Latest news with #Assassin
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Gerda Steyn: South Africa's road running star
Gerda Steyn, South Africa's leading road running star and multiple Comrades and Two Oceans Marathon champion, is training for a major race, likely the Cape Town Marathon as the year winds Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers If there's one name that is synonymous with SA road running at the moment, it has to be Gerda Steyn. The 35-year-old is at the peak of her powers and is the undisputed Queen of SA road running, and has been for some time. The four-time Comrades Marathon and six-time Two Oceans Marathon champion is always the favourite when she lines up in a race in South Africa when it's 42km and above. The Smiling Assassin also competes strongly for South Africa when she competes abroad, having also held the SA record in the marathon until recently when Glenrose Xaba set the new mark in October 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Steyn's Phenomenal Speed and Endurance: From 5km to 90km Success Still, the fact that Steyn can compete with the best runners in the country in any distance from 5km to 90km is nothing short of phenomenal. It's also the reason why she's been so successful; Steyn has the speed to go with that endurance. That's why Steyn has been so prolific since she burst onto the scene with her first Two Oceans title in 2018.
Irish Examiner
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
TV review: Why Prime Video's The Assassin is the perfect hate-watch
Telly is different during the summer. You need something frothy and fun to distract from the fact you should be cutting the grass. The Assassin (Prime Video) feels like it should fit the bill. Keeley Hawes plays Julie, a hit-woman who has retired to a Greek island. The opening sequence, a flashback to a hit in Bulgaria, is full of brutish villains and cartoon violence, a parody of Jason Bourne films, which were parodies of themselves, so this should be fun. But it isn't. It's like they've invented a new genre, a comedy caper that isn't funny, where they run with the first draft of the script because that's just the kind of people they are. The result is a story-line with holes big enough for a fleet of trucks, fleshed out with pancake-flat dialogue. Julie is given one final job, to kill a woman called Kayla on a yacht. She decides not to at the last minute, for no reason, but it's just as well because the next day her dweeb of a son, Edward, arrives and announces that Kayla is his fiancée. There is an inevitable Greek wedding attended by everyone in the village, where less predictably, most of them are shot. Julie and Edward flee to Kayla's yacht, and they all go to Albania for reasons which aren't clear. Keeley Hawes attends a photocall for the Assassin at the Soho Hotel, in central date: Thursday July 3, 2025. PA Photo. Kayla, a rich heiress, doesn't seem to mind that her future mother-in-law kills people for money, maybe because she didn't kill her. Meanwhile there is a Dutch IT nerd in a Libyan prison (keep up!) who is trying to blackmail an angry Australian businessman who lives in huge house in France. There is very little humour and way too much chopping off limbs. At no point do I believe any of this. And still, I'm five episodes in and still watching. The new genre they've invented is a kind of immersive hate-watch, where you stay glued to the action because you don't want to miss a giant plot-hole. My wife and I have really enjoyed pointing out why something doesn't make sense. The show looks great, with sweeping views of Greek islands and Albanian coast-line. And here is the odd funny scene, probably by accident. But mainly I've stayed watching because they've put just enough intrigue into the plot to keep me hanging on. What does the angry Australian businessman keep in his safe? Is Julie's estranged husband behind all of this? What could Kayla possibly see in dweeby Edward? If you're stuck for something to watch, give The Assassin a go. It beats cutting the grass.
The Sun
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The Assassin fans gobsmacked after spotting soap legend in new Prime Video drama
THE Assassin fans were left stunned after spotting a soap legend in the Prime Video series. The crime thriller stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore in leading roles. 4 4 4 It follows a retired assassin now living in Greece, who reunites with her estranged son when he comes looking for answers. Long-time soap fans recognised a familiar face among the cast members. New Zealand star Alan Dale, 78, appears as supporting character Aaron Cross. Previously, Alan played patriarch Jim Robinson, one of Neighbours' original characters. One viewer wrote on X: "jim robinson died in neighbours and was reborn as the shady bad guy in every series in the last 2 decades." He appeared from the Aussie's soap launch in 1985 until leaving the show in 1993. Jim was also the father of Neighbours stalwart Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). The actor briefly reprised this role in 2018 by appearing in a dream to his on-screen son. After his departure from Neighbours, Alan began working extensively in US television. He notably had a recurring role as villain Charles Widmore in the sci-fi drama series LOST. Alan Dale stars in The Assassin on Amazon Prime Alan appeared in a total of 17 episodes spanning from 2006 until the show's 2010 conclusion. As well as this, he made prominent appearances in The OC and Ugly Betty. Earlier this year, The Sun revealed Neighbours would be coming to an end - for a second time. It came just two years after Amazon brought the soap back to life after it was axed by Channel 5 after 37 years. The revival started filming in 2023 and was shown on Amazon Freevee worldwide. Neighbours stars who made it big The long-running Aussie soap has launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Here are some of the Neighbours alums who went on to make it big after starring on the soap... Kylie Minogue Before she hit the big time with her music career, Kylie shot to fame playing Charlene Mitchell on Neighbours. Shortly after her arrival, Kylie began an on and off-screen romance with co-star Jason Donovan, who played Scott Robinson, which gained the couple an army of adoring fans. Jason Donovan After his stint as Scott, singer and actor Jason became an international popstar and had his pick acting of roles. He moved to the U.K., married, had children and has since starred in over a dozen West End show, most notably Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat. Alan Dale New Zealand born actor Alan was one of Neighbours 12 original cast members having made his debut as Jim Robinson on the soap's first episode on 18 March 1985. As the head of the Robinson clan, widower Jim lived at Number 26 Ramsay Street with his children Paul, Julie, Scott and Lucy, and was a real anchor in the community. He stayed with the show for eight years, before his character was killed off in dramatic scenes aired in 1993 but which still reverberate through the soap to this day. Margot Robbie Way before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot was best known as Ramsay Street resident Donna Freedman. Her notable storylines included her marriage to Ringo Brown and becoming a young widow following his tragic death. After three years she bid farewell to the soap and Australia with a plan to make a name for herself in Hollywood which she did when she bagged the role of Naomi Lapaglia opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. Jesse Spencer Jesse rocked up on Ramsay street in 1994 with the rest of the Kennedy clan. He stayed for five years, literally growing up in front of the camera, but in 2000 felt it was time to spread his wings and head for Hollywood. It was certainly a smart move as he went on to bag leading roles in popular shows like House and Chicago Fire. Russell Crowe New Zealand-native Russell had a brief arc on Neighbours, appearing in four episodes of the soap 1987 as Kenny Larkin, the former cellmate of Street resident Henry Ramsay. The role obviously got him noticed though because he quickly went on to become a fully-fledged Hollywood A-lister, winning the Best Actor Oscar for his standout performance as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator. The Sun exclusively revealed that Amazon have told Fremantle that their venture into soaps hasn't worked and they are pulling funding A source said at the time: 'Amazon gave Fremantle two years to see if it worked but sadly they just didn't get the viewers. 'It's a really sad day especially for the cast and crew who work on the show in Melbourne. 'This really is the end of Neighbours just as it's celebrated it's 40th birthday.'
