Actor Keri Russell has been roped in to headline Netflix's upcoming political drama series titled The Diplomat.

The eight-episode series is set to be written and show-run by Debora Cahn (best-known for West Wing, Homeland).

The Diplomat centres on a career diplomat (Russell) who lands a high-profile job that puts her on the front lines of an international crisis. The gig finds her in way over her head, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.

Notably, the series is the first project to be greenlit under Cahn's new multi-year overall deal with Netflix. Cahn will also serve as an executive producer alongside Janice Williams and Russell.

Russell is best known for playing Elizabeth Jennings in the period espionage show The American. Russel's other popular titles are Mission: Impossible III (2006), Waitress (2007), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and Antlers (2021).