Gillian Anderson

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Gillian Anderson
GillianAndersonByIdoCarmelWonderCon2008.jpg
Anderson at WonderCon in February 2008
Born Gillian Leigh Anderson
(1968-08-09) August 9, 1968 (age 44)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Residence London, England
Nationality American
Education DePaul University (B.F.A.)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1986–present
Website
GillianAnderson.ws

Gillian Leigh Anderson (born August 9, 1968) is a London based American actress. After beginning her career in theater, 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).

Contents

Early life [edit]

Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Rosemary Anderson, a computer analyst, and Edward Anderson, who owned a film post-production company.[1][2] Soon after her birth, her family moved to Puerto Rico for 15 months; she then lived for five years in Rosebery Gardens, Crouch End, London, and finally for 15 months in Albany Road, Stroud Green, London,[3] 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.[4] 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.[3]

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.[5][6][7]

Anderson was interested in marine biology,[3] 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.[8] She also participated in the National Theatre of Great Britain's summer program at Cornell University.[3]

Anderson's brother died aged 30 of a brain tumor in 2011.[9][10]

Career [edit]

1990s [edit]

Anderson moved to New York when she was 22 years old.[11] To support herself when she started her career, Anderson worked as a waitress. She began her career in Alan Ayckbourn's play, Absent Friends at the Manhattan Theatre Club alongside Brenda Blethyn; she won the 1990–91 Theatre World "Newcomer" Award for her role.[3] Her next theatrical role was in Christopher Hampton's The Philanthropist at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut.[12] Anderson moved to Los Angeles in 1992, spending a year auditioning. Although she had once vowed she would never do TV, being out of work for a year changed her mind.[13] Anderson did Home Fires Burning for a cable station, as well as the audio book version of Exit to Eden. She broke into mainstream television in 1993, with a guest appearance on the collegiate drama, Class of '96, on the fledgling Fox Network.[13]

As a result of her guest appearance in Class of 96, Anderson was sent the script for The X Files at the age of 24. She decided to audition because "for the first time in a long time, the script involved a strong, independent, intelligent woman as a lead character." Producer Chris Carter wanted to employ her, but Fox wanted someone with previous TV exposure and greater sex appeal.[14] Fox sent in more actresses, but Carter stood by Anderson, and she was eventually cast as Special Agent Dana Scully. Anderson got the part assuming it would run for 13 episodes, the standard minimum order for American TV networks. Filmed for the first five seasons in Vancouver before moving to Los Angeles, the series would run for nine seasons, and included two films, released in 1998 and 2008. During her time on The X Files, Anderson won several awards for her portrayal of Special Agent Scully, including an Emmy Award,[15] Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for "Best Actress in a Drama Series." While filming, Anderson met assistant art director Clyde Klotz,[3] whom she would eventually marry.

In 1997 work on the independent film Cab Chicago in 1998 starred in the film Playing by Heart with Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie,[13] Ellen Burstyn and Anthony Edwards also worked in the film The Mighty with Sharon Stone.[3] In 1999, Anderson had a supporting role in the English-language release of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, where she voiced the character of Moro. Anderson is a fan of Miyazaki's work.[16] She also took part in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues.[17]

2000–present [edit]

Again in 2000 starred in the film The House of Mirth with Eric Stoltz, an adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel of the same name, where she won such awards as the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress, also British Independent Film Award for Best Actress and Village Voice Film Poll Best Lead Performance.[13]

Anderson at the stage door for the play The Sweetest Swing In Baseball in 2004.

When The X-Files ended, Anderson performed in several stage productions and worked on various film projects. She has participated in narrative work for documentaries on scientific topics. In 2005, she appeared as Lady Dedlock in the BBC television adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House,[13] had a starring role in the Irish film The Mighty Celt (for which she won an IFTA award for Best International Actress) and performed in A Cock and Bull Story, a film version of the novel Tristram Shandy.[13] In 2006, Anderson was nominated for a British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress and won the Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Award for Best Actress for her role in Bleak House.[13] Anderson also received an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie" for her performance as Lady Dedlock. She was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Bleak House and came in second place in the Best Actress category of the 2005 BBC Drama website poll for her performance as Lady Dedlock (Billie Piper came in first and Anna Maxwell Martin came in third).[13]

