Over the years, she has done more than 50 films and television shows. Gillian was born in Chicago and has an English, Irish, and German ancestry. As a teenager, she was quite a rebellious kid. She was dating an older boyfriend and taking drugs at the time. She was even arrested on the night of her graduation for breaking and entering her high school.

However, her interest in theater led her to acting in productions of her high school. Her first film appearance was in The Turning, an independent American thriller. Here are some of the most memorable films of this amazing actress that you must watch:

1. The X-Files: Fight the Future

This science fiction thriller revolves around the unsolved cases called the X-Files. Although these were fictional cases for the film, the characters solving them made them seem real. One of these characters was of Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson. It begins with an incident that happens thousands of years in the past.

It involves an alien life that exists inside the underground caves. Both of these agents then try to uncover a possible government conspiracy to hide a dark truth. It is about an alien colonization of Earth. The movie had mixed reviews from critics, but was successful at the box office.

2. Sister

In this Swiss drama, Gillian plays the role of Kristin, a tourist. The director of the film does a good job of exploring the cruel contrasts between two worlds. Sister narrates the story of a boy who helps his sister survive. He does this by stealing from the rich people who frequent a ski resort located in the Swiss Alps.

The film has a powerful story, which is daring and psychologically provocative. It was the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language film at the 85th Academy Awards.

3. The Last King of Scotland

Based on the megalomaniac dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin, this historical drama came out in 2006. It portrays the dictatorship of Idi Amin through the perspective of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan played by James McAvoy. Gillian plays the role of Sarah Merrit, the wife of Dr. David Merrit.

The film’s title comes from Idi Amin’s claim of being the king of Scotland. In this film, Forest Whitaker plays the role of Idi Amin and delivers a fantastic Oscar-winning performance. The film is also worth watching for the fabulous direction by Kevin Macdonald.

4. Johnny English Reborn

Rowan Atkinson returns in this sequel to Johnny English. This spy action comedy was written by Hamish McColl and directed by Oliver Parker. It was a major box office success in the United Kingdom upon its release in the country in 2011. Gillian plays the role of the M17 director, Pamela ‘Pegasus’ Thornton.

You’ll surely enjoy some great moments of laughter while watching this movie. One of the things about this movie that’ll impress you is its pacing. In fact, you don’t need to watch the first part to enjoy this sequel.

5. Princess Mononoke

Even live action films of the time pale in comparison to this Japanese animated movie. It was a commercial and critical success in Japan as well as the United States. Its dubbing in English was done with a script by Neil Gaiman. Gillian gave her voice to the character ‘Moro’ in the English version.

The film is set in the late Muromachi period with fantasy elements. It narrates the story of a young prince named Ashitaka. He is involved in a struggle between the gods of a forest and human beings.

6. Shadow Dancer

Gillian portrays the character of Kate Fletcher in this British-Irish thriller. It is based on a novel of the same name by Tom Bradby. The film begins with a flashback, which is a highly intense scene. It tells the tale of a young female terrorist who becomes an informant for the authorities. She does this to escape a prison sentence.

This gripping psychological thriller has some brilliant acting and a plot that keeps you hooked. The film had its premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Empire film magazine gave it four out of five stars. It described the film as an intelligent spy drama that’s emotionally charged.

7. The Mighty

With excellent cinematography and special effects, this is an enthralling and enjoyable film. This American coming-of-age comedy drama came out in 1998. It stars Kieran Culkin as Kevin ‘Freak’ Dillon and Sharon Stone as his mother. Gillian plays the role of Loretta Lee in this film.

Director Peter Chelsom does an exceptional job in the way he executes this low-budget film. It had two Golden Globe nominations, one for Best Supporting Actress and other for the Best Original Song.

8. The House of Mirth

Directed by Terence Davies, this movie is based on Edith Wharton’s novel of the same name. It stars Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart, a gorgeous socialite. The film is a co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

It has a moving story with some memorable performances, especially by Gillian. She conveys many different emotions through her eyes. The House of Mirth is the portrayal of the early American Society with a richly-painted tapestry.

9. Viceroy’s House

A quintessentially British film, Viceroy House tries to chronicle the imperial past of the United Kingdom. It is set in 1947, when the partition of India took place. You’ll be quite impressed with the performance of Gillian as Lady Mountbatten while watching this film. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha and was released in 2017. It received praise from The New York Times and The Washington Post.

10. Crooked House

This film is based on the 1949 novel of Agatha Christie with the same title. The film had a wonderful cast and production, while it tried to stay true to the book. The performances are truly delightful. You’ll see Gillian in the role of Magda West in this film. She plays a fading theater actress in the movie.

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Her role in the latter even got her a Golden Globe award. Here are some of the facts about Gillian that you might not be aware of:

1. The producers of X-Files believed she didn’t possess the sex appeal to play Scully

Fox Network sent Gillian the script for The X-Files after noticing her in the television show Class of ’96. She later recalled that she liked the character of Dana Scully after going through the script. It was for the first time that she came across an intelligent, strong, and independent female lead character.

The producers weren’t so keen to hire her as they thought she lacked the sex appeal for the role. However, the creator of The X-Files, Chris Carter, insisted on giving her the role.

2. Her classmates at high school voted her the one ‘most likely to be arrested’

Gillian’s family had moved to Puerto Rico for 15 months when she was an infant. Later, they went to London and were back in the United States when she was 11. During her time in London, she had to split her time between the United Kingdom and United States.

At the time, she was of an extremely rebellious nature. She was the kind of teenager who loved dressing as a punk. She even had to go through therapy. Her high school classmates were pretty much aware of this. They voted her the ‘most bizarre girl’ and ‘most likely to be arrested’.

