Who Plays Eric in Exterritorial? Is Eric Kynch Based on a Real US Consulate Officer?

The German action film ‘Exterritorial’ charts a riveting path full of mysteries that lead to the unexpected unraveling of conspiracies. It centers around Sara Wulf, a special forces soldier-turned-veteran who arrives at the US Consulate with her son to move forward with her transfer documents to the States. However, the young boy somehow goes missing during the waiting period, leaving no trace behind. In fact, when the regional security officer, Eric Kynch, is contacted for help, no concrete evidence points toward Sara ever arriving in the building with her kid. Nonetheless, the woman refuses to leave the premises, effectively becoming a fugitive within the Agency.

As a cat-and-mouse chase ignites between her and the Consulate, long-buried secrets begin to rise to the surface. Within this narrative, Eric Kynch plays an intriguing role as someone whose intentions and motivations remain ambiguous for a long time. Even though he’s the one chasing after Sara, he has a unique way of empathizing with her situation that brings his own moral compass into question. Consequently, his fascinatingly mysterious character with more than enough skeletons in the closet naturally remains worth exploring. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Emmy Award-Winning Actor Dougray Scott Brings Eric Kynch to Life in Exterritorial

Eric Kynch’s character remains a particularly tough nut to crack throughout ‘Exterritorial.’ He enters the narrative as an empathetic authority figure who seems to have Sara’s best interests at heart. Nonetheless, once the woman’s investigation begins bearing fruit, certain truths about the security officer come out in the open that abruptly shift his entire character on its axis. Thus, Dougray Scott, an Emmy and BAFTA-winning actor, perfectly embodies Kynch’s morally juxtaposed and nuanced character through his captivating performance. Fans may know him from some of his previous work, including his critically acclaimed and decorated leading role as DI Ray Lennox in the 2021 police procedural ‘Crime.’

On top of that, Scott has also left an impact on the more mainstream corners of pop culture. Whether the central antagonist as Sean Ambrose in ‘Mission: Impossible II,’ a romantic lead as Prince Henry in ‘Ever After: A Cinderella Story,’ or the recurring villain Moriarty in the 2025 show ‘Sherlock & Daughter,’ the Scottish actor consistently adds dynamic layers to his projects. He has also graced the screen in beloved shows like ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Vigil,’ or the 1996 drama mini-series ‘The Crow Road.’ As such, Scott’s filmography remains far-reaching and varied, with ‘Exterritorial’ as the latest notch in his belt.

Eric Kynch’s Fictitious Narrative Depicts a Realistic Struggle

Much like the various other elements of ‘Exterritorial,’ including the characters and the storyline, Eric Kynch is also a work of fiction. His inception can be credited to Christian Zübert, the writer/director behind the project, who fictionalized the story without any real-life basis in people or events. Thus, Kynch only exists as a tool for the narrative, created to propel the events of Sara’s story forward. Although he plays a primarily antagonistic role in the film, his character retains a level of nuance that ties some of his experiences to reality.

Like Sara, Kynch is also a war veteran. He was taken off of combat duty after sustaining a significant injury, which effectively put him on desk duty. From then on, his career, health, and family life began to devolve out of control, turning him into a bitter and jaded man. For the same reason, he begins colluding with the bad guys to exchange information for money, condemning his fellow soldiers and other innocent people to a cruel fate. While Kynch is an extreme example, his story remains reminiscent of the negative aftermath that many veterans have faced after their exits from the military.

Over the years, especially since the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, there have been numerous stories about he struggles veterans face during re-integration into civilian life. Some studies claim 14% to 16% of such war veterans have developed PTSD since their service and deployment, while other reports cite a number as high as 30%. In 2018, one veteran, Johnny Allison, came forward with his story about how dealing with PTSD after leaving the military left him feeling abandoned by the army.

“We (soldiers) give the Army everything, absolutely everything—our youth, our lives, our family’s lives,” the Scottish veteran told the BBC. “When you leave those gates, that’s you, you’re out.” Kynch’s on-screen narrative isn’t based on or connected to Allison’s story or the real-life stories of numerous other veterans across different nations. Nonetheless, the reality of the situation these former soldiers face in the aftermath of their deployment remains an evident real-life phenomenon that informs some of Kynch’s extreme characterizations. Still, he’s ultimately a fictional character with no concrete off-screen roots.