Eddie Redmayne is due to appear on TV screens again next week as he plays the role of an elusive assassin. 

The British actor, known for his part as Newt Scamander in the Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts will swap a wand for a sniper as he stars in Sky's latest thriller, The Day of the Jackal. 

Launching on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on November 7, the series is an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's 1971 political thriller novel. 

Redmayne's character, Jackal, makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee but soon meets his match in a tenacious British Intelligence officer who tracks him down in a chase across Europe. 

It's not the first time Redmayne has taken a leading role, starring in major movies such as The Theory of Everything where he played Professor Stephen Hawking. 

But did you know that the 42-year-old London-born actor actually learnt his trade in High Wycombe?

The Oscar-winner was one of many young budding actors to hone their skills at the Jackie Palmer Stage School. 

While attending Eton, the star trained at the Bridge Street acting school at weekends and still stays in touch with those who helped him master his trade. 

READ MORE: Principal of the Jackie Palmer Stage School, Marylyn Phillips, says they are 'over the moon' for Oscar-winning Best Actor Eddie Redmayne

Marylyn Phillips, Principal of Jackie Palmer Stage School said she is looking forward to watching the new series. 

She told the Bucks Free Press: "The aim of the school is to prepare our students for the entertainment industry and we are always very proud of those who do go into the industry, but equally proud of our students who go on to train as doctors, vets, teachers etc and we are thrilled when past pupils pop in to visit us.

"Many of them stay in touch with each other and are still good friends.

"Eddie is very talented, and great to work with and I am looking forward to seeing the new programme."

Redmayne is one of many who went on to lead successful acting careers with both James Corden and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also training at the Wycombe site.

He applied to join the Jackie Palmer Agency at age 10 and joined the school for shows at the Wycombe Swan, singing from shows like 'Into the Woods' and 'Sweeney Todd'. 

But that didn't spell the end of his time in Buckinghamshire as he returned to film Stephen and Jane Hawking’s wedding scene at Holy Trinity Church in Penn with other scenes shot around Puttenham Farm and woodland areas in Penn Bottom.