Ursula Corbero, star of Day of the Jackal, has admitted it took some time to warm up to her role as Nuria in the forthcoming spy drama. The 10-part Sky series is a fresh take on the 1973 film, which was based on Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel, and follows a cold-blooded assassin known only as the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne).
After his latest political assassination, the expert marksman is hunted by intelligence officer Bianca (Lashana Lynch), with the series exploring his enigmatic life and past. Money Heist's Corbero plays the Jackal's oblivious wife Nuria, who enjoys a luxurious lifestyle until she starts to uncover her husband's secret life.
"I kind of fell in love with this character," she confessed at the London premiere. However, she conceded: "At the beginning I was a little bit confused because it felt like she was a little bit weak.
"But then, I remember, we started some rehearsals with Eddie and Brian and I just realised that was the arc of the character. It was very, very interesting for me."
Corbero, known globally for her role as the ruthless thief Tokyo in Netflix's Spanish hit series Money Heist, found her more domestic role in Day of the Jackal initially challenging, but soon discovered there were more facets to Nuria than she had anticipated, reports the Mirror.
"I'm more used to playing strong characters at the beginning, bad-ass characters," she detailed. "So it was very interesting to me to see how I would work on that arc.
"Nuria, she's just not a very ambitious woman, she just wants a happy life. She doesn't like trouble. But, by the time she knows that something is going on, she comes to understand that there is some strength in her she never had to show up. That's very interesting."
Corbero, clearly enjoyed her time filming with the Fantastic Beasts lead but didn't shy away from playful jabs during the cast Q&A session.
On working with Redmayne, she humorously declared: "It was terrible. Like a nightmare. Still suffering. In silence."
She playfully ribbed Redmayne, saying: "I mean, I've been the whole day talking good things about you, that's why I need to [put you down] a little bit. But he's the best. He's the best."
Then she added, lavishing praise: "He's talented, he's perfect. Perfection exists, it's called Eddie Redmayne."
Eager viewers can look forward to an exciting binge with five episodes dropping this Thursday, and subsequent instalments arriving on a weekly schedule.
