R.S.LOGAN

Enjoyed the first series and the start of series 2 , but dont think they can stretch it out this long without spoiling it .

" DAN WOOTTON: Five-year home run for Damian Lewis "


After his surprise Emmy Best Actor win, it’s no surprise Homeland’s Damian Lewis is being chased by countless Hollywood producers.

But I can reveal that the British thespian, 41, is not leaving the hit drama any time soon — he’s just signed a multi-million-pound deal to play Nick Brody for five more years.

The extended contract with 20th Century Fox means that Homeland — which returned to Channel 4 last weekend — could run for seven series in total.

My Hollywood source says: ‘There is no Homeland without Damian. It was crucial for the producers to secure him. It doesn’t necessarily mean there will be five more series, but it gives them the option.’

Fellow Brit David Harewood, who plays CIA counter-terrorism director David Estes, has also signed for a further five years, my insider confirms.

It means the pair will continue to spend several months a year at the remote studio complex in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the show is filmed.

Homeland, which also stars Claire Danes as the female lead Carrie Matheson, has become the most critically acclaimed new drama since Mad Men, with even US president Barack Obama saying he regularly watches it.