During 2006 and 2007, Anderson appeared in two British films: The Last King of Scotland with James McAvoy[13][18] (2006) and Straightheads with Danny Dyer (2007).[19] Anderson hosted Masterpiece Theatre during the Jane Austen series.[20] From December 2007 to March 11, 2008, Anderson filmed The X-Files: I Want to Believe.[21] Anderson portrayed Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House at the Donmar Warehouse in London's West End during a limited engagement which ran from May 14, 2009 until July 18, 2009.[22][23] Anderson had a nomination for Best Actress in the Lawrence Olivier Awards 2010, for productions which opened in the 2009 calendar year for her portrayal of Nora.[24] In April 2011 she starred in the BBC adaptation The Crimson Petal and the White as Mrs. Castaway.

Anderson appears as the head of MI7 Pamela Thornton in Johnny English Reborn, which opened internationally in Australia on September 15, 2011,[25] and to some acclaim as Miss Havisham in a three-part BBC adaptation of Great Expectations that aired in late December 2011.[26][27][28] In May 13, 2013, Gillian Anderson appeared in the lead role in a drama serial for BBC Two titled The Fall.[29]

Personal life [edit]

Anderson pregnant with her son Felix at the premiere of The X-Files: I Want to Believe, July 25, 2008

Relationships [edit]

Anderson married her first husband, Clyde Klotz, The X-Files series assistant art director, on New Years Day, 1994, on the 17th hole of a golf course in Hawaii in a Buddhist ceremony. They had a daughter, Piper Maru (born September 25, 1994) and they divorced in 1997.[30] In December 2004, Anderson married Julian Ozanne, a documentary filmmaker, in the village of Shella on Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya. Anderson and Ozanne announced their separation on April 21, 2006.[31]

With Mark Griffiths, Anderson has two sons, Oscar (born November 1, 2006)[32] and Felix (born October 15, 2008).[33] They ended their relationship in 2012.[34]

In March 2012, Anderson told Out magazine about her past relationship in high school with a girl saying, "If I had thought I was 100% gay, would it have been a different experience for me? Would it have been a bigger deal if shame had been attached to it and all those things that become huge life-altering issues for youngsters in that situation? It's possible that my attitude around it came, on some level, from knowing that I still liked boys.".[35] Anderson also revealed the woman died prior to the interview with Out, stating, "I felt like I was honoring her memory in some way simply by admitting its existence.".[36]

In the media [edit]

In 1996, Anderson was voted the "Sexiest Woman in the World" for FHM's 100 Sexiest Women poll.[37] In 2008, she also placed 21st in FHM's All Time 100 Sexiest Hall of Fame.[38]

In 1997, she was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.[39] Topsocialite.com listed Anderson as the 2nd sexiest woman of the 1990s.[40] Askmen.com listed her at No. 6 on their Top 7: '90s Sex Symbols.[41]

Activism and charity work [edit]

Anderson serves as NF, Inc.'s honorary spokesperson and is a patron of the UK-based Neurofibromatosis Association. Her support stems from her brother being diagnosed with the disease.[42] She is also a member of the board of directors for Artists for a New South Africa and a campaigner for ACTSA: Action for Southern Africa. Anderson is an active member of PETA, and supports animal rights.[43] She also supports tribal rights charity Survival International leading to her performance in a London stage fundraiser in early 2010.[44] In late 2010, Anderson and other celebrities joined a campaign to boycott Botswana diamonds over the government's treatment of the Kalahari Bushmen.[45] On February 2011, Anderson narrated a short film about recent footage of an uncontacted tribe.[46] The Amazon Indians were spotted from the air on the Brazil-Peru border. Anderson has said, "What comes across powerfully from this amazing footage is how healthy and confident these people appear. I hope they can be left alone – but that will only happen if the loggers are stopped."[47] In June 2011, Anderson became an ambassador for Survival.[48]

