Idyllic Greece is the setting for this gripping show starring Keeley Hawes – here’s all you need to know
Keeley Hawes’s hopes of a peaceful retirement on an isolated Greek isle are brought crashing down when her estranged son reappears and her past as a contract killer catches up with her.
The Assassin has landed on Prime Video offering a fast-paced trip through the Mediterranean as Julie (Hawes) and son Edward (Freddie Highmore) are forced to run for their lives.
Created by Harry and Jack Williams, the show is produced by Two Brothers Pictures, the firm behind The Tourist, Boat Story, and Fleabag.
And it has a cast which boasts Alan Dale, Jack Devonport and Shalom Brune-Franklin.
What is The Assassin about?
Secluded on a remote Greek island, retired assassin Julie has a thorny reunion with her estranged son Edward. He is visiting from England, armed with questions about his paternity.
But as he battles to find the right time to speak to his distant mother, things take a deadly turn as Julie’s dangerous past catches up with her.
They are forced to flee the island and go on the run together, fighting for survival. As they uncover a dark conspiracy, a greater danger emerges which will threaten to destroy their relationship entirely.
In a race against time, Julie fights to save Edward and salvage their relationship as past and present collide in a global showdown.
Who is in the cast of The Assassin?
Keeley Hawes
Hawes stars as Julie, a retired assassin living on a Greek island. The 49-year-old has appeared in shows such as Line of Duty, The Durrells, The Bodyguard, Spooks and Ashes to Ashes. She recently played Cassandra Austen in the BBC drama Miss Austen. Her film roles include Patricia Neal in To Olivia, Amanda Thirsk in Scoop, and Julia Morley in Misbehaviour.
Freddie Highmore
Freddie Highmore plays Edward, Julie’s estranged son and an investigative journalist. The British actor, 33, started his career as a child star in films such as Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Astro Boy.
On television, he has had leading roles as Norman Bates in Bates Motel, Victor Ferguson in Close to the Enemy and Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor.
Shalom Brune-Franklin
Brune-Franlin stars as Kayla, Edward’s fiancée and the daughter of a mining billionaire. The British-Australian actress, 30, rose to fame playing Maisie Richards in Our Girl. She has since starred in Cursed, Line of Duty, The Tourist, Baby Reindeer and Dune: Prophecy.
Alan Dale
Alan Dale is Aaron Cross, the father of Kayla and head of a wealthy mining family. The New Zealand actor, 78, began his career in the Australian soap operas The Young Doctors and Neighbour – he was Jim Robinson.
After moving to the US, he has had leading roles in The OC, NCIS, Ugly Betty, Dominion and Dynasty.
He has also appeared in the films Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The remaining cast of The Assassin includes:
- David Dencik as Jasper (Other People’s Money, Families Like Ours)
- Gerald Kyd as Luka (Casualty, Malory Towers)
- Devon Terrell as Ezra (Good Cop/Bad Cop, Cursed)
- Ibraim Cândido as Afonso (Giants, Lovers on Borders)
- Gina Gershon as Marie (PS I love You, Elsbeth)
- Elie Haddad as Jacques (Next of Kin, The Killer)
- Aurora Marion as the housekeeper (Before We Die, The Hunted)
- Kevin Kiernan-Molloy as Michael (The Tourist, Neighbours)
- Jack Davonport as Sean (Pirates of the Caribbean films, Dr Death)
Where is The Assassin filmed?
Filming took place in the Greek capital Athens last year, with cast and crew having to endure temperatures of 40°C during the summer months and wildfires.
Speaking to magazine Broadcast, executive producer Daisy Mount said: “We’d finished filming on a Friday at the cottage we used for Julie’s home and it looked lush and green all around.
“But when the crew went back on Monday, all the trees around the cottage had burned down. It was devastating – a lot of the crew have family outside Athens, or homes that were affected.”
Some of the oldest parts of the city were used to recreate the village feel of a Greek island, but Athens and the surrounding area was also the backdrop for scenes set in Albania, Libya, Bulgaria, Spain and the south of France.
When is The Assassin on Prime and how many episodes are there?
The Assassin debuted on Prime Video in the UK on Friday 25 July. All six episodes are now available to stream on the service but viewers will need a subscription to Prime Video. These cost from £5.99 a month or £8.99 when part of Amazon Prime membership.
