You’ve probably seen the posters by now. Eddie Redmayne looking cold, sharp, and unrecognizable under layers of prosthetics. But the thing about The Day of the Jackal TV series cast is that it isn't just a one-man show. It’s a massive, sprawling game of chess across Europe. Honestly, when I first heard they were remaking the Frederick Forsyth classic, I was skeptical. How do you top the 1973 film? Well, you do it by hiring a cast that makes the internal struggle just as interesting as the long-range sniper shots.
The Man Behind the Mask: Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal
Eddie Redmayne is the lead here, playing a character known as Alexander Duggan (among many other aliases). He’s an assassin who doesn't just kill people; he disappears. Redmayne spent a ton of time doing actual sniper training for this. He wanted to understand the "dehumanizing" aspect of looking at a target through a lens.
In this version, the Jackal has a secret life in Spain. He’s got a wife, Nuria, and a son. It adds a weird, domestic layer to a guy who usually spends his Tuesday mornings calculating wind speed to put a bullet through a billionaire’s head. It’s a bit sociopathic, sure. But Redmayne plays it with this quiet, eerie focus that makes you kinda want to see him get away with it.
The Unstoppable Force: Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman
If the Jackal is the ghost, Bianca Pullman is the person who refuses to stop hunting him. Lashana Lynch is brilliant here. She’s an MI6 agent who is, basically, a "pain in the arse" to her superiors. That’s a real quote from her boss in the show, by the way.
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She’s a firearms expert. She has a hunch about a record-distance shot that everyone else thinks is impossible. What’s cool about her character is that she isn't some perfect, shiny hero. She’s messy. She lies to her family. She suffocates a guy with a pillow to get information. It’s that "ugly and ferocious" bite that Lynch talked about in interviews that makes her the perfect foil for the Jackal.
The Supporting Players Who Make It Feel Real
The show really rounds out the world with some heavy hitters. The Day of the Jackal TV series cast includes:
- Úrsula Corberó (Nuria): You probably know her from Money Heist. Here, she plays the Jackal’s wife. She thinks he’s "Charles Calthrop," a guy who works in finance or something equally boring. Her brother, Alvaro, is a total deadbeat who starts poking around where he shouldn't, which is never a good idea when your brother-in-law is a world-class killer.
- Charles Dance (Timothy Winthrop): Because you can't have a high-stakes British thriller without Charles Dance. He plays a powerful financier who is essentially the Jackal’s new employer. He’s cold, rich, and clearly the kind of guy who doesn't like being told "no."
- Chukwudi Iwuji (Osita Halcrow): He’s Bianca’s direct boss at MI6. He has to deal with her "cannonball" personality while keeping the higher-ups happy.
- Khalid Abdalla (Ulle Dag Charles): Also known as UDC. He’s the target. A billionaire tech bro who wants to launch a software called "River" to expose illegal financial networks. He’s the visionary who basically puts a target on his own back by being too honest.
Why the Cast Dynamics Matter
The show is basically two separate movies happening at once. Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch actually spent almost no time on set together. It’s a cat-and-mouse game where the cat and the mouse are in different countries for 90% of the runtime.
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You’ve got Richard Dormer playing Norman, a weapons specialist who helps the Jackal. Then there’s Lia Williams as Isabel Kirby, an MI6 boss who has to make the "tough calls." It’s this web of people all trying to outmaneuver each other.
The Realistic Grit
One thing the creators, including writer Ronan Bennett, did really well was making the MI6 side of things feel unglamorous. It’s not James Bond. It’s people sitting in dark rooms, looking at laptops, and dealing with office politics. Bianca is a Black woman in a workspace where being "too much" is often coded as "difficult." Lashana Lynch actually co-executive produced the series to make sure that background felt authentic to her West London roots.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cast
A lot of people think this is just a straight remake of the movie. It’s not. The 1973 version was very "procedural." You watched the Jackal build his gun, and you watched the police chase him. This version is way more about the cost of the job.
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It’s about how being an assassin ruins your ability to be a husband. It’s about how being an obsessed MI6 agent ruins your ability to be a mother. The cast has to carry that emotional weight, which is a lot harder than just looking cool with a rifle.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're diving into the series or looking to see more from this talented group, here’s how to follow their best work:
- Watch the original film: If you haven't seen the 1973 Edward Fox version, do it. It helps you appreciate the subtle nods the new cast makes to the source material.
- Follow the "Section 303" vibe: If you liked Lashana Lynch here, check out The Woman King or her turn as Nomi in No Time to Die. She specializes in these "formidable but flawed" roles.
- Don't skip the "River" subplot: Pay attention to Khalid Abdalla’s character. His tech-billionaire storyline is the engine that drives the entire plot forward.
The brilliance of The Day of the Jackal TV series cast lies in the fact that every character feels like they have a life outside of the main plot. They aren't just chess pieces; they’re people with messy families and bad habits. That’s what makes the stakes feel so high when the bullets finally start flying.