Latest news with #Assassin
The Sun
12 hours ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside The Assassin star Keeley Hawes' love story with famous husband she met on set
The Assassin star Keeley Hawes has an equally famous husband, whom she met in one of her most iconic TV roles. The Assassin star Keeley Hawes, is already garnering acclaim for her portrayal of Julie in the new six-part thriller on Prime Video. She shares the screen with The Good Doctor's Freddie Highmore, who plays her son in this high-octane action drama. Keeley is one of the most prominent British actresses gracing our television screens today, with notable roles in blockbuster shows such as Ashes to Ashes, Line of Duty, Bodyguard, The Durrells and It's A Sin. Her recent appearances include the BBC period drama Miss Austen and Netflix's Scoop. However, fans may not be aware that Keeley's husband is equally renowned, boasting a number of iconic roles across both film and television. Who is Keeley Hawes' husband? Keeley Hawes is wedded to fellow actor Matthew MacFadyen, with the couple exchanging vows in 2004. The power duo have two children together, Maggie and Ralph, and also jointly parent Keeley's son Myles from her previous marriage, reports the Express. Matthew is best recognised for his role as Tom Wambsgans in HBO's Succession and Mr Darcy in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, where he starred alongside Keira Knightley. His other credits encompass the Marvel film Deadpool and Wolverine, the 2021 film Operation Mincemeat, and the television series Ripper Street. Keeley and Matthew recently shared the screen in ITV's Stonehouse, a drama inspired by the true story of a British politician who staged his own death. How did Keeley Hawes and Matthew MacFadyen meet? Keeley Hawes and Matthew MacFadyen first crossed paths in 2002 when they were both cast in the popular BBC spy drama, Spooks. Matthew graced the screen in 19 episodes as Tom Quinn, while Keeley shone in 22 episodes as Zoe Reynolds. Back then, Keeley was wed to cartoonist Spencer McCallum, but their marriage ended in divorce in 2004, just a few months before she tied the knot with her co-star Matthew. Although Keeley has always said she and Matthew didn't begin a relationship until her previous marriage was over, she's since confessed that the set of the show was where they fell in love. Speaking in a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, she disclosed: "Matthew just came straight out with it and said 'I love you' in the rain one day. I thought, 'Oh dear, here we go.'" Post-divorce, Keeley and her former husband Spencer have kept things amicable, co-parenting their now-grown-up son Myles. What is Keeley Hawes' new series The Assassin about? The official IMDb synopsis for The Assassin reads: 'A retired assassin reunites with her estranged son, but her dangerous past catches up with them, forcing them to go on the run together while uncovering a dark conspiracy that threatens their relationship.' Prime Video has also given a longer description, which reads: 'Set against the idyllic backdrop of a remote Greek island, the images see retired assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes) and her estranged son Edward (Freddie Highmore) as they are forced to work together in a fight for survival. 'Amid questions around Edward's paternity and Julie's dangerous past catching up with her, the pair are forced to flee the island and go on the run together.'
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
