Most fans know Chris O’Donnell best as Special Agent G. Callen, the stoic and sharp leader who fronted NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 seasons until its conclusion in 2023. But long before he was interrogating suspects and chasing down criminals for CBS, O’Donnell was caught in the high-stakes shadows of the Cold War.
In 2007, the actor headlined The Company, a sweeping TNT miniseries adapted from Robert Littell’s best-selling novel. The three-part thriller cast O’Donnell as Jack McAuliffe, a Yale graduate whose youthful optimism is tested by the unforgiving realities of CIA life across four decades of espionage.
A Tale of Three Friends, Three Paths
The Company chronicles the intertwined lives of three Yale classmates whose fates are reshaped by geopolitics. O’Donnell’s Jack enters the CIA with idealism, eager to defend democracy. His friend Leo Kritzky (Alessandro Nivola) also joins the Agency but becomes entangled in political games and bureaucratic maneuvering. Their third companion, Yevgeny Tsipin (Rory Cochrane), returns to Moscow—only to be recruited by the KGB.
What follows is a decades-long chess match, played out through Berlin safe houses, Soviet counterintelligence, and Washington’s own paranoia. The series avoids treating espionage as pure spectacle, instead highlighting the personal sacrifices demanded of those living double lives.
Hollywood Heavyweights Behind the Scenes
O’Donnell wasn’t the only big name attached to The Company. Michael Keaton delivered a chilling performance as real-life CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton, while Alfred Molina played veteran operative Harvey Torriti. Behind the camera, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott executive produced the project through their Scott Free banner, with Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) writing the teleplay and Mikael Salomon directing.
The result was a taut, character-driven drama praised for its scope and authenticity. Critics noted how it blended history with human drama, earning a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7 IMDb rating.
How Grey’s Anatomy Led to Espionage
Interestingly, O’Donnell credits his Grey’s Anatomy guest role for helping him land The Company. In 2006, he appeared as Dr. Finn “McVet” Dandridge, Meredith Grey’s short-lived love interest.
“I got a great pop off that show,” O’Donnell told the Boston Herald. “People saw the show and liked me on it. I’ve known Ridley Scott from before, and I think when they were putting The Company together, those Grey’s episodes were on. So the timing really worked out for me.”
For O’Donnell, the role of Jack McAuliffe was a rare opportunity to stretch his craft:
“We’re covering him over four decades. It was just much more of a challenge from an acting standpoint. That’s what’s exciting as an actor—you want to put yourself into different people’s shoes and experience what they must have been going through.”
Key Facts About The Company
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Mikael Salomon |
| Writer | Ken Nolan |
| Executive Producers | Ridley Scott, Tony Scott |
| Main Cast | Chris O’Donnell, Michael Keaton, Alfred Molina, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane |
| Release | 2007 (TNT miniseries) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 73% |
| IMDb | 7.7 |
| Streaming | Available for purchase on Amazon |
What’s Next for Chris O’Donnell?
After his long run on NCIS: Los Angeles, O’Donnell isn’t slowing down. He’s set to star in 9-1-1: Nashville, a new spinoff where he’ll play Fire Captain Don Hart. The series premieres October 9, sharing the night with Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 and 9-1-1 Season 9.
It’s a fitting next step for an actor who’s never shied away from reinvention—from superhero sidekick (Batman & Robin) to spy thriller lead (The Company), to NCIS team leader, and now to firefighter hero.
For fans curious about O’Donnell’s dramatic range beyond the world of NCIS, The Company remains a must-watch—a gripping look at loyalty, betrayal, and the human cost of secrecy in one of history’s most dangerous games.
