Day of the Jackal’s Úrsula Corberó had early doubts about role: "She’s weak"

In a deviation from the book and prior adaptations, this version of the story imagines the Jackal with a secret wife and family that he keeps hidden away at a luxury manor in Spain.

Corberó plays Nuria, his longtime wife and the mother of his son, who initially has no inkling of the true nature of his work, despite his considerable efforts to keep their life under the radar.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, the former Money Heist and Snake Eyes actor revealed that this gave her some pause at first, following a career in which she has played several bold action heroes.

"I remember I had the Zoom [call] with the producers when I read the first three episodes, and I was like, 'Guys, why are you calling me to do this? I don’t understand,'" Corberó recalled.

"Because I’d only read three episodes, I was thinking 'she’s weak, she’s a trophy wife – so what’s the point?'"

She continued: "And then I really thought about it, and I was like 'OK, Úrsula, this is a very different character from the characters you’ve done before.

"And also, maybe if you play this character with a strong personality from the beginning, but finding her strength by the time she realises that something is wrong – maybe that’s a very interesting arc for the character.'"

Ultimately, Corberó was won over by the later scripts for the series, which see her character grapple with some startling revelations as she inches closer to the truth of her husband's identity.

Corberó added: "I really like the fact that she’s vulnerable, but strong at the same time – I think we’re all like this.

"Being strong doesn’t mean that you can’t be vulnerable and vice versa, so I guess this is one of the most human characters I’ve played, which is kind of cool."

The Day of the Jackal remake also features Game of Thrones stars Charles Dance and Richard Dormer, plus Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3's Chukwudi Iwuji, Mr Bates vs The Post Office's Lia Williams and The Walking Dead's Eleanor Matsuura.

The Day of the Jackal premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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