Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne is no stranger to altering his appearance, but his most recent role required such heavy prosthetics that even Redmayne struggled to stay in character. A meticulous assassin in a miniseries remake of the 1973 political thriller The Day of the Jackal, the first episode finds Redmayne buried beneath several layers of rubber and foam, while his character infiltrates a target’s headquarters disguised as an elderly German cleaner.
Thankfully, Redmayne only needed to don the intense disguise for one scene — but his description of the transformation seems torturous at best. In order to become a convincingly old man, Redmayne had to endure four hours of hair and makeup before using a foam suit to increase his body mass. To make matters worse, the scene was shot in a studio with no air-conditioning, on a nightmarishly hot, Hungarian day. “My overwhelming memory of those days was Richard coming and doing pin pricks through the prosthetic and this sweat oozing out the top,” Redmayne recalled.
Simply enduring the prosthetics wasn’t enough, however; Redmayne also discussed the unique difficulties of acting while encased in a rubbery prison. Because the transformation process is so time-consuming, and the materials are so expensive, actors are given very little time to prep their scenes, instead relying almost entirely on trial and error. Additionally, if a character’s voice doesn’t match their artificially altered appearance, the entire facade is ruined. Redmayne said:
You can have a wonderful prosthetic, but if that doesn’t marry with a voice, then you’re screwed. Once you’ve prepped the German-speaking, you’ve then got to drop the pitch of it in order to marry with the fact that this guy is a 70-year-old chain smoker.
Redmayne’s Dedication to His Performance in The Day of the Jackal Pays Off
For Redmayne to endure such physically torturous conditions, The Day of the Jackal must certainly be something special. Adapted from the 1973 film of the same name, and based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel, the series faithfully follows in the footsteps of its predecessors as a character study in moral ambiguity, matching memorable writing with cool, calculated acting. The Day of the Jackal‘s dynamics and ethical gray areas are evocative of shows like Killing Eve, while its carefully constructed game of cat-and-mouse is more reminiscent of NBC’s Hannibal. Redmayne added:
“I love that you see the meticulousness with which he prepares. You see what his process is. His strategies are constructed with the minutia of a Swiss watch. I find great catharsis in watching that unfold.”
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Although the 1973 film holds considerable sway among movie-lovers — causing some to wonder if a remake was truly necessary — early reviews for The Day of the Jackal nevertheless indicate a positive future for the television series. Debuting at an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have praised Redmayne’s enthralling performance and emotional depth, as well as the show’s overall execution, pacing, and suspense. At the moment, however, it’s too soon to say if this particular adaptation will earn a long-lasting legacy similar to the original.
The Day of the Jackal
- Cast
- Eddie Redmayne , Lashana Lynch , Úrsula Corberó , Charles Dance , Richard Dormer , Chukwudi Iwuji , Lia Williams , Khalid Abdalla , Eleanor Matsuura , Jonjo O’Neill , Sule Rimi
- Writers
- Ronan Bennett
- Network
- Sky Atlantic
- Directors
- Brian Kirk
- Producers
- Christopher Hall , Nigel Marchant
- Character(s)
- The Jackal , Bianca , Núria , Timothy Winthrop , Norman , Osita Halcrow , Isabel Kirby , Ulle Dag Charles , Zina Jansone , Edward Carver , Paul Pullman