New ITV drama Deep Water has already been winning comparisons to Big Little Lies following its first episode last week.
The show, based on the Windemere novels by Paula Daly, follows the fortunes of three women living in the Lake District who are each struggling with tough choices while trying to keep their family lives going.
The cast is led by Anna Friel as businesswoman Lisa Kallisto – marking the latest role for an actress who’s been a familiar face on the big and small screens in the past couple of decades.
Here’s what you need to know about Anna.
How old is Anna Friel and where is she from?
Anna, who is 43, was born on 12 July 1976.
She is from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, and has been acting since she was 13 years old.
What else has Anna Friel been in?
Anna originally found fame as Beth Jordache in the Channel 4 soap Brookside from 1993-1995.
She was involved in some of the soap’s most controversial plots during those two years, including the killing of her abusive father Trevor Jordache (who was later buried under their patio) as well as her character sharing the first ever pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British TV.
For a very long time I was defined by that kiss. And I didn’t want to be. I spent years turning down other lesbian roles because it felt like going back to Beth,’ she later explained. ‘But it did also make me want to take on parts that showed extreme sides of women.’
Anna later starred in Stephen Poliakoff’s controversial TV movie The Tribe, while her other small screen appearances include the likes of Our Mutual Friend, Perfect Strangers, Public Enemies, Broken and the 2018 drama Butterfly as the mother of a transgender child.
She found fame in the US starring on Broadway in Patrick Marber’s play Closer, while she also took the lead in the series Pushing Daisies, which ran from 2007-2009, as well as making movie appearances including Sunset Strip, Mad Cows, Goal! (and its sequel Goal II: Living The Dream), You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger and Limitless.
More recently she’s won critical acclaim for the title role in ITV detective drama Marcella, which is set to return for a third series.
Is Anna Friel married?
The actress has never been married but was previously in a relationship with actor David Thewlis – known to Harry Potter fans as Remus Lupin in the film series – and they have a daughter, Gracie, who was born in 2005.
She’s also been linked to the likes of Robbie Williams and Darren Day in the past, as well as dating actor Rhys Ifans – although it’s not known if she is currently in a relationship.
Deep Water continues on ITV on Wednesday night at 9pm.
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MORE: Deep Water episode 1 review: Dark drama holds promise thanks to three captivating leading ladies