ANNA FRIEL ON HER NEW TV DRAMA
ANNA FRIEL TALKS ABOUT SEX SCENES AND SCHOOL GATES
Dubbed the British answer to HBO smash Big Little Lies, OK! couldn’t wait to join the cast of ITV’S Deep Water for an exclusive preview. Leading the way is Anna Friel, who stars alongside Sinead Keenan and Rosalind Eleazar in the emotional thriller.
Anna, 43, plays Lisa Kallisto, a mother of three balancing parenthood with running a business, while her taxi driver husband isn’t around to help. For the actress, who shares 14-year-old daughter Gracie with former partner David Thewlis, the storyline was relatable, she says. ‘Like so many of us, she’s juggling motherhood and a full-time job,’ explains the star.
Here, Anna talks about filming in the Lake District and reveals why working with dalmatians is a bad idea...
What drew you to this show?
I like that it’s about three women, and I wanted to work with the fine actresses involved. It’s an emotional thriller that’s about real life. I found it very relatable.
It’s been dubbed the British Big
Little Lies. What do you think of the comparison?
I like Big Little Lies! I haven’t seen series two as I’m waiting for time to watch it all at once. All the Deep Water episodes will be available to watch at once.
Both series use the school playground in a lot of scenes. Why do you think that works? It’s a place of community where you can talk to other mums that you might not usually. I’m working a lot so when I have the chance to do it I’m thrilled. I’m a ‘whatever falls out the wardrobe, put it on and can’t believe I’ve actually made it’ mum.
What do you think of the choices Lisa makes?
Like so many of us, she’s juggling motherhood and having a fulltime job while maintaining a relationship, which in this day and age is becoming harder and harder. It’s become unachievable, and she represents that. She has a moment of indiscretion, and there are consequences. She’s not as secure as those around her, but aren’t we all insecure? We all put on a suit of armour. We put on lipstick to show how strong we are, that we can survive.
How did you find filming your sex scene?
The sink in the scene was cold as it was marble. The hardest part was that he was so very tall! It wasn’t salacious in any way because I’d be opposed to that. It was very much part of the story, and there was a lot of discussion that went into it. I had nothing on underneath the dress to keep me warm – not even Spanx. We had a wonderful wardrobe team who gave us hot water bottles in between takes, but we all got quite used to being cold.
Were there other challenges?
I did have to handle two dalmatians, and you’re not meant
to put them together as they both want to dominate. There was a lot of driving around in the car, and we had to keep the windows up because of the sound recordings so the aroma was breath-taking.
What was it like to work in the Lake District?
Beautiful, but it rained nearly every day and we never got to go out for a drink once. There was no phone signal. It was refreshing and healthy for our minds, but as far as keeping in contact with the outside world, it wasn’t easy. It was six hours door to door for me to get to Gracie. I spent more time on my own than I probably ever have. Most evenings or weekends I didn’t see anyone. It was quite a lonely experience – that’s not being negative, just honest. When Gracie came, I just said: ‘Shall we go and get a dog?’ I got myself a pomapoo called Eunice!