Where do contract killers go to retire? In new Prime Video drama series The Assassin, it’s a sun-kissed Greek island, where former gun-for-hire Julie (Miss Austen’s Keeley Hawes) is growing old disgracefully, as she spends her days drinking, sunbathing and arguing with the locals in a picturesque coastal village.
But when her grown-up son Edward (The Good Doctor’s Freddie Highmore) arrives looking for answers about his father, and Julie is approached to come out of retirement for one last job, the dysfunctional duo find themselves on the run as events take a deadly and terrifying turn.
Created by Jack and Harry Williams, the makers of The Missing and The Tourist, the six-parter follows the odd couple, plus islander Luka (Gerald Kydd) and wealthy siblings Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin) and Ezra (Devon Terrell), as they embark on a thrilling pan-European adventure.
We got Hawes, 49, and Highmore, 33, in the cross-hairs for a chat about this action-packed, funny and touching drama…
Where do we find Julie and her son Edward at the start of the series?
Hawes “Julie’s happy living on her own. She is not completely estranged with Edward, as there have been a few texts over the years, but suddenly he comes back into her life.”
Highmore “Edward arrives attempting to reconnect with his mother and with questions about his past, their relationship and who his father is. He’s harbouring a lot of secrets and feelings, so this is a big step for him.”
What did you make of them as characters?
Hawes “Julie is not the coolest assassin in the world, but she’s a great character. She and Edward are actually very similar, though they would never admit it. She was a very young mother, and probably not quite ready for it, but still a good one. She’s treated Edward as an equal, and they are more like friends.”
Highmore “Edward is definitely an overthinker, and that gets him into trouble. He’s made some bad mistakes and hidden a lot of things from people that he shouldn’t have – and that’s part of the estrangement between them.”
How did you enjoy working with each other?
Hawes “I enjoyed every second of working with Freddie. We initially met over Zoom and hit it off straight away, as we’re very similar and have lots of the same interests and the same sense of humour. It’s great when you have that chemistry with someone.”
Highmore “Keeley is brilliant and one of the main reasons I wanted to be part of this project. We’ve certainly bonded.”
What attracted you to this project?
Highmore “Apart from the brilliant co-creators Jack and Harry Williams , the fact that this is a high-stakes thriller with a dark humour.”
Hawes “I love Jack and Harry’s writing. I worked with them around 10 years ago on the second series of The Missing, and they have incredible, creative minds. Everything feels true, and the dialogue is funny but the emotional aspects are also incredibly heartfelt.”
What was it like filming in Greece?
Highmore “The variety of locations we filmed in was crazy – sea, woods, yachts, mansions. And the idyllic Greek island that Julie’s living on is a world that everyone would want to spend time in. The most challenging thing was the heat. Any sweat that can be seen on screen as we run around is most likely genuine.”
Hawes “It was so lovely coming back. I did The Durrells in Corfu, with many crew members from Athens, so I was back with a lot of those people. There’s nothing better than walking onto a set on your first day, feeling nervous, to be greeted by familiar faces. Greece also doubles brilliantly for the other countries we visit in the series, such as Spain, France and Albania.”
Why should viewers watch this show?
Hawes “It’s a thriller that has high-stakes drama and action, but there’s also a lovely relationship at the heart of the story between Julie and Edward.
Highmore “It’s ultimately about a relationship between a mother and son which is powerful, emotional and as universal as anything can be.”
The Assassin will be available on Prime Video from Friday 25 July.