Chance Encounter with Peacock’s Ponies Stars Haley Lu Richardson, Artjom Gilz in Budapest

L-R: Artjom Gilz, Haley Lu Richardson, Adrian Lester (photo: copyright of Hungary Today)

Production of Peacock’s anticipated historical thriller Ponies (“Persons of no interest” in intelligence speak) is still underway in Budapest, where lead actresses Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Me Before You) and Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus, Five Feet Apart) have been filming since February. Recently, three of the show’s stars — Haley Lu Richardson, Adrian Lester, and Artjom Gilz — were spotted enjoying a break in downtown Budapest.

Speaking to Hungary Today in a small cafe in the city center, Richardson and Lester shared their enthusiasm for Budapest and the show, though they remained tight-lipped about the series’ plot details.

Very nice to meet you too, Réka.
Thank you for being so thoughtful and polite. https://t.co/nKRNVfO29W

— Adrian Lester (@AdrianLester) May 15, 2025

According to various sites, the show is set in 1970s Moscow, and follows two secretaries at the U.S. embassy who become CIA agents after their husbands are murdered, uncovering a Cold War conspiracy behind the tragedy. Emilia Clarke’s character Bea is described as “an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants” and Haley Lu Richardson will star as Twila, who is described as “a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless.” There is limited information about the rest of the cast. IMDb lists Adrian Lester (The Day After Tomorrow, Hustle) as playing a character named Dane, who is the head of the CIA Moscow station, and Artjom Gilz (Tar, Das Boot) as Andrei, who is “the most intimidating and dangerous KGB officer in Moscow”. It is currently unclear how central their roles will be throughout the series, however both are cast as recurring characters on the show.

Filming locations across Hungary have included some of Budapest’s most iconic landmarks such as the Chain Bridge, Heroes’ Square, and even the industrial town of Dunaújváros.

Grabaciones en Budapest y una captura de Emilia en su personaje de la pelìcula Ponies.
El video es de Adrián Lester, (compañero de rodaje de Emilia) publicado hace 3 semanas.
Algo es algo #EmiliaClarke pic.twitter.com/TAQ3zYzERN

— Emilia Clarke Chile (@EmiliaClarkeCL) April 30, 2025

One scene reportedly featured Clarke involved in a tense near-collision car sequence, highlighting the show’s high-stakes atmosphere.

The production’s Budapest location is no coincidence: the city’s architecture and history perfectly evoke the atmosphere of Cold War Moscow. In recent years, an increasing number of international productions have chosen the Hungarian capital as a filming location, as its buildings, streets, and squares provide an authentic backdrop for different eras and locations.

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