Who played Owen in The Agency? Everything to know about The Agency season 1 character

Owen Taylor, played by John Magaro, is a CIA handler in The Agency, a 2024 spy thriller series on Paramount+ with Showtime. John Robert Magaro, born on February 16, 1983, in Akron, Ohio, is an American actor known for his versatile performances across film, television, and stage.

Magaro began his acting journey in local theatre at venues such as the Cleveland Play House and the Kent State Porthouse Theatre. He gained recognition with a lead role in the horror film My Soul to Take (2010) and received the Hollywood Film Awards' Spotlight Award for his performance in Not Fade Away (2012).

In The Agency, Magaro’s character Owen is tasked with managing compromised dead drop locations, uncovering critical information such as Coyote’s secret psychiatrist and the word "Valhalla" found in a shower at Coyote’s Minsk apartment. Despite his inexperience leading to mistakes, such as misjudging a visitor as a threat, his decisions significantly aid the CIA’s operations.

In The Agency Season 1 finale, he is central to the mission to extract Coyote from Russian-occupied Ukraine. His identification of Coyote enables the CIA to adjust its strategy, leading to the elimination of high-profile targets, the destruction of key assets, and the recovery of Coyote and two Felix operatives. These actions reinforce his importance within the CIA team.

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Owen uncovers clues about compromised drops, a secret psychiatrist, and Valhalla in The Agency

John Magaro’s career reached new heights with notable roles in acclaimed films such as The Big Short (2015) and Carol (2015). He starred as "Cookie" in Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow (2019), earning a nomination for Best Actor at the 2020 Gotham Independent Film Award. On television, he appeared in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black (2015–2019) and The Umbrella Academy (2019).

Owen Taylor in The Agency, plays a critical role in unearthing essential details about the compromised operations tied to the missing Belarus operative, Coyote. In episode 5, Martian and Henry question him about the Belarusian address "31 Ulitsa Bratskay," a dead drop location previously used by Taylor and Coyote to exchange information and items.

Taylor confirms the address, which leads Martian and Henry to deduce that it has been compromised, as only Owen and Coyote were privy to it. Meanwhile, Owen is already at Coyote’s apartment in Belarus, searching for leads, when Bosko alerts him that his safety is at risk.

Reacting impulsively, he locks a woman, an associate of Coyote’s alias "Piotr Rybak," in a closet, mistakenly suspecting her to be a threat. The intervention of the "dry cleaners" extracts Owen, but it later turns out the woman was innocent, a mistake for which Martian criticizes him.

At Coyote’s apartment, he discovers further leads, including medications prescribed by a secret psychiatrist unknown to the CIA, prompting Martian to label the psychiatrist a “hole in the boat.” The psychiatrist Corrupt KGB agent Bogdan Antuyk secretly removed him from a Belarusian police station through underground tunnels connected to government buildings.

Antuyk sold him to Russian mercenaries, working under General Volchok, the commander of the Valhalla group, for 20,000 euros after drugging him. Additionally, Owen notices the word "Valhalla" written inside the shower, hinting at betrayal or a covert mission. These discoveries add to the series’ intrigue and highlight Taylor’s contribution to uncovering key intelligence despite his lack of field training.

His role grows in significance during the season finale. He identifies Coyote during a critical moment, aiding the CIA in revising their strategy to extract him from Russian-occupied Ukraine.

The successful operation eliminates high-profile adversaries, including General Volchok and Deputy Defense Minister Chekhov, while solidifying Owen’s value to the agency. His journey, marked by mistakes and triumphs, reflects his growth as a crucial member of the team and sets the stage for further developments in season 2.

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