How Anthony Boyle Became ‘Maniacal Racist’ Assassin John Wilkes Booth

Unlike John Wilkes Booth, who spent his life comfortably in the saddle, Northern Irish actor Anthony Boyle had never ridden a horse until he was cast as Abraham Lincoln’s infamous assassin in the new AppleTV+ limited series Manhunt.

Before Booth became 1865’s most wanted man in America, he was known as an actor specializing in stunts and supporting roles. But when Booth made an audacious leap to the Ford Theatre stage after he had shot the president, his boot spur got caught in a flag hanging from the president’s box, and his quick getaway hit a snag. You can’t let a little thing like a broken ankle get in the way when transportation is limited.

“I had to learn how to ride the horse with one leg. Horse riding is always two legs engaging the horse. To try to have the ankle out and still ride, try and act, and do the accent… I was juggling,” Boyle tells The Daily Beast’s Obsessed.

Read more at The Daily Beast.