“She’s not the coolest assassin in the world, but she’s a great character in her own right”: Keeley Hawes, Harry and Jack Williams, Freddie Highmore, Shalom Brune-Franklin and Devon Terrell on The Assassin
Harry and Jack Williams’s The Assassin is far from a conventional thriller, delivering something altogether more idiosyncratic and pushing a familiar trope into unexpected realms – both literally and figuratively. At a recent Q&A, the show’s co-creators and brothers Jack and Harry Williams, joined by actors Keeley Hawes, Freddie Highmore, Shalom Brune-Franklin and Devon Terrell, spoke about the show’s distinctive voice.
That blend of extremes is no accident. Harry Williams spoke about grounding the series’ heightened world in relatable human stakes. “Family dynamics are always intriguing to us,” he said, explaining that amid espionage and secrets, it was the characters’ personal ties that gave the story weight.
“Everyone has varying degrees of family relationships that are complicated or messy, and that’s very accessible,” Jack Williams expanded on that idea, “The assassin world isn’t – so you want something people can relate to emotionally, even when there’s all this heightened stuff going on.”
Hawes, reflecting on her titular role, admitted it wasn’t simply the idea of playing a hitwoman that attracted her, but rather the chance to portray an estranged mother. “I think the thing that actually appealed more was exploring that relationship,” she said, referring to her on-screen dynamic with Highmore. “She’s not the coolest assassin in the world, but she’s a great character in her own right.”
For Highmore, who plays Ed, the appeal lay in his character’s flaws. “Ed was definitely an overthinker, and that got him into trouble,” he shared. “He’s made some very bad mistakes and has hidden a lot of things from people.” Terrell, meanwhile, offered a different perspective on his role as Ezra. “I’m a bit of an overthinker and all over the place, whereas this character doesn’t think about anything,” he said, adding that he based his portrayal on a family member.
Brune-Franklin, who starred in The Tourist (2022), agreed, highlighting the brothers’ writing style. “The tone is just so unique – I love when you open one of their scripts and you’re giggling along at the most awful things that you probably shouldn’t be laughing at,” she said, pointing to the show’s dance between tension and absurdity. “I love it – the action and the comedy.”
“It’s extraordinary to me that The Missing (2014), The Tourist (2022), and this show all came out of the same people,” added Hawes, emphasising the range of their work.
Christina Yang
The Assassin is released on Prime Video on 25th July 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Assassin here:
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