Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson

Acting • Born 1968-08-09

Acting4Chicago, Illinois, USA

Biography

Gillian Leigh Anderson OBE (born August 9, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and activist. She is best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi series The X-Files (1993–2002; 2016–2018), Lily Bart in the drama film The House of Mirth (2000), DSI Stella Gibson in the BBC/RTÉ crime drama series The Fall (2013–2016), Jean Milburn in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023), and Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of the Netflix drama series The Crown (2020). She has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Born in Chicago, Anderson was raised first in London and then in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She later started her career onstage in New York City before achieving international recognition for her work on The X-Files. Her film work includes the dramas The Mighty Celt (2005), The Last King of Scotland (2006), Shadow Dancer (2012), and Viceroy's House (2017), as well as the X-Filesfilms Fight the Future (1998) and I Want to Believe (2008). Her television credits include Lady Dedlock in Bleak House (2005), Wallis Simpson in Any Human Heart (2010), Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (2011), Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier on Hannibal (2013–2015), Media in the first season of American Gods (2017), and Eleanor Roosevelt on The First Lady (2022). Anderson has also received awards and acclaim for her stage work, which includes Absent Friends (1991), for which she won a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer; A Doll's House (2009), for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress; Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (2014 and 2016), for which she won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress and received a second Laurence Olivier Award nomination; and All About Eve (2019), for which she received a third Laurence Olivier Award nomination. Anderson has supported numerous charities and humanitarian organizations, being an honorary spokesperson for the Neurofibromatosis Network and a co-founder of South African Youth Education for Sustainability (SAYes). She has lived in London since 2002 and was appointed an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016 for her services to drama. Description above from the Wikipedia article Gillian Anderson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

108 credits
The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland

Movie • 2006

Sarah Merrit

Playing by Heart

Playing by Heart

Movie • 1998

Meredith

The X-Files

The X-Files

Movie • 1998

Agent Dana Scully

The Mighty Celt

The Mighty Celt

Movie • 2005

Kate

Scoop

Scoop

Movie • 2024

Emily Maitlis

The Turning

The Turning

Movie • 1992

April Cavanaugh

A Cock and Bull Story

A Cock and Bull Story

Movie • 2005

Widow Wadman / Gillian Anderson

The X Files: I Want to Believe

The X Files: I Want to Believe

Movie • 2008

Dana Scully

The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth

Movie • 2000

Lily Bart

The Mighty

The Mighty

Movie • 1998

Loretta Lee

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

Movie • 2008

Eleanor Johnson

Straightheads

Straightheads

Movie • 2007

Alice

The Pale Blue Eye

The Pale Blue Eye

Movie • 2022

Julia Marquis

Boogie Woogie

Boogie Woogie

Movie • 2010

Jean Maclestone

FOX 25th Anniversary Special

FOX 25th Anniversary Special

Movie • 2012

Self

The Salt Path

The Salt Path

Movie • 2025

Raynor Winn

Shadow Dancer

Shadow Dancer

Movie • 2012

Kate Fletcher

Johnny English Reborn

Johnny English Reborn

Movie • 2011

Pamela

Richard Rodgers: Some Enchanted Evening

Richard Rodgers: Some Enchanted Evening

Movie • 2002

Self - Performer

Sister

Sister

Movie • 2012

Kristin Jansen

Heroes Manufactured

Heroes Manufactured

Movie • 2017

Self (archive footage)

Room on the Broom

Room on the Broom

Movie • 2012

Witch (voice)

Chicago Cab

Chicago Cab

Movie • 1998

Southside Girl

White Bird

White Bird

Movie • 2023

Vivienne Beaumier

Mr. Morgan's Last Love

Mr. Morgan's Last Love

Movie • 2013

Karen Morgan

Robot Overlords

Robot Overlords

Movie • 2015

Kate

Sold

Sold

Movie • 2016

Sophia

I'll Follow You Down

I'll Follow You Down

Movie • 2013

Marika Whyte

Three at Once

Three at Once

Movie • 1986

Woman 1

A Matter of Choice

A Matter of Choice

Movie • 1988

Woman

National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire

National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire

Movie • 2014

Blanche DuBois

No Pressure

No Pressure

Movie • 2010

Self

Akte X Intern - Was Sie schon immer wissen wollten

Akte X Intern - Was Sie schon immer wissen wollten

Movie • 1998

Dana Scully / Self

The Departure

The Departure

Movie • 2014

Blanche DuBois

TRON: Ares

TRON: Ares

Movie • 2025

Elisabeth Dillinger

The Widowmaker

The Widowmaker

Movie • 2015

Narrator

Inside The X-Files

Inside The X-Files

Movie • 1998

Self

Getting the Old Scent Again: Reimagining Red Dragon

Getting the Old Scent Again: Reimagining Red Dragon

Movie • 2015

Self

Woolf Works

Woolf Works

Movie • 2024

Crooked House

Crooked House

Movie • 2017

Magda Leonides

UFO

UFO

Movie • 2018

Dr. Hendricks

Viceroy's House

Viceroy's House

Movie • 2017

Edwina Mountbatten

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind

Movie • 2007

Queen Vorkana (voice)

