Rupert Friend felt 'lucky' having Sienna Miller as onscreen wife in Anatomy of a Scandal

Rupert Friend feels proud of the onscreen marriage he and Sienna Miller created in Anatomy of a Scandal.

The Homeland actor plays James Whitehouse, an MP who stands trial over a rape allegation, alongside Sienna as his wife Sophie Whitehouse and Michelle Dockery as the prosecutor Kate Woodcroft, in the new Netflix miniseries.

Rupert felt lucky working with the Layer Cake actress because they were able to depict the tensions of a troubled marriage onscreen and let loose off-camera.

"I was very, very lucky to have in Sienna not only a wonderful leading lady but also a good friend with whom I could laugh as well as explore these themes," he told reporters at the show's London premiere. "So, we would be fighting like cats and dogs in the movie (sic) but in-between times, just having the time of our lives. It gave us a break in the tension that was very needed."

The Pride & Prejudice actor added to Cover Media that he was most proud of their realistic portrayal of a marriage in crisis.

"(I'm proud of) forming that relationship with Sienna, that marriage and the nuances of a couple that have actually got a great relationship, it’s just built on a very problematic lie – or two," he shared. "So building that marriage and making it not all honeydew Hallmark card and not just fighting each other but somewhere in the middle, where there is still love even through the tragedy. I think Sienna and I are quite proud of having mined those things."

Anatomy of a Scandal, also starring Naomi Scott, is streaming on Netflix now.