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Gillian Anderson

Television Actress / Film Actress / Film Director / Screenwriter / Voice Actress / Human Rights Activist / Stage Actress / Actress / Television Producer | * 08/09/1968 (55) | Chicago, Illinois (United States of America (USA))
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Gillian Leigh Anderson ( JIL-ee-ən; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series The X-Files, ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film The House of Mirth (2000), DSU Stella Gibson in the BBC/RTÉ crime drama television series The Fall, sex therapist Jean Milburn in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of Netflix drama series The Crown. Among other honors, she has won two Primetime Em... ()
Photo of Gillian Anderson

Gillian Leigh Anderson (born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. Her film work includes The House of Mirth (2000), The Mighty Celt (2005), The Last King of Scotland (2006), and two X-Files films, The X-Files (1998) and The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008).Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Rosemary Anderson (née Lane), a computer analyst, and Edward Anderson, who owned a film post-production company.Her father was of English descent, while her mother was of Irish and German ancestry. Soon after her birth, her family moved to Puerto Rico for 15 months; her family then moved to the United Kingdom where she lived until she was 11 years old. She lived for five years in Rosebery Gardens, Crouch End, London, and for 15 months in Albany Road, Stroud Green, London, so that her father could attend the London Film School.She was a pupil of Coleridge Primary School. When Anderson was 11 years old, her family moved again, this time to Grand Rapids, Michigan. She attended Fountain Elementary and then City High-Middle School, a program for gifted students with a strong emphasis on the humanities; she graduated in 1986.Along with other actors (notably Linda Thorson and John Barrowman) Anderson is bidialectal. With her English accent and background, Anderson was mocked and felt out of place in the American Midwest and soon adopted a Midwest accent. To this day, her accent depends on her location — for instance, in an interview with Jay Leno she spoke in an American accent, but shifted it for an interview with Michael Parkinson.Anderson was interested in marine biology, but began acting her freshman year in high school productions, and later in community theater, and served as a student intern at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre & School of Theatre Arts. She attended The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago (formerly the Goodman School of Drama), where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1990. She also participated in the National Theatre of Great Britain's summer program at Cornell University.Anderson's brother died in 2011 of a brain tumor, at the age of 30.Anderson married her first husband, Clyde Klotz, The X-Files series assistant art director, on New Year's Day, 1994, in Hawaii in a Buddhist ceremony. They had a daughter, Piper Maru (born September 1994), for whom Chris Carter named the X-Files episode of the same name, and divorced in 1997.] In December 2004, Anderson married Julian Ozanne, a documentary filmmaker, on Lamu Island, off the coast of Kenya. Anderson announced their separation on April 21, 2006.Anderson and former boyfriend, Mark Griffiths, have two sons: Oscar, born November 2006 and Felix, born October 2008. She ended their relationship in 2012. In March 2012, Anderson told Out magazine about her past relationship with a girl while in high school.In 1997, she was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Askmen listed her at No. 6 on their Top 7: '90s Sex Symbols. In 2008, she was listed 21st in FHM's All Time 100 Sexiest Hall of Fame.

Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Comedies | Kids & Family

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for Gillian Anderson

Theatre World Award Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama 2x Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film Officer of The Order of The British Empire Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie 4x Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film 2x Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film British Academy Television Award for Best Actress British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress 4x Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama Saturn Award for Best Actress Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress 4x Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama 3x Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 6x Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
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Movies with Gillian Anderson as Actress(46)

as Vivienne2024 White Bird
as Vivienne Beaumier2024 White Bird
as Emily Maitlis2023 Scoop
as Julia Marquis2022 The Pale Blue Eye
as Cat (voice)2021 Robin Robin
as Olyana2020 The Sunlit Night
as Dr. Hendricks2018 UFO
as Voiceover from a letter by Virginia Woolf (voice)2017 Woolf Works
as Magda Leonides2017 Crooked House
as Edwina Mountbatten2017 Viceroy's House
as Sophia2016 Sold
as Kate2015 Robot Overlords
as Narrator2015 The Widowmaker
as Blanche DuBois2014 The Departure
as Marika2013 I'll Follow You Down
as Karen Morgan2013 Mr. Morgan's Last Love
as Witch (voice)2012 Room on the Broom
as Kristin Jansen2012 Sister
as Kate Fletcher2012 Shadow Dancer
as Pamela Thornton ("Pegasus")2011 Johnny English Reborn
as herself2010 No Pressure
as Duchess Of Windsor2010 Any Human Heart
as Jean Maclestone2009 Boogie Woogie
as Alice2007 Straightheads
as Sarah Merrit2006 The Last King of Scotland
as Widow Wadman / Gillian Anderson2005 A Cock and Bull Story
as Kate2005 The Mighty Celt
as Lily Bart2000 The House of Mirth
as herself1998 Inside The X-Files
as Meredith1998 Playing by Heart
as Loretta Lee1998 The Mighty
as Agent Dana Scully1998 The X Files
as Southside Girl1997 Chicago Cab
as April Cavanaugh1992 The Turning
as Woman1988 A Matter of Choice
as Woman 11986 Three at Once

TV Shows/Series with Gillian Anderson as Actress(31)

as Eleanor Roosevelt2022 The First Lady
as herself2020 The Savoy
as Jean Milburn2019 Sex Education
as Media2017 American Gods
as Margaret Thatcher2016 The Crown
as Anna Pavlovna Scherer2016 War and Peace
as Meg Fitch2014 Crisis
as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier2013 Hannibal
as Stella Gibson2013 The Fall
as Miss Havisham2011 Great Expectations
as Mrs. Castaway2011 The Crimson Petal and the White
as Elizabeth2011 Moby Dick
as herself2007 The Graham Norton Show
as herself2003 Celebrities Uncensored
as Self - Guest2003 Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as herself2002 V Graham Norton
as herself2002 American Idol
as herself2001 Richard & Judy
as herself1998 The Magic Hour
as Self - Guest1996 The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Host1996 Future Fantastic
1994 ReBoot
as Dana Scully1993 The X-Files
as Jenny (voice)1993 Frasier

Movies with Gillian Anderson as Crew(1)

Directing/Director2014 The Departure

TV Shows/Series with Gillian Anderson as Crew(2)

Writing/Writer1993 The X-Files
Directing/Director1993 The X-Files

Additional Information

Born: Friday, 08/09 1968 (August) in Chicago, Illinois (United States of America (USA)) (current age: 55 years + 233 days)
Zodiac sign: Leo (Chinese zodiac sign: Monkey)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: DePaul University, City High-Middle School, Cornell University, The Theatre School at DePaul University
Spouses (current/former): Clyde Klotz, Julian Ozanne
Other names for Gillian Anderson (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Gillian Leigh Anderson"
"Джілліан Андерсон"
"Джиллиан Андерсон"
"Τζίλιαν Άντερσον"
"질리언 앤더슨"
"ジリアン・アンダーソン"
Gillian Anderson frequently works together with these people:
Tress MacNeille (36x, Actress)
Pamela Hayden (23x, Actress)
Chris Carter (19x, Crew)
Maggie Roswell (17x, Actress)
David Duchovny (15x, Actor)
Phil Hartman (10x, Actor)
Bryan Fuller (9x, Crew)
Anne Hathaway (8x, Actress)
Jack Black (8x, Actor)
Kelsey Grammer (8x, Actor)
Glenn Freemantle (5x, Crew)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:325, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 03/20/2024