Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix is an upcoming British anthology drama series developed by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson. The series will release on the platform on April 15, 2022. It will consist of six episodes. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan.

Cast of Anatomy of a Scandal

If you are into a Courtroom drama, this series is definitely for you. Let us have a look at the cast of the show.

Main cast:

• Sienna Miller as Sophie Whitehouse - In the series, the actor will be playing a role of a happily married mother of two. Her charmed life is set to erupt when her husband's sex scandal is made public. Sienna Miller is an American-English actress who began her career as a successful model. She has appeared in many films and television series, including in Layer Cake and Alfie. She won a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress for her role in The Girl. 

• Rupert Friend as James Whitehouse: He is a British actor, screenwriter, lyricist, and director. Many of you might know him for his role as Peter Quinn in the political thriller Homeland. His film credits include Pride & Prejudice, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Young Victoria, and Starred Up. In this series, he plays the role of a powerful junior minister with plenty of ambition. He lives a privileged life until a woman he works with accuses him of rape.

• Naomi Scott as Olivia Lytton: The actor will play the role of a woman who accuses James of raping her. Previously, she worked as James's parliamentary aide and admitted to having an affair with him before claiming he assaulted her. Naomi is an actress and singer from the UK. You might know her as Princess Jasmine in Disney's musical live-action fantasy film Aladdin.

Lawyers:

• Michelle Dockery as Kate Woodcroft, QC: She is a British actress best known for playing Lady Mary Crawley in the television series Downton Abbey. You might have seen her in films like Hanna, Anna Karenina, Non-Stop, and The Gentlemen. In the series, she plays the role of a criminal lawyer specializing in prosecuting people accused of sexual crimes.

• Josette Simon as Angela Regan, QC: To prove James' innocence, Angela Regan will play the role of his defense lawyer. She will try her best to win the case. She also encourages Sophie to maintain her public support, keeping up the image of a happy and loving family. Josette is a well-known British actress who is known for her stage performance with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theater. You might have seen her in TV series like Minder, Nightflyers, and Detective Pikachu. 

Recurring cast:

• Ben Radcliffe as Young James Whitehouse: The actor is well known for his roles in The Lodge and Pandora. In the series, he will play the role of young James during his time studying at Oxford.

Plot of Anatomy of a Scandal

The first season of the series follows Sophie, the wife of James, a powerful and respected politician. Things go upside down when details of her husband's affair surface. To add fuel to fire, things go out of hand when he is accused of rape and sent to trial. The six episodes will explore details of the case and the two lawyers fighting it. Watch the trailer to get more information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1UGGZnHyf8&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Is Anatomy of Scandal a true story?

Unfortunately, Anatomy of a Scandal is not a true story. The writer Sarah Vaughan was a former courtroom correspondent and, later, a political journalist, and she has said that her experiences working in both fields informed the story in her book.

In one of her blogs, she wrote, “While courtrooms and murder investigations helped me to write a thriller, it was through becoming a political correspondent that I became even more conscious of power, privilege and entitlement – all issues at the heart of Anatomy of a Scandal… I also saw how sex scandals involving politicians broke and played out.”

So what we will see in the series is fictionalized and has drawn inspiration from real-life events.

What should you expect from Anatomy of Scandal?

Talking about Sarah Vaughan's book, it spent ten weeks on The Sunday Times bestseller list. The writer has drawn inspiration from the time she worked at the Courtroom. The series revolves around the elite class in Britain who are stuck in a scandal. It also focuses on two women who are caught up in it which involves high-ranking prestigious Westminister politician, James Whitehouse.

While he admits to the affair, he denies the charges of rape against him. As the series progresses, his wife Sophie's belief in him as a "good man" begins to fade away. The lawyer prosecuting the case has her own reasons for believing in his guilt and is determined to make him pay for his crimes.

As the tension increases in the courtroom, James and Sophie's marriage is pushed to the brink. The real question is will the marriage survive under the pressure of an ugly public scandal? Will James plead guilty? You can expect a lot of courtroom drama with a pinch of flashbacks that will help you discover dark secrets.

Anatomy of a Scandal book

The book was published in the year 2018. It consists of 400 pages. Talking about the author, Sarah studied English at Oxford and went on to become a journalist. She spent eleven years at The Guardian as a news reporter and political correspondent before leaving to freelance and write fiction.

Reviewing the book, Waterstone says "Serving up a winning blend of perjury and prejudice, this knife-edged political thriller unearths a rot at the heart of Britain’s corridors of power."

Reviews from media :

'Engrossing psych-thriller cum courtroom drama.' - The Guardian

'Full of twists and turns' - Independent

'Sarah Vaughan drip feeds revelations while exploring the power and privilege of political elite' - Good Housekeeping

'Think last year's drama Liar with a dash of Apple Tree Yard' - Sunday Mirror

You can buy the book here.

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