Izuka Hoyle spent three months handcuffed in Prisoner Sky
Izuka Hoyle said she spent three months handcuffed to Tahar Rahim while filming prisoner sky, the Sky Original six-part thriller Prisoner. Hoyle said the setup made the work feel physical from the start, and the series reached its U.K. release on Thursday.
Hoyle and Rahim on set
Hoyle said she and Rahim “instantly clicked and fell in love, so to speak.” She also said, “He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest scene partners I’ve had the pleasure to work with.” That working bond sits at the center of Prisoner, where Amber Todd, a prison transport officer returning to work shortly after becoming a mother, must accompany high-value inmate Tibor Stone to court to testify against his elite crime syndicate.
Hoyle said, “I think what got me most excited was the handcuff business.” She said the characters are handcuffed while dodging bullets, swimming in open water, and eliminating threats. The series pairs that physical setup with a story built around Amber Todd’s first day back at work, when the syndicate’s lackeys try to kill Tibor Stone before he can reach court.
Matt Charman’s Prisoner
Prisoner is created by Matt Charman and stars Finn Bennett, Eddie Marsan and Laurie Davidson alongside Hoyle and Rahim. Hoyle said health and safety concerns required stunt professionals on set, and she said the practical demands were part of what drew her to the role.
She said her character’s value also came from maternal instincts, morality, and an inability to commit the same sociopathic acts of violence as Tibor Stone. Hoyle began her screen journey in 2018 with Mary Queen of Scots, and before Prisoner she appeared in Six: the Musical, The Wheel of Time, Big Boys, Ludwig and Boiling Point.
Hoyle’s next turn
Hoyle also said she wants to do something “camp and wonderful, something really loud. I’d quite like to show off.” For viewers coming to Prisoner for the first time, the most distinctive detail is already clear: the show’s central partnership depends on keeping two leads locked together through action scenes that needed stunt support to stay workable.
