If Gillian Anderson used to be known for her nine-year stint as special agent Dana Scully on the 90s television phenomenon The X Files, nowadays she’s more likely to be approached about being Jamie ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Dornan’s co star in the BBC’s hit crime thriller, The Fall, back on our screens next month.
Of course, Anderson has plenty of other things to talk about. Professionally and personally, she is a woman with a very rich history. A mother of three (Piper, 20, Oscar, eight, and Felix, six), she is an actress who resolutely refuses to be typecast, dancing from silver screen (The Last King Of Scotland) to stage (most recently Blanche DuBois in the Young Vic’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire). And, of course, the medium in which she has most made her mark, television, where she has gone from corset (Bleak House, Great Expectations) to cannibalism (Hannibal) with ease – and critical acclaim.
It seems incredible now to think Anderson was just 24 when she was offered the part of Scully on The X Files, quickly establishing herself as an international star – although Duchovny was originally paid significantly more. It was three years before Anderson made a stand and was finally awarded the same salary.
Speaking with Anderson now, she strikes me as a woman who has finally grown into herself. In many ways, it feels as though she has lived two lifetimes: one that began and ended with Scully; another that kicked off later in life and has brought her greater fulfilment.
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