MOVIE NEWS – Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts, The Danish Girl) drew unexpected inspiration for his intriguing portrayal of the elusive assassin (the Jackal) in Peacock’s new spy thriller, The Day of the Jackal: a legendary, shape-shifting rock icon. “There’s a brilliant woman named Alexandra Reynolds, a dancer I worked with on The Theory of Everything,” Redmayne explains. “We worked on the Jackal’s different physicalities to pinpoint his identity because he’s a kind of vessel. He’s very enigmatic.”
“And we found this incredible interview with David Bowie from the ’70s,” Redmayne continues in a recent MovieWeb interview. The interview revealed Bowie in a new light—far removed from his usual glam persona. “It’s one of those rare moments where he’s totally himself, in casual clothes, no makeup. Nothing.” Comparing Bowie’s fluid personas to the Jackal’s own mysterious looks, Redmayne adds:
“[Bowie talked] about how uncomfortable it can be, how he felt more natural embodying others, but he’s also so enigmatic, captivating, quietly spoken, and completely draws you in. So, I used that. It was something I kept returning to.”
Could Redmayne’s Jackal Performance Land Him an Emmy Nod?
Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Day of the Jackal is already turning heads. Based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel—and its celebrated 1973 film adaptation—Redmayne plays the cunning Jackal, hired to eliminate a tech mogul before the launch of an app set to bring transparency to the world’s wealthiest. Pursued by a determined British intelligence agent (Lashana Lynch, Captain Marvel), the Jackal consistently outmaneuvers her with brilliant disguises and quick thinking. Meanwhile, the Jackal’s wife (Úrsula Corberó) starts questioning his frequent “business trips.” Look out for Emmy nods for the lead actors, the prosthetics team, and the costume department.
This high-stakes cat-and-mouse thriller, helmed by writer/executive producer Ronan Bennett (Top Boy), is already generating buzz for its stellar acting, suspense, and precision-crafted action sequences (with Gladiator II military advisor Paul Bidiss on board). The Day of the Jackal, which also stars Ben Hall, Sule Rimi, Jonjo O’Neill, and Stuart Whelan, offers a unique backstory that digs deeper into the Jackal’s past, exploring who he is and how he became the man we see today.