This surveillance specialist trains actors to play spies in movies

By George Mathias

A surveillance specialist revealed the spy tricks he taught Eddie Redmayne in preparation for "The Day of the Jackal" - including the infamous ploy to use a phone as a weapon.

Paul Biddiss, 56, from Oxford, spent 25 years in the parachute regiment of the British Army but now works with A-List actors, teaching them insider tips on surveillance and spying.

He spent two months teaching Redmayne eight hours per day in threat assessment and situational awareness, self-defense and evasion methods, lock picking, tracking, and different types of surveillance.

He even sent the Oscar-winning actor on a pretend undercover mission to track down a woman in central London.

He also taught him how to use a phone as a weapon - which Redmayne joked about on the Graham Norton sofa, resulting in the viral comeback from Saoirse Ronan.

The series sees Redmayne play a ruthless British assassin, known as the Jackal, who is being hunted down by an intelligence officer tasked with capturing him.

Paul said: “Eddy wanted to know as much as possible.

"I went into all the details and he took it all in – he’s very meticulous, he did a fantastic job.

"The best moment was sending him on a ‘mission’ in London.

“Eddie had to try and disguise himself and track a target - the subject was my wife Debbie.

“She is the hardest person to find – especially when she goes into shop like Zara!

“She went into Superdrug and he had to go and memorize all the CCTV cameras, all the exits, try and keep eye on the target.”

Eddie had to track everything Debbie was doing, and Debbie decided to have some fun – by buying hemorrhoid cream.

Paul said: “When I spoke to him after he got out the shop he looked a bit shocked.

“He just said: ‘She bought pile cream!’

“I didn’t want to give it away – but I was laughing inside - I had to say – that might be a clue – it could be for explosives!”

Paul has worked on a host of Hollywood films, including 1917 and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and runs his own company which offers advice and training for actors.

He left the army in 2012 before setting up his company which helps to train military veterans to work in the film industry.

Paul said Eddie was one of his best students.

“He did really well, was clocking all the cameras, using mobile to pretend he’s talking so he doesn’t look suspicious.”

Eddie Redmayne hit the headlines recently after discussing the very surveillance techniques he learned on the Graham Norton Show.

Redmayne explained he had been taught how to use a phone as a weapon, leading to actor Paul Mescal questioning whether anyone would realistically have time to take their phone out when being attacked.

Actress Saoirse Ronan then commented: "That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?"

Paul said: “It was me who trained him with that – obviously the comments caused a bit of a stir.”

"I did the same for Lashana Lynch (Eddie’s co-star) a week later – she was also great.

“I had her believing that Eddie was following her for training!”

Paul also did ‘close-quarter weapons training’ with Eddie.

Paul said: “He was worried – I wanted to make sure he looked the part with the weapons.

We trained with a mate of mine who is a master sniper from the army and also an ex-paratrooper.

“We got him onto ranges – he was firing some of the most advance sniper weapons and hitting bullseyes from 1000 meters!

“I went into all the details and he took it all in he did a fantastic job.

“Loshana worked hard also – she had had some training on Bond but I made it even better.

“I always joke if I had trained Bond he wouldn't have died on No Time to Die!”