Date Published: September 13, 2024 — Central Intelligence tells the true story of Eloise Page, who joined the CIA on its first day in 1947 and became one of its most powerful women. Narrating in hindsight, Eloise takes the listener on a journey spanning the staggering world events that shaped her career, as well as portraying her relationships with early CIA leaders, Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn).

We caught up with Kim about the new series.

Do you think you’d make a good spy?

I’ve been asking friends and my partner if I’d make a good spy and half of them say maybe, yes, the other half say no, you have no patience!

What made you want to play Eloise?

I’m always looking for stories about powerful women. Eloise was definitely a woman of that time, that era, but she made her own decisions. I was very attracted to that in her personality. The thing I loved about reading Eloise Page is that it’s behind the scenes, the fly on the wall. She’s witnessing human beings under a tremendous amount of pressure. They’re also being human, which means being flawed, and they all have their pecadilloes which she knows all about. I think it was probably terrifying. Her power grew the more time she was with the organisation, but she was there through all the growing pains. She knew where the money was, where the guilty parties were… she had her finger on democracy and if it was going to survive. I have tremendous respect for her.

Central Intelligence is part of Radio 4’s Limelight strand of unmissable audio serials.

Listen to the boxset of Central Intelligence on BBC Sounds, with the first episode airing on Radio 4 from 2.15pm on Friday 13 September