3. She once vowed that she would never work in television

At the age of 22, Gillian moved to New York in order to pursue a film career. During those days, she had vowed never to work in television. After a year without work, she changed her mind. While sharing her experiences, she said that she was not keen on playing the film roles she auditioned for. Before the auditions, she had decided never to move to Los Angeles and never to do television shows.

4. She can make an easy switch between British and American accents

Much of her childhood was spent in the United Kingdom. Because of this, she often had to face bullies for her British accent when she attended her school in Michigan. Later, she adopted a mid-western accent rather quickly. This was mainly to fit in with her counterparts.

As a result, she could easily switch between the two accents. Once she was asked whether she considered herself an American or British. She found it quite tough to answer the question. She felt happy with London being her home, but was a little baffled with her identity.

5. She has co-written a book trilogy in the science fiction genre

Gillian has written a science fiction trilogy titled The Earthend Saga. She wrote this alongside Jeff Rovin. He is an author, and an editor and columnist for an American magazine. The book trilogy is about a child psychologist who investigates some supernatural incidents that are unexplainable in nature. These events involve young people.

She revealed once that the book series is also being adapted into a television series. In the year 2014, the first in this series called A Vision of Fire was released. A Dream of Ice came out a year later. The series concluded with the release of The Sound of Seas in 2016.

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Gillian had a wonderful career beginning from the long-running paranormal thriller The X-Files. She was among the most powerful women in the British theater in 2009. She was named London Film School’s Honorary Associate in the very next year. For her portrayal of Margaret Tatcher in The Crown, she won the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Here we’ll take a look at some of the best roles that she has played over the years:

1. Dana Scully in The X-Files

This was the role that catapulted Gillian Anderson to fame. In this hugely popular television series, she plays the role of Dana Scully. She is an FBI agent who’s skeptical about the existence of the paranormal and extraterrestrial life. This television show also became an inspiration for two X-Files movies.

Dana Katherine Scully is an institution in herself. There are many fans of The X-Files who grew up watching this inspiring female character. She was not just another woman that people usually came across on television or in the movies. The character of agent Scully is extremely complex.

She has a commitment to her Catholic faith and at the same time she’s a scientist. While she’s a skeptic, she also believes in her partner, agent Mulder. Ask the fans about one character that defined Gillian’s career and they’ll surely say it’s agent Scully.

2. Jean Milburn in Sex Education

Gillian plays the single mom Jean Milburn in this Netflix comedy drama. While this British ‘dramedy’ is mostly about the youths, you just can’t ignore her presence in it. In Sex Education, she is a sex therapist as well as the protagonist’s mother. Otis, the protagonist, accidentally shares some of the sex education he has been receiving from his mother.

This gets him into the business of providing sex advice, helping his classmates deal with their sexual struggles. In the series, Gillian appears to be wise and neurotic at the same time. As Jean Milburn, she also gets to deliver some amusing lines regularly. You’ll certainly love this show if you’re a big fan of Gillian.

3. Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier in Hannibal

Gillian Anderson often plays understated characters in the television series and movies. Perhaps, the most understated among the roles she has played in her career is of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. The television show, Hannibal, is definitely not for the faint-hearted. However, it rewards the audience with its breathtaking visuals and a plot that’s gruesome and unpredictable.

Besides, Gillian is only one among the many acting talents in this series. The others include Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Gina Torres, and Laurence Fishburne. In a show that’s filled with enigmatic characters, the most enigmatic among them is of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. She is clever and sly with a certain vulnerability, which is quite complex. This makes Hannibals a must-watch for every Gillian Anderson fan.

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Over the past couple of decades, Gillian has been quite busy. Regardless of this, the projects she has taken up have an element of notoriety. She gained a massive fan following after playing Dana Scully in The X-Files. Despite this, her place in the public eye has witnessed a downfall in recent years. The good news for her fans across the world is that she won’t be disappearing from television anytime soon.

She is the one who played the pragmatic Scully, and now she is portraying Margaret Thatcher. Gillian is an actress who has never rested on her laurels. She has also been constantly challenging herself as an actress in recent times. Here we’ll examine the two major offers that she turned down:

1. Downton Abbey

She was offered a part in the British period drama, Downton Abbey. The series showcases the lives of the prestigious Crawley family and their servants. Her role in the television series was of Cora Crawley. When she turned down the offer to play this character, it was taken up by Elizabeth McGovern. It was not that she didn’t like British period dramas.

In fact, she has appeared in similar projects, such as Great Expectations and The Fall. Her refusal to play the role had something to do with her age. She was only thirteen years older than Michelle Dockery, who played the role of the eldest daughter. McGovern is seven years older than Gillian.

Today, it’ll be hard to imagine anyone else but McGovern as Lady Crawley. Gillian is a favorite among the British audiences and has appeared in several period dramas. They include Bleak House, which is based on a Charles Dickens novel of the same name.

1. Game of Thrones

Gillian turned down the offer to play a role in Game of Thrones because of family priorities. She was aware of the fact that the time it required would keep her away from her children. Gillian didn’t share the details of the role that she was offered in this massive television series.

She mentioned during one of her interviews that her 18-year-old daughter couldn’t believe that she turned down this role. Her daughter loves watching Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey. So the fact that her mother had turned down roles in these two major television series baffled her. However, one just can’t blame her for turning down the Game of Thrones offer.

The fantasy series was quite demanding and intense. Her fans would’ve certainly wanted to see her in the role. Most of them are aware that she is excellent at playing characters that are cold and menacing. She usually plays characters that know exactly how to get what they want.

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