Anna Friel has said she battled “absolutely horrific” weather while filming in the remote Lake District for new series Deep Water.
The actress, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, stars in the forthcoming ITV series, adapted from the Windermere novels by author Paula Daly.
Friel, 43, has been visiting her godparents in the village of Troutbeck, close to where they filmed, for over 20 years.
She said “absolutely horrific” weather had made shooting in the Cumbrian countryside “very different” to going there on holiday.
The International Emmy-winner said: “The Lake District is a wonderful location but it’s a very different thing working here than it is to have time off. It can be a logistical nightmare.
“The weather at the start of filming was absolutely horrific. Then we got really lucky with blue sky and then it just got cold.
“The landscapes and the views in the Lake District are so beautiful, it’s a haunting place. The Lake District is very special, it feels pagan in a way, really majestic.
“My godparents have been down the road in Troutbeck and they cook me dinner, I’m still literally like a little girl when I go to their house, I’m still 14.”
The Marcella actress stars opposite Sinead Keenan and Rosalind Eleazar in the six-part emotional thriller, which follows the lives of three complex women who are all struggling to do their best for their families, but face tough choices.
The women are connected by the school gates, each with children around the same age.
Friel plays disorganised mother-of-three Lisa Kallisto, who juggles her hectic family life with running a business.
She said the show will see Kallisto “questioning herself and her true happiness”.
Friel said: “Is she just convincing herself she is content? Does she want more out of life?
“I think all three women in this drama are recognisable to the audience. Lisa often puts herself down and the story, in part, is about her finding some self-worth.
“It was also good to work with Sinead Keenan and Rosalind Eleazar. Sinead Keenan and I were up against each other at the BAFTAs and neither of us won.”
Deep Water airs on ITV on Wednesday August 14 at 9pm.