Warning: this post contains spoilers for The Day of the Jackal. Eddie Redmayne, at 42 years old, was well aware that a great deal was at stake with this remake. Just like any other remake, he had his reservations about how the Peacock series would measure up to Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel and the 1973 film where Edward Fox portrayed the titular assassin. Redmayne openly admitted to PEOPLE, "I'm the biggest f—ing fan of the original movie. And even though this is a completely different beast, you don't want to butcher it."

Relief and Thrill: The Series' Reception

Naturally, the fact that the series, which was renewed for a second season after only seven episodes had premiered and received two Golden Globe nominations, has been well received brought a significant sense of relief to the actor. Redmayne expressed his excitement, saying, "I'm thrilled that it's resonated." He then shared why the role, which was a departure from his previous projects, attracted him despite the pressures. "I'm an actor — what I love is doing different things, and if that can subvert people's expectations a bit, then that's thrilling," he explained.

The Jackal as an Actor

It's interesting to note that the Jackal himself is "fundamentally" an actor as well. Redmayne elaborated, "That was one of the things that I enjoyed most about this part. Rather than reaching out for the character, I kept saying, 'Hey, if I was this guy' — aside from having one eye stronger than the other so I'm a really s— shot — I was like, 'How would I go about this? How would I manipulate the situation?' I kept drawing him back to me, and so it's been a ton of fun. It's also played into my being quite obsessive and meticulous, and the character shares these traits, so I think they cast quite well on that."

Major Changes from the 1973 Film

The 10-episode series came to a explosive conclusion with a two-episode finale on Dec. 12 and made some significant changes to the 1973 film. Redmayne described it as a "juggling act" to handle. "The Jackal dies in the original movie, but it is so…shockingly abrupt, and that is kind of the genius of it. And that was something that everyone wanted to retain, even though we were shifting who was going to survive," he revealed. Referring to the fact that the Jackal survives season 1 but Bianca (Lashana Lynch), the MI-6 agent hunting him across Europe, dies. "That was a thing to juggle. When an audience has spent 10 hours with a character — brilliantly played by Lashana — how do you retain the abruptness whilst also tipping your hat to her, to Bianca's tenacity and her compulsion?"

Family Pressure and Dad's View

Redmayne's dad is a big fan of the original movie, which added some extra pressure on the actor. As he said on Late Night with Seth Meyers, his dad warned him, "Don't f— it up." At the time of the interview, Redmayne said his dad still "hasn't seen" the two-episode finale, so he's not sure if it will get the stamp of approval or not. "It plays tonight in the UK.., so he hasn't seen it," he said. "But he's been keeping me abreast each week on whether… So far I'm doing okay, but I'll let you know after I speak to him tonight."Season 1 of The Day of the Jackal can be streamed in full on Peacock.