‘The Comey Rule’: See the Cast vs. Their Real-Life Counterparts

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images

The first look at Showtime’s two-night event The Comey Rule has arrived as Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson step into the pivotal roles of James Comey and Donald Trump for the political drama.

Arriving Sunday, September 27 and airing again the following evening on Monday, September 28, The Comey Rule is based on the New York Times bestseller A Higher Loyalty and various interviews collected over the course of an additional year. Adapted by screenwriter Billy Ray, this two-part series gives viewers an immersive, behind-the-scenes account of the turbulent events surrounding 2016’s historical presidential election and its aftermath.

Instead of following one side, this series will delve into two very different figures as former FBI director James Comey and Donald Trump’s personalities, ethics and loyalties are put under a spotlight.

The series includes an all-star cast that among Daniels and Gleeson includes Holly Hunter, Michael Kelly, Jennifer Ehle, Scoot McNairy, Jonathan Banks, Oona Chaplin, Amy Seimetz, Steven Pasquale, Peter Coyote and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Other stars include Steve Zissis, Shawn Doyle, Brian d’Arcy James, Dalmar Abuzeid, William Sadler, T.R. Knight, Joe Lo Truglio, Spencer Garrett, Michael Hyatt and Damon Gupton.

Along with the release of the show’s trailer, Showtime also unveiled first looks for several of the stars in character as the real-life figures. Below, scroll down to see how they compare to their political counterparts.

The Comey Rule, Sunday, September 27 & Monday, September 28, 9/8c, Showtime

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jeff Daniels as James Comey vs. the Real James Comey

Jeff Daniels takes on the titular role as James Comey, the former FBI director who was famously fired by Donald Trump in 2017. Comey oversaw Hillary Clinton’s email investigation in 2016 and the Russian election interference investigation in 2017 until his dismissal from the White House.

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images

Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump vs. the Real Donald Trump

The Irish actor takes on the 45th president of the United States as he dons a blonde wig and some makeup to transform himself into Donald Trump. He’ll go head-to-head with Daniels’ Comey, who was seen as an adversary to the Commander in Chief.

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Holly Hunter as Sally Yates vs. the Real Sally Yates

Holly Hunter will portray former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates in this two-part TV event this fall. The Oscar-winning actress will play an integral role as Yates was involved with the early investigation into Russian election interference. She was dismissed from her position after she refused to support an executive order enacted by Trump that restricted travel between Muslim majority countries.

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Michael Kelly as Andrew McCabe vs. the Real Andrew McCabe

Michael Kelly will play Andrew McCabe, who was a colleague and successor of Comey’s at the FBI and was involved with the investigations viewers will see explored in the series. Following Comey’s dismissal from the FBI, McCabe was appointed Deputy Director of the organization.

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Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS; Alex Wong/Getty Images

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama vs. the Real Barack Obama

This show will take place prior to Donald Trump’s election, so it’s only natural that viewers would encounter Barack Obama at some point as the story unfolds. For this series Kingsley Ben-Adir has been tapped to portray 44 towards the end of his presidency.