The Filmmaker’s Podcast #449: ‘The Amateur’ director James Hawes & actress Caitríona Balfe
Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #449: ‘The Amateur’: Shooting an Action Thriller around the world with director James Hawes & actress Caitríona Balfe
Today on the show, we’re joined by the brilliant James Hawes – director of Slow Horses, Black Mirror, and One Life – alongside the wonderfully talented Caitríona Balfe, acclaimed for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Outlander and her standout role in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. They each sat down with host Dom Lenoir to dive into their latest feature film, The Amateur (2025), an edge-of-your-seat espionage thriller starring Rami Malek, Jon Bernthal, and Rachel Brosnahan. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore:
- How the project came together
- The challenges and logistics of shooting a globe-trotting action thriller
- Finding the right tone: balancing emotional depth with high-stakes genre storytelling
- Directing and acting insights from two masters of their craft
- Collaborating under pressure
- …and so much more.
The Amateur is out now. Check out our review right here.
Follow The Filmmakers Podcast on Twitter: @filmmakerspod | @gilesalderson and the official website