Daily Mirror
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Jack Davenport's career as Prime Video fans spot him in The Assassin
The Assassin fans were taken aback when they spotted actor Jack Davenport show up in episode two. The Assassin official trailer on Amazon Prime Prime Video subscribers have begun delving into the newly released crime drama The Assassin, and were taken aback to see actor Jack Davenport pop up. In the series, retired assassin Julie (portrayed by Keeley Hawes) is dragged back into her lethal past, but this time, her estranged son Edward (Freddie Highmore) joins her in a fight for survival. During their escapade in episode two, Prime Video viewers did a double-take as Julie and Edwards' paths intersected with her former colleague Sean, played by actor Jack Davenport. The 52 year old is certainly a familiar face, so as subscribers navigate their way through The Assassin, here's a rundown of everything Davenport has been involved in thus far. Actor Jack Davenport's career When he first started working on set, his role quickly evolved to include on-camera work where he portrayed a student zoo keeper. However, his first significant role came in 1996, when he starred alongside The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln in the drama This Life about a group of trainee solicitors and lawyers. This was just the start as he went on to secure roles in Ultraviolet, The Talented Mr Ripley, Dickens, and the sitcom Coupling. It was in 2003, however, that he catapulted to international fame as the villainous Commodore James Norrington in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. The British Royal Navy officer was smitten with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and popped the question, but to his dismay, she picked blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) instead. Davenport went on to appear in the franchise's subsequent films, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. In recent times, the actor has found his niche on television. From 2012 onwards, Davenport has featured in musical drama Smash, The Good Wife, The Mindy Project, White Famous, Next of Kin, and Deception. Perhaps his most notable roles have been playing Jason Craig in Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, Karl Grove in Why Women Kill, and Nils Headley in Dr Death. Davenport also has two additional projects in the pipeline following his stint in The Assassin. Teaming up with True Blood's Stephen Moyer, he'll appear in period drama The Forsyte Saga, which is presently being filmed. Additionally, Davenport is involved in comedy Blueberry Inn, currently in pre-production, centring on an "emotionally-stunted butler" who inherits a "broken-down inn from his Lord".
Daily Mirror
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Assassin star Keeley Hawes' huge stunt admission for hit thriller
The Assassin star Keeley Hawes has opened up about the action packed drama, which also stars Freddie Highmore The Assassin airs on Prime Video and the eagerly-awaited action thriller features Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as a distant mother and son duo. Former assassin Julie had been enjoying a comparatively peaceful existence whilst keeping a low profile in Greece, until her son Edward appeared demanding answers about the father he'd never met. When Julie's history began to emerge, she and her son found themselves compelled to unite in a battle for their lives. Hawes recently revealed a candid family confession prior to the drama's launch. Harry and Jack Williams served as scriptwriters and executive producers for the programme, and they acknowledged there were obstacles in realising their ideal production, reports the Express. Harry explained: "We jump to Libya for part of the story, so doubling that was trickier to ensure you get those sandy visuals. "We also go to the south of France, which is not so hard to double in Greece - it's always just finding the right location." The programme was shot in Greece, specifically Athens, and the cast had previously discussed the harsh filming conditions as they battled against sweltering temperatures. Jack continued: "It's an ambitious show. There's a lot of action and locations and there were concerns about how we'd do it. "But we did have a great company we were working with in Greece and a great team who managed to somehow bring it all to life without anything being compromised." Actress Hawes confessed she had to handle some enormous stunts, but relished the challenge. "This is some of the biggest stunt work that I've ever done," she revealed. "I love a challenge and some of this has been really challenging in a good way. "In The Assassin there's some stunt-heavy scenes and it's broken up with brilliant bits of dialogue which adds great humour to the series. "Those scenes in the show don't take themselves too seriously, which sets it apart from other more serious action series I've worked on, such as Bodyguard and Line of Duty." Mo Lee, who served as the stunt co-ordinator on the series, confessed "every project is a challenge." He shared: "I need to find out what everyone wants, what I need to get that looks good: dramatic and stunty. Everything is challenging but to me, that is the best part. "Because, once you do create something which is great, then it's a nice achievement." The Assassin airs on Prime Video.
