Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Go behind the scenes of The Brink of War, starring Jeff Daniels as President Ronald Reagan and Jared Harris as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, in this special conversation at The Paley Center for Media.
Set against one of the defining moments of the Cold War, The Brink of War chronicles the high-stakes 1986 Reykjavík Summit, where Reagan and Gorbachev came face-to-face at a moment of extraordinary nuclear tension. Their historic negotiations would help reshape relations between the United States and Soviet Union and move the world further from the brink of nuclear conflict.
Stars Jeff Daniels and Jared Harris join director Michael Russell Gunn and presidential historian Timothy Naftali for an insightful conversation about bringing these iconic historical figures and this pivotal moment in world history to the screen.
Together, they discuss portraying Reagan and Gorbachev, the complex personal and political dynamics surrounding the Reykjavík Summit, balancing dramatic storytelling with the historical record, and the experience of filming in Iceland, where the historic meeting took place.
This event is made possible by generous support from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Go behind the scenes of The Brink of War, starring Jeff Daniels as President Ronald Reagan and Jared Harris as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, in this special conversation at The Paley Center for Media.
Set against one of the defining moments of the Cold War, The Brink of War chronicles the high-stakes 1986 Reykjavík Summit, where Reagan and Gorbachev came face-to-face at a moment of extraordinary nuclear tension. Their historic negotiations would help reshape relations between the United States and Soviet Union and move the world further from the brink of nuclear conflict.
Stars Jeff Daniels and Jared Harris join director Michael Russell Gunn and presidential historian Timothy Naftali for an insightful conversation about bringing these iconic historical figures and this pivotal moment in world history to the screen.
Together, they discuss portraying Reagan and Gorbachev, the complex personal and political dynamics surrounding the Reykjavík Summit, balancing dramatic storytelling with the historical record, and the experience of filming in Iceland, where the historic meeting took place.
This event is made possible by generous support from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
