Tom Ellis and Meaghan Oppenheimer Talk Working Together on “Tell Me Lies ”as a Real-Life Couple: 'No Brainer' (Exclusive)
The show's creator (Oppenheimer) and its newest star (Ellis) tell PEOPLE that "it's strange that it isn't strange" to work together on such a steamy series
Fans have been shocked to find out that Tell Me Lies newcomer Tom Ellis is married to the show's creator, Meaghan Oppenheimer, in real life — but the couple didn't find working together on the steamy series all that weird.
"We really weirdly work very, very well together," Oppenheimer, 38, told PEOPLE ahead of the season 2 premiere.
"I think it's funnier for other people because — spoiler — everyone is naked on our show and he is as well. And I think some people at first were like, 'Is this weird for you guys?' And it's so not weird for us. But I think that was funny for other people. Then you get over the first day and people are like, 'Oh, this is just another day at work.'"
Ellis, 45, felt the same way. "It's never been a problem for us really," he says of crossing the professional line.
"I think we have a huge amount of respect for each other creatively. And I think she's really, really talented at what she does, and she's really, really good at talking to actors," he says.
Taking the job, then, was "a no-brainer, really."
"I know a few people have gone, 'What's it like working with your wife? That must be strange.' It's like, well, actually, it's strange that it isn't strange, I think is probably the best answer."
Tell Me Lies isn't the first time the couple — who got engaged in 2017 and wed in 2019 — has worked together, either.
"We actually got to work together on her show Queen America a few years ago. And it wasn't such a prevalent character, but I did sort of sample how it was to work with her. And it was really a pleasant surprise for both of us, that we were able to separate church and state quite easily," Ellis recalls.
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Tell Me Lies is admittedly a different beast, though. "Given the nature of the story, some people might think that's extra weird," he says, referring to the relationship Ellis' character, a professor, forms with one of his students, Bree (Cat Missal). "But it's work for us. And it's about storytelling, and we both really love good stories. And they don't always have to be lighthearted stories either."
Ellis admits that playing Oliver "was a bit of a challenge for me because he's very much a colder character than I've played in the past."
"For me, it was about working out how to desensitize myself a little bit and approach someone who really doesn't give much away," he continues, before giving credit to his wife for her help on set.
"I had a lot of questions for [Meaghan] when we were on set...but I was glad that she was there basically to hold my hand in the process."
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New episodes of Tell Me Lies season 2 premiere Wednesdays at 12:00 a.m. ET on Hulu.
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