Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes to play husband and wife in new ITV drama
Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen are set to reunite for a brand new ITV drama - twenty years after they first met on the set of espionage drama Spooks.
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Stonehouse will see the real-life couple, who met in 2002 and married two years later in 2004, take on the roles of disgraced Labour minister John Stonehouse and his wife Barbara to tell the story of how the politician fell from grace after a series of headline-making events.
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The series, which will air later this year or early 2023, has been written by acclaimed writer John Preston and will be directed by award-winning director Jon S Baird.
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The official synopsis from ITV reads: "The three-part drama relates how Stonehouse, a high-flying member of Harold Wilson's Government, vanished from the beach of a large luxury hotel in Florida in November 1974, leaving a neatly folded pile of clothes as he swam into the sea, intent on faking his own death.
BAFTA award-winning actor Matthew will play disgraced politician John Stonehouse
"The MP for Walsall North left behind his loving wife Barbara and three young children as a shocked public and media presumed he had drowned or been eaten by sharks."
Joining Matthew and Keeley in the cast of the series are a number of familiar faces, including Showtrial actress Emer Heatley, All Creatures Great and Small actress Dorothy Atkinson, No Looking Back actor Igor Grabuzov and Kevin R McNally, best known for his roles in The Crown and Unforgotten.
Matthew and Keeley have been married since 2004
Speaking about the exciting new project, Succession star Matthew said: "What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend. I've always been intrigued by what motivated him to fake his own death and leave behind the family he loved and doted upon and a promising political career.
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"John Preston's script truly captures the man and his colourful life and I'm looking forward to taking on his character."
Keeley and Matthew have been married for 18 years. The talented pair met while both playing British spies on BBC One drama Spooks and quickly struck up a romance. These days, they are parents to teenagers Maggie, 17, and Ralph, 15. Keeley also has a 20-year-old son Myles, whom she shares with her ex-husband Spencer McCallum.
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