Mandy Patinkin honored To Be A Part Of Emmy-Winning Showtime Series 'Homeland'

"Homeland" had a winning streak at last night's 64^th annual Emmy Awards and no one is prouder to be a part of the psychological thriller than actor and stage legend, Mandy Patinkin, 59.

"I am invigorated by it beyond all words. I'm just thrilled to be a part of it. It is one of the great experiences of my professional life," the veteran told Reuters.

Patinkin plays CIA operative Saul Berenson, the mentor of an intelligent CIA Agent with a debilitating case of bipolar disorder (Claire Danes) - who is obsessed with discovering the secrets of Nicholas Brody -- an American prisoner of war who may have been turned into a terrorist .

What attracted Patinkin to the series was the exceptional quality of the script.

"I just thought it was extraordinary writing. I could see the potential in this material to have an extraordinary dialogue in terms of a post-9/11 era discussing where we are as a nation and as a world populace in terms of why did that act occur? What was happening in the world before? And what's happened since in the past 10 - now 11 - years?" said the Emmy winner.

"The company of the actors and the writing staff is of the highest caliber I have ever had the privilege to be involved with."

Patinkin claims "Homeland" embodies both left and right wing ideologies. "It's a show that presents both perspectives honestly and equally," he said. "so that the audience members can sit back as their own historian in an entertaining fashion and think."

The best parts of the show for the actor aren't the countless scheming, revenge and cliff-hangers but the unity that comes from family.

"The central aspect of the show for me is the word 'family' - the family of the father/daughter relationship I have with Claire Danes. I'm her boss and her mentor and her father-figure," he said.

"It is also the relationship Brody has with his family. It's within the CIA and, most important, it's within the family of country. It's our country as family and the disconnection that goes on literally in our country today with the politics and the Congress and the people who aren't listening and talking to each other."

Homeland's second season begins Sunday Sept. 30.