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Three at Once Woman 1 B&W student production
1988 Matter of Choice, AA Matter of Choice B&W student production
1992 Turning, TheThe Turning April Cavanaugh
1993–2002 X-Files, TheThe X-Files Dana Scully Series Regular
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series, 1997
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, 1997
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, 1996
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, 1997
Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, 1997
Viewers for Quality Television Award: Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series, 1998, 1999
Blockbuster Entertainment Award – Favorite Sci-Fi Actress, 1999
Sci-Fi Universe Magazine Reader's Choice Award – Best Actress in a Genre TV Series, 1995
SFX Awards for Best SF/Fantasy Actress, 1997
Aftonbladet TV Prize for Best Foreign TV Personality, 1997
Aftonbladet TV Prize for Best Foreign TV Personality, 1998
Telegatto award for Best Foreign TV series (Miglior Telefilm Straniero) - best actor, 1996
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series, 1996, 1998, 1999
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, 1996, 1998, 1999
Nominated, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, 1997, 1998, 1999
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Nominated — Viewers for Quality Television Award: Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series, 1995
Nominated — National Television Award (UK) — Most Popular Actress, 1996, 1997
Nominated — TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress in a Drama, 1999, 2000
Nominated — TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, 1997
Nominated — People's Choice award for favorite female TV performer, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Nominated — Kids' Choice Awards, Best TV Friends (shared with David Duchovny), 2000
1998 Chicago Cab, aka Hellcab Southside Girl or Brenda
1998 Mighty, TheThe Mighty Loretta Lee
1998 Playing by Heart Meredith
1999 Princess Mononoke Moro Voice
1999 Harsh Realm Video Narrator Voice (Uncredited)
2000 House of Mirth, TheThe House of Mirth Lily Bart British Independent Film Award for Best Actress
Village Voice Film Poll – Best Lead Performance
Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year
Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (2nd place)
Nominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (2nd place)
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
2005 Mighty Celt, TheThe Mighty Celt Kate People's Choice Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards
2005 Cock and Bull Story, AA Cock and Bull Story Herself/Widow Wadman
2005 Bleak House Lady Dedlock Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for Best Actress – Drama Series
Nominated — BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
2006 Last King of Scotland, TheThe Last King of Scotland Sarah Merrit
2007 Straightheads, aka Closure Alice Comfort
2008 X-Files: I Want to Believe, TheThe X-Files: I Want to Believe Dana Scully
2008 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Eleanor Johnson
2009 Boogie Woogie Jean Maclestone
2010 Any Human Heart Duchess of Windsor Nominated — BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010 No Pressure Herself Short produced by climate change mitigation campaign 10:10
2011 Johnny English Reborn Pamela Thornton
2011 The Crimson Petal and the White Mrs. Castaway Nominated, Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for Best Actress – Drama Series
2011 Moby Dick Elizabeth TV miniseries
2011 Great Expectations Miss Havisham Nominated, Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominated, Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actress (also for The Crimson Petal and the White)
2012 Sister Kristin Jansen
2012 Shadow Dancer Kate Fletcher Screened out of competition at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, February 2012.[49]
2013 The Fall Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson Series Regular [29]
2013 Mr. Morgan's Last Love Karen
2013 From Up On Poppy Hill Hana Matsuzaki Voice[50]
2013 Hannibal Bedelia Du Maurier Recurring[51]
2014 – present Crisis Susie Dunn Series Regular
2014 Sold Sophia
Other TV appearances
Stage appearances
Other works

