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What appealed to you
about this new role?
I liked the idea that it was
an ensemble cast featuring
three very different women- and I especially fancied
being a country girl working
in the Lake District! I’ve
been coming to the Lakes
for over 20 years because
my godparents moved back
here. They live in Troutbeck.
So, when I saw a character
description that read,
‘Lisa Kallisto, who lives in
Troutbeck, which you’ve
probably never heard of,’
I said, ‘Actually, that’s the
one place I go to every single
year!’ I’m like a little girl
when I go there, I’m still 14.
It’s a wonderful location, but
it’s a very different thing to
come and work here! It can
be a logistical nightmare. The
weather at the start of filming
was absolutely horrific. But
the landscapes and the views
are so beautiful, it’s a haunting
place. It’s very special.What can you tell us about
your character, Lisa?
She runs kennels, looking after
people’s dogs. I think Lisa is
content but, when she sees
other people’s lives and thinks
how much better it can be,
she starts questioning herself.
But be careful what you
wish for... I think she’s very
relatable – all three women in
this drama are recognisable
to the audience. Like so many
of us, juggling motherhood
and having a full time job and
maintaining a relationship in
this day and age has become
harder and harder and seems
more and more unachievable.
She represents that.There’s an old actors’
saying: never work with
children or animals. How
was it filming in kennels?
Oh, I love working with
dogs. It was a little bit of a
challenge at times. Lisa hasS
ince she shot to
fame as teenager
Beth Jordache inBrookside, Anna Friel
has never looked back.
With roles in movies,
West End theatre and TV
from US show Pushing
Daisies to UK dramas
Marcella and Butterfly,
she is one of our most
successful actresses.
Rochdale-born Anna,
43, lives in London with
daughter Gracie, 14, who
she shares with actor
and ex-partner David
Thewlis. best caught
up with her to hear
all about her new,
female-led drama
for ITV, Deep Water.
‘The landscapes and the
views are so beautiful, it’s
a haunting place...’
‘When I go to
the Lakes,
I feel 14 again...’
two Dalmatians, as strong as
horses. There will be a few
funny out-takes of me trying
to get them into Lisa’s van. I
did a lot of driving around with
dogs, with the windows up
because of sound recording.
The aroma in the car was
breathtakingly beautiful by
the end of the day. I actually
bought a puppy while we
were filming- I have little
Eunice, the pommy-poo came
back from the Lake District
with me. She has joined our
little family -we already have
Maggie May – so they are two
very happy doggy sistersWhat’s Lisa’s relationship
like with her taxi driver
husband, Joe?
Very fractured. He works
nights, she works in the day,
so they are like passing ships.
They don’t have enough
time together and they’ve
grown apart. Joe wants
Lisa to accept things
as they are, but Lisa
wants them to
both grow as a
couple. She loves
him but she’s
honest enough
to face those
facts.In Deep
Water, Anna
plays a mum
who’s asking
questions
about her life