Indira Varma stars in intense ITV thriller, Coldwater, which premiered last night.
The actress talked to GB News and other media about taking on a role in the gripping edge-of-your seat series, reflecting on her own childhood as she delved into family dynamics.
The twisted thriller follows an ordinary man who finds himself stuck in a terrifying situation after moving his family from London to a Scottish town.
An ITV synopsis for the drama reads: "When his failure to intervene in a violent confrontation in a city playground brings his identity crisis to a head, John moves his family to the rural idyll of Coldwater.
Indira Varma portrays Fiona in ITV thriller Coldwater
|ITV
"On arrival, he is befriended by neighbour Tommy (Ewen Bremner), a charming, confident pillar of the community.
"John (Andrew Lincoln) is impressed by Tommy. However, he is blissfully unaware that Tommy is harbouring horrifying secrets.
"When John’s long-repressed rage finally explodes with disastrous results, he finds himself unexpectedly indebted to his new friend.
"But how long will it take for him to figure out just how dangerous Tommy really is?"
ITV Coldwater's cast delved into the intensity of the series
| ITVA key part of the plot involves John being a stay-at-home dad while his wife Fiona (played by Indira Varma) works.
As the cast talked about the family background that's explored alongside the ordeal they go through, Ms Varma explained to GB News and other press: "[The series] goes into the exploration of masculinity, what is required of men, but also of women.
"I was brought up by a working mother, my dad looked after me, so for me it was the norm.
"In today's society, people can say, 'Oh yeah, it's cool to be a working mum or mothers now being the breadwinners in the family,' but I think there's still a bit of a stigma attached to it and shame."
The actress continued: "That was what intrigued me, and the idea of protecting a long-term marriage.
"You know, how far are we able to go... If you've been with somebody for a really long time, how dark are you prepared to go to save it?"
Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln was also intrigued by the script, but admitted he'd initially turned the role down over its intensity.
"I mean, for all of the what we've been talking about, all of the themes - that sort of made me say no to it in the first place, because it was frightening and challenging," he confessed.
Six-part series Coldwater premiered on ITV on Sunday evening
|ITV
"And then I sort of met with the brilliant team at Sister and, of course, David [Ireland, series writer], and we started talking, and it was one of those scripts that I just couldn't get away from.
"I just thought it was... I hadn't read anything like it for a long, long time, and I admired David's theatre writing, and then we met.
"And I just said to my agents, 'I think I have to do this. It's frightening, and I think it will be challenging, but also I think it's about something.'"
He concluded: "And it became one of the most enjoyable experiences with these astonishing actors.
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Coldwater follows an ordinary man who finds himself stuck in terrifying situation
| ITV"It just keeps unpacking and spiraling off into this beautiful, mad, crazy, existential scream."
Mr Lincoln's co-star, Mr Bremner, also shared some admissions about the bizarre character he portrays.
"I was puzzled," he admitted comically when asked about his first read of the script.
"The first person I spoke to about it was David. As soon as I read it, it was one of the first questions I asked you was, 'Does this guy? Does he exist? Or is he a figment of John's imagination? Is this like, real?' But it was intriguing to me."
Coldwater is available to watch on Sundays on ITV and is available on ITVX.