Sienna Miller says playing a star going through public scandal in War let her be 'somebody who navigated it differently'

Sienna Miller, who plays a Hollywood star going through a divorce in War, speaks to about her role and the celeb culture.

Updated on: Oct 1, 2026, 06:11:47 IST

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The new HBO drama, War, stars Sienna Miller as Carla Duval, a Hollywood star on decline who must face a messy public divorce with her billionaire tech mogul husband (played by Dominic West). While Carla and Sienna do share some similarities, they are vastly different people. In an exclusive interview with , Sienna speaks about how she took on the role and why playing Carla helped her navigate some of her experiences from a new perspective.

‘Wanted to play somebody who navigated it differently’

A successful model before she became a Hollywood star, Sienna has been in the public eye for over two decades. Over the years, like Carla, she has faced scrutiny over her private life, even suing tabloids at times. Talking about taking on the role in War, she tells us, “I really wanted to play somebody who navigated this world very differently to how I have done it, and who I am as a person. I would have a tendency to be more warm and considerate to other people’s feelings. I really wanted to turn that off in Carla and see what that felt like as me to experience a similar environment but with a very different perspective.”

Sienna says she found Carla much colder than how she is, which made the experience of being her quite fun. “I don’t think she spends any time worrying about other people in her orbit. She commands the energy in any room and she’s comfortable with that. It was fun to play someone completely different but in the same circumstances,” says the 44-year-old.

However, the actor is clear that she would not see Carla as an aspirational figure just because playing her is fun. “I don’t really aspire to being as narcissistic as I feel Carla is,” she says. Yet, Sienna admits there are some qualities of hers she’d want to imbibe. “I do feel I probably expend too much energy in the lives of other people or their energies versus preserving my own. I have definitely felt I had a lot more energy not being myself.”

‘Being famous, you are essentially asking for it’

War is a legal drama about two law firms and two partners facing off with each other. But it also a commentary on the celebrity culture of the 21st century. When asked if she feels celebs owe their private lives to fans, Sienna says, “Celebrity becomes more interesting if you don’t know everything about the people you are watching. Somehow, it’s become a sport to want to tear those people down or know everything about them. It’s much more interesting to watch an actor in a film and not know everything about their life. But being famous, you are essentially asking for it. You have to respect the people who go and see your work and pay for your lifestyle. I think, there has to be some boundary.”

Created by George Kay, War also stars Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Pip Torrens, Nina Sosanya, Archie Renaux, and Nick Mohammed. The series premieres on HBO and HBO Max on October 1. It will stream on JioHotstar in India.

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