
The Assassin's Keeley Hawes admits 'I find them funny' as she makes rare family admission
The Assassin official trailer on Amazon Prime
Keeley Hawes admitted, "I find them funny", as she made a rare family admission.
The Bodyguard actor is set to star in Prime Video's upcoming thriller series, The Assassin, which comes from The Tourist writers Harry and Jack Williams.
The six-part drama follows a retired assassin called Julie, played by Keeley, who has made a new life for herself on an idyllic Greek island.
However, when her estranged son, Edward (Freddie Highmore), turns up with questions about his father, Julie's dangerous past soon catches up with her.
"With questions around Edward's paternity and Julie's past life as a hitwoman, the pair go on the run across Europe, working together in a fight for survival," reads the official synopsis, reports the Express.
"Along the way, their dysfunctional relationship is tested to its limits. They uncover a dark conspiracy they believe to be their only threat, but a greater danger emerges that could destroy their relationship entirely."
The description concludes: "In a race against time, Julie fights to save Edward and salvage their relationship as past and present collide in a showdown across the globe."
Alongside Keeley and Freddie, the series also stars Shalom Brune-Franklin, Devon Terrell, Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Alan Dale, Richard Dormer and David Dencik.
Speaking to Reach and other press ahead of the show's premiere, Keeley shared how her real-life parenting experiences helped inform her character Julie's relationship with her son.
The 49-year-old actor shares 20-year-old daughter Maggie and 18-year-old son Ralph with her husband, Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen, and is also mum to 24-year-old Myles McCallum, whom she shares with her first husband, Spencer.
"I have two sons - three children, two sons... So, I can totally relate to it," Keeley said.
"What I loved about it is quite often you see relationships on screen and it's people getting along and they don't feel particularly real. Whereas, this feels very honest, very authentic."
Reflecting on her own home life, she added: "You know, you do get p***** off with each other when you have children, and they certainly get p***** off with me. There is quite a lot of sarcasm and my kids, I find them very funny so I really related to this and loved how truthful it felt."
When discussing Julie and Edward's dynamic, Keeley noted: "They're brutal with each other a lot of the time, and those relationships that you have with your children, sometimes they're the only people that you can be that brutal with, because they can't get rid of you.
"It doesn't matter what you say or what they say, so that's what I took from it that was quite useful for me."
Keeley went on to reveal that she is "great friends" with her eldest son, which she feels translates into Julie's layered on-screen relationship with Edward.
"My oldest son is 25 next month... I was young when I had him," she shared.
"I am his mother, I'm very much his mother but at the same time, we have a relationship that is not like siblings, but we're great friends as well. And I think something similar has happened there."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Keeley Hawes is a perimenopausal James Bond in The Assassin
The Assassin (Netflix) is Mamma Mia! with a sniper rifle, and it's a treat. Keeley Hawes is in the Meryl Streep role, wearing dungarees on a picturesque Greek island. Her son comes to visit, wanting to know the truth about his father. But they don't get very far into that conversation, because she's a retired hit-woman and things are about to get very bloody. How bloody? Well, the credits include a 'blood specialist'. But there's nothing too grim here. It's a tongue-in-cheek action caper. The tone is reminiscent of Black Doves, the Netflix hit starring Keira Knightley as a gun-toting spy, although a key aspect of Black Doves was the unlikeliness of Knightley as an assassin; by contrast, middle-aged women everywhere will quickly buy into the idea of Hawes capably dispatching victims in between taking her HRT tablets and getting exasperated with her lily-livered son. 'Is that why you only eat mushrooms now? Are you in Extinction Rebellion?' she snorts, when Edward (former child star Freddie Highmore) expresses concern for the environment. Her character, Julie, is referred to in the script as a 'perimenopausal James Bond'. At one point, she murders somebody with a cheese fork. While Julie is forced to flee the island and go on the run with Edward and a handsome village shopkeeper (Gerald Kyd), there are various subplots going on. Billionaire's children Kayla and Ezra (Shalom Brune-Franklin and Devon Terrell) are holidaying on the family super-yacht off the Greek coast and get drawn into the action. In a Libyan prison, a terrified IT specialist (David Dencik) is wondering how he's going to survive in a cell full of homicidal heavies. The series is written by brothers Harry and Jack Williams, who can do serious (Baptiste, The Missing) and silly (The Widow, in which Kate Beckinsale battled through the Congolese jungle for several weeks while her vest remained Persil-white). They also made The Tourist, and The Assassin has the same deadpan humour and sense of the absurd. Highmore is great as the nervy Edward, coming to terms with the bombshell news that when his mum used to tell him she was a 'headhunter', she didn't mean in recruitment. Terrell is also very funny as the dumb billionaire offspring. Summer is usually a dead time for TV, so The Assassin is very welcome. Admittedly, the pace slackens after the first two episodes and it becomes a little less satisfying as the novelty wears off. There are also a couple of logical inconsistencies: why would a professional hitman waste dozens of bullets cutting down bystanders instead of concentrating on their target? Don't think too hard about it. Just enjoy the ride. And beware an angry woman with a cheese fork.


Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
The Assassin filming locations as Keeley Hawes' Prime Video thriller drops
The Assassin is currently airing on Prime Video and stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as a mother and son duo - but where was the action-packed drama filmed? The Assassin, a much-anticipated six-part action thriller, is on Prime Video and stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as a mother-son duo. Julie, a retired hitwoman, has chosen to live her life in solitude on a picturesque and secluded Greek island. However, when her estranged son Edward arrives with questions about his father and upbringing, Julie's tranquil existence is disrupted. The two are compelled to collaborate as Julie's tumultuous past resurfaces and family secrets are unveiled. Hawes, who portrays Julie, recently made an uncommon family revelation as she discussed the new drama. Here's everything you need to know about the filming locations of the series. Where was The Assassin filmed? The series was filmed in Greece, with most of the action taking place in Athens, and director Lisa Mulcahy admitted they faced challenges. She stated: "Making a show in another country in extreme heat is very challenging for everyone involved, as at times we were shooting in nearly forty-degree heat. "Some days were brutal, but we made sure everyone drank loads of water, stayed out of the heat and kept out of direct sunlight." Star Highmore also confessed that the harsh conditions made filming quite difficult. He added: "Filming in Athens has been amazing. The variety of locations that we've filmed in has been crazy, we've covered land, sea, woods, yachts, mansions... the list goes on. "This is my first time in Athens, and it was amazing to film there, but the most challenging thing has been the heat. "Any sweat on screen that can be seen as we run around is most likely genuine! It's certainly one of the hottest climates I've ever filmed in." His co-star Hawes shared her enthusiasm about returning to Greece for work, stating: "I previously did The Durrells for four series and we filmed that in Corfu, but because there's no infrastructure there for filming, lots of the crew had come from Athens. "Coming to Athens to shoot The Assassin has meant I'm back with a lot of those people I met in Corfu. "There's nothing better than walking onto a set on your first day, feeling nervous and apprehensive, to then be greeted by so many familiar friendly faces that I had spent a lot of time with over those four lovely years." Greece also served as a stand-in for all the other countries visited in the series, including Spain, the south of France and Albania. The Assassin is available on Prime Video.


Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
The Assassin cast in full as Line of Duty and Riverdale stars join thriller
The Assassin is a drama that follows Julie, a woman with a dark past who is forced to confront old demons when she is reunited with her son, Edward Prime Video's latest offering, 'The Assassin', is creating quite the buzz with its impressive ensemble cast. The drama delves into the complex dynamics between a mother and her son as they navigate their strained relationship amidst life-threatening challenges. As Julie's history starts to resurface, threatening to expose her former life's secrets, she and her son must band together in a desperate bid for survival. Julie star Keeley Hawes opened up about her own parenting experiences ahead of the show. The show's creators, Harry and Jack Williams, opened up about the core of Julie and Edward's (Freddie Highmore) fraught bond: "We wanted to get a sense early on that there was something unresolved in this relationship, something that needed fixing, and that's the story of this series." They added: "They both come into it and are awkward with each other, and there's a history and coldness, and they haven't quite connected." For those eager to know more about the cast, here's the lowdown. Julie - Keeley Hawes Taking on the role of Julie is Keeley Hawes, who viewers might recognise from her gripping performances in 'Line of Duty' as DI Lindsay Denton or as Home Secretary Julia Montague in the BBC hit 'Bodyguard'. Off-screen, Hawes tied the knot with her 'Spooks' co-star Matthew Macfadyen in 2004, and the couple share two children. She also has another son from her previous marriage to DJ Spencer McCallum in 2001. Edward - Freddie Highmore Stepping into the shoes of Edward is Freddie Highmore, celebrated for his roles in 'Bates Motel', 'The Good Doctor', and 'Finding Neverland'. In a personal revelation on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in September 2021, Highmore disclosed that he had recently wed, though he kept the identity of his wife under wraps. He joyfully remarked: "I'm as happy as a Brit can be and I'm married to a very wonderful woman now, so yes I feel very happy." Discussing his experience working with Hawes on their new project, he shared: "Keeley is brilliant and was one of the main reasons that I wanted to be part of this project." He praised her talent, saying: "She is so talented and such a brilliant actor, whilst also being a lovely person with the best attitude." He added: "We both have a similar sense of humour too, and hopefully that will translate into the series. We've certainly bonded and I can't imagine anyone better to try and nail that tone down with than her." Marie - Gina Gershon Gina Gershon boasts an impressive resume with roles in major films like P.S. I Love You and House of Versace, as well as TV appearances in Riverdale and New Amsterdam. Her aspirations were always set on acting, although she initially started out in music and dance. The celebrity was romantically linked with Belgian entrepreneur and ex-footballer Robert Dekeyser from 2015 until 2018. Luka - Gerald Kyd Portrayed by Gerald Kyd, who has a rich heritage being half-Greek and half-Scottish, he's recognised for his role as Sean Maddox in Casualty. Kyd is also celebrated for his performances in Malory Towers, The Split, and The Defender. Reflecting on his heritage and career, he stated: "I have a Greek background, my grandparents were from Greece, and in twenty-five years as an actor, I've only been asked to play a Greek part twice. "So, it was very exciting to get this part, and to read the scripts, which are just incredible. They're fast-paced, exciting, thrilling, and funny as well. I was desperate to be part of it." Kayla - Shalom Brune-Franklin Kayla is portrayed by Shalom Brune-Franklin, a 30 year old British-Australian actress celebrated for her roles in Our Girl and The State. Audiences might also recognise her as Aoife from the Australian series Doctor Doctor, or her appearance in The Tourist. Ezra - Devon Terrell Ezra is brought to life by Devon Terrell, who viewers may remember as Arthur from the Netflix original series Cursed. Discussing his experience working with the ensemble cast on this new venture, he expressed: "Everything enticed me. The opportunity to work on such brilliant writing with such incredible actors, and to have a chance to work with Shalom. "We were friends before, but I think she's an amazing actress, and I knew the character arcs were so developed that we could really play. Working on material like this is an actor's dream."