High-stakes action reality show “The Phone,” from executive producer Justin Timberlake, premiered on MTV last night with an Irishman at the helm.

Dublin native Emmett Scanlan is The Operator in the brand new American series, “an intense thriller of action and suspense,” as MTV describes it.

Scanlan, along with his two “agents,” lead average Joe game contestants through dangerous challenges in competition for the grand prize. Scanlan sums up the show in the opening credits: “4 players, 2 teams, but only one will survive – to win $50,000.”

In each episode, Scanlan, with his dark, dramatic Irish accent, calls up four strangers, turning their average day into a wild adventure where they will go head-to-head as they race to complete their assigned challenge.

In the first episode, The Operator tells the players that a mad bomber is on the loose in Seattle, and they must follow his direction to stop him. Next thing you know, a car blows up, and Scanlan slyly asks a contestant: “Still wanna play?”

Scanlan is well-known in Ireland for his roles in movies such as 2005’s “Boys’ Life,” and for his star turn in the hit RTE reality TV Show “Hollywood Trials.” The easy on the eyes Dubliner, pegged as the next Colin Farrell, was one of 10 aspiring actors competing for a shot at the big time. For four weeks, the actors were immersed in the cut-throat Hollywood entertainment world.

Since the show wrapped, Scanlan has been flooded with TV and film offers, and his role in “The Phone” is set to be his breakthrough on the American acting scene.

“The Phone” airs on MTV Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT