmth with colder, brutalist modern spaces.
Jennifer Yale, Co-Showrunner
Production Challenges: Facing the Cold in Toronto
Filming took place in Toronto during a particularly tough winter, a location choice that brought both physical and thematic resonance to the drama. Liu reflected on the symbolism of returning to a city significant to his earlier career, and the cast quickly built camaraderie to offset the demanding conditions.
But it was special. We shot across the street from where Kim’s Convenience filmed. Crew members were wearing their old Kim’s shirts. It felt like a full-circle moment.
Simu Liu, Actor
I don’t know how Torontonians do it. My two chihuahuas had boots and coats. It snowed from October to March. But it makes sense for the show. People are going to be watching it in winter, cozy at home. It’ll feel right.
Melissa Barrera, Actor
What Lies Ahead for The Copenhagen Test
As the debut season approaches, the creative team hints at a conclusive—but provocative—ending that will resolve central emotional arcs while opening doors to broader questions for future episodes.
also opens a much bigger question — the why. That’s what would lead us into season 2.
Thomas Brandon, Series Creator
Liu expresses the importance of continuing to explore Alexander’s identity and the story’s broader themes of patriotism, belonging, and personal legacy.
Alexander’s been a gift. He’s an important character: a Chinese American spy fighting for his country, making his parents proud, making his country proud. I’d love to keep exploring that.
Simu Liu, Actor
With production stretching over four years from their initial meeting to release, the creative team shares a sense of accomplishment and hope that their efforts resonate with viewers.
Four years from first meeting to actually showing it to people. But sometimes the stories that take the longest are the ones worth waiting for.
Simu Liu, Actor
The Copenhagen Test promises to immerse audiences in a technologically fraught world where identity, trust, and loyalty are endlessly questioned, offering a rare exploration of espionage through the nuanced lens of first-generation experience and futuristic anxiety.
