'The Assassin': After 7 seasons of 'The Good Doctor' Freddie Highmore shines with Keeley Hawes in British show

Yahoo

2 days ago

A retired assassin and her estranged son find themselves unexpectedly on the run in twisty, heartfelt crime thriller
A high stakes, deadly adventure, told with appealing sarcastic and witty dialogue, the U.K. series The Assassin (on Crave in Canada) is a unique take on the popular crime thriller genre. Starring Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as a mother-son duo, this exciting show is full of dangerous twists, but a lot of heart.
Created by Harry Williams and Jack Williams, who both worked on The Tourist and Fleabag, it's no surprise that the writing is the perfect foundation for this show. Something that really appealed to the actors.
"They had just gone from strength to strength over the years, and I really enjoyed The Tourist, and so I started reading this and at that time Freddie's name was also mentioned. So really, the whole package was sort of very exciting," Hawes told Yahoo Canada . "And five lovely months in Athens, the tone of the show, the characters so well drawn, it was all a bit of a gift.
While Highmore was quick to stress that he was excited about working with Hawes, an actor he really admires, he was also excited about getting on to a British show, particularly after filming The Good Doctor in Vancouver for a number of years.
"I just long admired [Keeley's] work, and having been in Vancouver and doing a different show for a long time, it was so exciting to get back to working in a British environment with the icon that is Keeley, and also Harry and Jack, and their writing," Highmore said. "They're both just brilliant at bringing the high stakes."
"I think underneath it, what really matters about the show is this mother and son duo, and how the two of them started off in a place that seems quite conflicted and messy and complicated, but hopefully figure out that, in some ways, they are quite similar. ... [It's] exploring this nuanced mother-son arc that's not stereotypical or trope-y."
What is 'The Assassin' about
At the beginning of The Assassin we meet Julie (Hawes), living on a Greek island now that she's retired from her work as an assassin.
While she doesn't have a close relationship with her son Edward (Highmore), who lives in England, he's set to come visit her. But Edward arrives with questions about who his father is, which Julie is still not going to answer.
It's during Edward's visit that Julie gets a call that brings her back to a job as a hitwoman, but that results in both Edward and Julie being on the run, with a web of secrets for both of them starting to unravel.
It is particularly compelling to meet Julie when she's at a place where she's been away from her job for some time.
"She has no intention of going back, ... but she sort of can't resist it, really, because it's just part of her DNA," Hawes said.
"It's a really lovely setting off point, rather than meeting her in the middle of any action. So we're kind of not aware of what she's been doing at all. So that is part of the story in itself."
'What you need is that heart'
While revealing much more will veer into too many spoilers, we'll tease that the witty banter between Julie and Edward is absolutely a highlight, especially paired with these really risky and deadly circumstances of the story.
"I think the humour, even if it's not necessarily laugh out loud, I think there's always a sort of dark humour that is underneath it, and it just adds to the texture and nuance," Highmore added. "Brits and Canadians definitely kind of share a similar comedic sensibility, I think, and there's something that's sort of in that more deadpan humour that is funny, but without being too broad or trying too hard."
"And I think we were always aiming for that as a tone, nothing that kind of completely undercut the tension of the scene, but just gave it another level. And with Keeley as a scene partner, it was just great fun to sort of mine that and to find that together."
Ultimately, what's incredibly impressive about The Assassin is that it's a thrilling action-packed journey, but always keeps the heart of the mother-son relationship central in the story.
"I love a bit of action, ... but what you need is that heart, I think, to keep people's interest," Hawes said. "I think that was what really hooked me when I first read the script. You love the fun stuff. It's great. You look forward to doing it. But actually, the scenes with Freddie are meaningful ... and we should be rooting for them."
"There's something really authentic about them both. We don't see their best selves straight away, but we know that they are good people, and we're rooting for them and their relationship. And I think that's what will ultimately keep people watching, is to see their journey, along with the big set pieces. I think there's a set piece in almost every episode that's a huge, fabulous, exciting extravaganza. ... I love it, but it's that relationship that's at home to it, and that's why it works."