Keeley Hawes recently reflected on her 20-year marriage to Matthew Macfadyen and his portrayal of one of TV’s most turbulent relationships in the hit series Succession.

The couple, who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in October, are no strangers to collaborating onscreen. They played a married couple in the 2023 drama Stonehouse, which recounted the story of MP John Stonehouse, who faked his dea th in the 1970s.

Commenting on their roles in Stonehouse, Keeley humorously remarked, “I think our marriage in Stonehouse was just as toxic!”

The actress, who met Matthew on the set of Spooks, described the surreal experience of watching him portray Tom Wambsgans in Succession and his chaotic relationship with Shiv Roy, played by Sarah Snook.

“It was incredible to witness the phenomenon of Succession unfold,” she told The Guardian. “The closest experience I’ve had to that level of buzz was Bodyguard. It’s exciting to be part of something everyone’s talking about.”

As a fan of the show, Keeley admitted she couldn’t resist being curious about its secrets during production. “Matthew would do read-throughs over high-security Zooms, and I’d be on the other side of the door, trying to catch bits,” she shared.

Matthew’s role in Succession earned him multiple awards, including two Emmys and a Golden Globe. Meanwhile, Keeley is set to star in the upcoming period drama Miss Austen as Cassandra Austen, Jane Austen’s older sister, alongside a stellar cast featuring Rose Leslie and Phyllis Logan.