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Gillian Anderson Biography (1968–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
  2. ^ Merrell, Sue (May 18, 2007). "Charity, celebrity blend well, actress says". The Grand Rapids Press (gilliananderson.ws). Retrieved September 13, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Gillian Anderson Biography". Bio. 
  4. ^ Thompson, Jonathan (November 17, 2002). "Gillian Anderson: Just don't ask her about aliens". The Independent. Retrieved October 6, 2010. 
  5. ^ Farndale, Nigel (May 1, 2009). "Gillian Anderson bares all". the Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 24, 2010. 
  6. ^ September 17, 2007 (September 17, 2007). "Gillian Anderson interview — Parkinson — BBC". YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Gillian Anderson on Jay Leno Part 1". YouTube. January 20, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010. 
  8. ^ "Academic Affairs: Who We Are (Alumni)". oaa.depaul.edu. Retrieved August 8, 2012. 
  9. ^ Gillian Anderson confesses to lesbian flings
  10. ^ Aaron Anderson Obituary
  11. ^ About Gillian "Biography". The Official Gillian Anderson Website. See the last sentence of the tenth paragraph.
  12. ^ Klein, Alvin (February 2, 1992). "THEATER; 'The Philanthropist'". New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "About Gillian Anderson". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  14. ^ "The Official Gillian Anderson Website — About Gillian — Biography". gilliananderson.ws. Retrieved October 4, 2006. 
  15. ^ Gillian Anderson Emmy Nominated
  16. ^ "The Critical Eye – Gillian Anderson". The Critical Eye. November 11, 1999. Retrieved August 28, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Gillian Anderson terrified of theatre". April 2, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2012. 
  18. ^ ""The Last King of Scotland" News". www.gilliananderson.ws. February 26, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  19. ^ "Gillian Anderson in Straightheads". empiremovies.com. September 19, 2005. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  20. ^ "Gillian Anderson". pbs.org. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  21. ^ Murray, Rebecca. "Gillian Anderson Interview - X-Files Movie 2008 Wonder Con". About.com. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  22. ^ "Review – A Doll’s House starring Gillian Anderson, Donmar Warehouse". May 20 2009accessdate=September 24, 2012. 
  23. ^ Farndale, Nigel (May 1, 2009). "Gillian Anderson interview for 'A Doll's House'". The Daily telegraph. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  24. ^ Bamigboye, Baz (February 8, 2010). "Keira Knightley wins Laurence Olivier Award nomination for debut West End performance". Mail Online. Retrieved October 4, 2010. 
  25. ^ "Release Info for Johnny English Reborn (2011)". IMdB. September 22, 2011. Retrieved September, 2011. 
  26. ^ Gordon, Bryony (December 26, 2011). "Gillian Anderson: 'When he was just 30, my brother was prepared to die’". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 
  27. ^ Osborn, Michael (December 24, 2011). "BBC News – Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air". BBC. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 
  28. ^ "TV review: Great Expectations; Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me" December 27, 2011, The Guardian
  29. ^ a b "BBC Two Orders New Drama Series Starring Gillian Anderson". TVWise. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012. 
  30. ^ Harriet Lane (May 7, 2006). "The magnificent Anderson". The Observer. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  31. ^ "X Files star now to become X-wife". Daily Mail. April 22, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2006. 
  32. ^ "Boy for Scully and Mr X". The Times (London). November 19, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2006. 
  33. ^ "Gillian Anderson Welcomes a Son". People. October 20, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  34. ^ "Exclusive: Gillian Anderson, Partner Mark Griffiths Split". Us Weekly. Retrieved August 8, 2012. 
  35. ^ "The Double Life of Gillian Anderson". Out. March 13, 2012. 
  36. ^ "Enough is Enough is Enough". The Official Gillian Anderson Website. August 13, 2012. 
  37. ^ Gillian Anderson Official Site. "FHM No. 81". 
  38. ^ "The All Time 100 Sexiest Hall of Fame". FHM. 
  39. ^ "Gillian Anderson - Most Beautiful, Gillian Anderson: People.com". May 12, 1997. Retrieved February 26, 2012. 
  40. ^ "The 20 Hottest Women of the 90's: Top Socialite". Retrieved February 26, 2012. 
  41. ^ "Top 7: '90s Sex Symbols – AskMen". Retrieved February 26, 2012. 
  42. ^ "The Official Gillian Anderson Website — Charities". gilliananderson.ws. Retrieved October 4, 2006. 
  43. ^ "Turkey Passes Its First Comprehensive Animal-Protection Law". PETA. Retrieved October 4, 2006. 
  44. ^ "Stars line up in West End to celebrate tribal peoples". Retrieved November 4, 2010. 
  45. ^ Celebrities boycott Botswana over Bushmen, africanews.com. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  46. ^ "First ever aerial footage of uncontacted Amazon tribe released". uncontactedtribes.org. Retrieved February 4, 2011. 
  47. ^ "Lost tribe film footage released for the first time – watch it here". Retrieved February 4, 2011. 
  48. ^ "Gillian Anderson becomes Survival ambassador" June 13, 2011, Survival web site news
  49. ^ "18 World Premieres in the Competition". berlinale.de. January 20, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2012. 
  50. ^ "X-Files' Gillian Anderson Joins Ghibli's English Poppy Hill Dub". August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012. 
  51. ^ "Hannibal' casts 'X-Files' star Gillian Anderson -- EXCLUSIVE". December 12, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013. 
  52. ^ "Masterpiece Theatre Introduces Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery! and Masterpiece Contemporary". pbs.org. 
  53. ^ "The G-Files: the search for Gillian Anderson's roots". Retrieved October 4, 2006. 
  54. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 240. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gillian Anderson
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Authority control
Preceded by
Russell Baker		 Host of Masterpiece Classic
2008–2009		 Succeeded by
Laura Linney
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