27
Gillian Anderson
Born · August 9, 1968 (56 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Bio
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.
TRON: Ares
0.0
2025
The Salt Path
Raynor Winn
0.0
2024
Woolf Works
0.0
2024
Scoop
Emily Maitlis
6.4
2024
White Bird
Vivienne Beaumier
7.8
2023
The Pale Blue Eye
Julia Marquis
6.8
2022
Robin Robin
Cat (voice)
7.1
2021
Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day
Self
8.0
2021
The Inspiration of Alfie Swincross
Alison Appleby
0.0
The First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt · (10 episodes)
6.3
2022
The Savoy
Self · (1 episode)
7.9
2020
The Sunlit Night
Olyana
5.5
2020
This Changes Everything
Self
6.2
2019
National Theatre Live: All About Eve
Margo Channing
8.5
2019
Sex Education
Jean Milburn · (32 episodes)
8.2
2019
UFO
Dr. Hendricks
6.9
2018
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Wendy
6.4
2018
Crooked House
Magda Leonides
6.4
2017
American Gods
Media · (2 episodes)
7.1
2017
American Gods
Goddess Media · (8 episodes)
7.1
2017
The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism
Narrator
8.5
2017
Heroes Manufactured
Self (archive footage)
10.0
2017
Viceroy's House
Edwina Mountbatten
6.7
2017
Woolf Works
Voiceover from a letter by Virginia Woolf (voice)
2.0
2017
The Crown
Margaret Thatcher · (10 episodes)
8.2
2016
Sold
Sophia
6.5
2016
War and Peace
Anna Pavlovna Scherer · (6 episodes)
7.6
2016
Getting the Old Scent Again: Reimagining Red Dragon
Self
0.0
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
6.6
2015
The Widowmaker
Narrator
6.8
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (1 episode)
4.4
2014
Robot Overlords
Kate
4.8
2014
Ronja the Robber's Daughter
Narrator · (26 episodes)
6.4
2014
The Departure
Blanche DuBois
9.0
2014
National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire
Blanche DuBois
7.5
2014
Crisis
Meg Fitch · (13 episodes)
6.4
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
5.5
2014
Mr. Morgan's Last Love
Karen Morgan
6.7
2013
I'll Follow You Down
Marika Whyte
6.0
2013
The Fall
Stella Gibson · (17 episodes)
7.7
2013
Hannibal
Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier · (21 episodes)
8.2
2013
Room on the Broom
Witch (voice)
6.4
2012
FOX 25th Anniversary Special
Self
7.3
2012
Sister
Kristin Jansen
6.7
2012
Shadow Dancer
Kate Fletcher
5.9
2012
Great Expectations
Miss Havisham · (3 episodes)
7.2
2011
Johnny English Reborn
Pamela Thornton ("Pegasus")
6.2
2011
Moby Dick
Elizabeth · (4 episodes)
5.7
2011
The Crimson Petal and the White
Mrs. Castaway · (4 episodes)
7.2
2011
Any Human Heart
Duchess Of Windsor · (4 episodes)
6.0
2010
No Pressure
Self
7.0
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
5.0
2009
Boogie Woogie
Jean Maclestone
5.0
2009
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Eleanor Johnson
6.0
2008
The X Files: I Want to Believe
Dana Scully
5.8
2008
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
Queen Vorkana (voice)
5.0
2007
Straightheads
Alice
5.2
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
7.2
2007
The Last King of Scotland
Sarah Merrit
7.4
2006
Bleak House
Lady Dedlock · (15 episodes)
8.2
2005
A Cock and Bull Story
Widow Wadman / Gillian Anderson
6.2
2005
The Mighty Celt
Kate
6.4
2005
Parkinson
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
0.0
2004
Celebrities Uncensored
Self · (1 episode)
2.5
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
5.5
2003
Top Gear
Self · (1 episode)
7.5
2002
American Idol
Self · (1 episode)
5.1
2002
V Graham Norton
Self · (1 episode)
5.0
2002
Richard Rodgers: Some Enchanted Evening
Self - Performer
0.0
2002
Richard & Judy
Self · (1 episode)
3.1
2001
The House of Mirth
Lily Bart
6.2
2000
Harsh Realm
Video Narrator (uncredited) · (1 episode)
6.4
1999
Playing by Heart
Meredith
6.6
1998
Chicago Cab
Southside Girl
5.3
1998
The X Files
Agent Dana Scully
6.9
1998
The Magic Hour
Self · (1 episode)
5.0
1998
The Mighty
Loretta Lee
7.1
1998
Akte X Intern - Was Sie schon immer wissen wollten
Dana Scully / Self
0.0
1998
Inside The X-Files
Self
6.8
1998
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
1998
Future Fantastic
Self - Host · (9 episodes)
0.0
1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
3.5
1996
ReBoot
Data Nully (voice) · (1 episode)
7.4
1994
Frasier
Jenny (voice) · (1 episode)
7.7
1993
The X-Files
Dana Scully · (218 episodes)
8.4
1993
Class of '96
Rachel · (1 episode)
5.0
1993
Eek! The Cat
Dana Scully (voice) · (1 episode)
6.8
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
5.4
1992
The Turning
April Cavanaugh
3.3
1992
The Simpsons
Dana Scully (voice) · (1 episode)
8.0
1989
A Matter of Choice
Woman
0.0
1988
Three at Once
Woman 1
3.5
1986
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
6.8
1944
The Abandons
Constance Van Ness · (1 episode)
0.0
Trespasses
Gina · (1 episode)
0.0
This Morning
Self · (1 episode)
5.7
1988
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
6.8
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee · (2 episodes)
6.8
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee/Presenter · (1 episode)
6.8
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member · (1 episode)
6.8
1944