Woolf Works

Woolf Works

Movie • 2017

Voiceover from a letter by Virginia Woolf (voice)

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism

Movie • 2017

Narrator

The Spy Who Dumped Me

The Spy Who Dumped Me

Movie • 2018

Wendy

This Changes Everything

This Changes Everything

Movie • 2019

Self

The Sunlit Night

The Sunlit Night

Movie • 2020

Olyana

National Theatre Live: All About Eve

National Theatre Live: All About Eve

Movie • 2019

Margo Channing

Robin Robin

Robin Robin

Movie • 2021

Cat (voice)

Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day

Letters Live from the Archive: International Women’s Day

Movie • 2021

Self

Animals

Animals

Movie

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Movie • 2026

Billie

The Julia Set

The Julia Set

Movie

The Turning Door

The Turning Door

Movie

(voice)

Secrets of the X-Files

Secrets of the X-Files

Movie • 1995

Self

More Secrets of the X-Files

More Secrets of the X-Files

Movie • 1996

Self

The Making of 'The X Files: Fight the Future'

The Making of 'The X Files: Fight the Future'

Movie • 1998

Self

The Salt Path Scandal

The Salt Path Scandal

Movie • 2025

Self (archive footage)

The Simpsons

The Simpsons

TV • 1989

Dana Scully (voice)

ReBoot

ReBoot

TV • 1994

Data Nully (voice)

Harsh Realm

Harsh Realm

TV • 1999

Video Narrator (uncredited)

Bleak House

Bleak House

TV • 2005

Lady Dedlock

Richard & Judy

Richard & Judy

TV • 2001

Self

American Idol

American Idol

TV • 2002

Self

The X-Files

The X-Files

TV • 1993

Dana Scully

The Crown

The Crown

TV • 2016

Margaret Thatcher

Future Fantastic

Future Fantastic

TV • 1996

Self - Host

Celebrities Uncensored

Celebrities Uncensored

TV • 2003

Self

Class of '96

Class of '96

TV • 1993

Rachel

The First Lady

The First Lady

TV • 2022

Eleanor Roosevelt

V Graham Norton

V Graham Norton

TV • 2002

Self

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

TV • 2011

Miss Havisham

The Fall

The Fall

TV • 2013

Stella Gibson

Any Human Heart

Any Human Heart

TV • 2010

Duchess Of Windsor

Moby Dick

Moby Dick

TV • 2011

Elizabeth

The Crimson Petal and the White

The Crimson Petal and the White

TV • 2011

Mrs. Castaway

Hannibal

Hannibal

TV • 2013

Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

TV • 2003

Self - Guest

Crisis

Crisis

TV • 2014

Meg Fitch

War and Peace

War and Peace

TV • 2016

Anna Pavlovna Scherer

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

TV • 2014

Self - Guest

The Abandons

The Abandons

TV • 2025

Constance Van Ness

Ronja, the Robber's Daughter

Ronja, the Robber's Daughter

TV • 2014

Narrator

The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

TV • 2007

Self

Frasier

Frasier

TV • 1993

Jenny (voice)

Eek! The Cat

Eek! The Cat

TV • 1992

Dana Scully (voice)

The Savoy

The Savoy

TV • 2020

Self

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

TV • 1992

Self - Guest

Sex Education

Sex Education

TV • 2019

Jean Milburn

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

TV • 1996

Self - Guest

Parkinson

Parkinson

TV • 2004

Self - Guest

American Gods

American Gods

TV • 2017

Media

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

TV • 2009

Self - Guest

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

TV • 2015

Self - Guest

The Magic Hour

The Magic Hour

TV • 1998

Self

Trespasses

Trespasses

TV • 2025

Gina

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Presenter

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Nominee

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Nominee/Presenter

Parkinson

Parkinson

TV • 1998

Self

Top Gear

Top Gear

TV • 2002

Self

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Audience Member

This Morning

This Morning

TV • 1988

Self - Guest

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

TV • 2014

Self

The Boys from Brazil

The Boys from Brazil

TV

Frieda Steiner

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Winner

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden

TV • 2015

Self - Guest

Gillian Anderson – Filmography & Biography – Critifan