Many actors say they are younger than they are. But Gillian Anderson did the opposite – she lied about her age, claiming she was older than she actually was for her role X-Files. And it launched her career.
Gillian Anderson lied about her age to land The X-Files
In 2020, Anderson spoke to NPR about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s role in the hit Netflix series. The crown. During this conversation, Anderson revealed a deliberate awkwardness to the character. She relates this to the character who made her famous: FBI agent Dana Scully on the hit series. X-Files.
By the time Anderson won the role, she admitted she had “no experience at all.” So when she originally auditioned for the role, she lied about her age. The 24-year-old actress said she was 27 in hopes that getting older would help her land the role.
Anderson landed the role of the beloved doctor who investigates paranormal phenomena on the cult classic show. She explained that it was authentic when Scully looked both cocky and green. Anderson said she was “trying to act like I know I am who I say I am.”
Of course with time X-Files finished his original nine-season run, Anderson was a pro. When she returned for the revival season starting in 2016, neither the actor nor the character were amateurs in the slightest.
Anderson had a brilliant career
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In addition to Scully, Anderson has portrayed numerous other characters. She has appeared in films such as The last king of Scotland and The spy who dropped me. Anderson has appeared in a handful of short films, voicing everything from documentaries to English-dubbed versions of anime strips. She even branched out into directing.
However, Anderson remains best known for her television work. She has appeared in episodes of series such as Hannibal, American godsand The autumn (which she also executive produced). However, her role as Margaret Thatcher brought her back into the public eye.
In 2019, Anderson took on a very different gig. She began portraying sex therapist Jean Milburn sex education, another Netflix Original. The actor also describes this character as “awkward” and “obviously awkward” as it involves her son Otis navigating his own sexuality.
At 53, Anderson played another historical figure. She portrays Eleanor Roosevelt in the miniseries The First Lady.
Anderson was underpaid for The X-Files
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return to X-Files, Anderson touched on her struggle for better pay while working on the hit series. While she came into play as an inexperienced actress, co-star David Duchovny had a few films under her belt, including California versus rising star Brad Pitt.
“But when we were in season three and doing the same amount of work and the same number of hours, it was essentially a two-handed series,” Anderson explained. “It no longer made sense that there was such a discrepancy in our paychecks.”
Despite getting the raise during the original run, she struggled again when the veteran actor returned to the set for the reboot. “It was shocking to me given all the work I’d done in the past to pay us fairly,” she told the Daily Beast in 2016. Regardless of her age or experience at the moment, Anderson will fight for that , what she wants.
TIED TOGETHER: Is ‘The Crown’ and ‘X-Files’ star Gillian Anderson British or American?
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-gillian-andersons-age-lie-was-different-from-most-actors.html/ How Gillian Anderson’s age lie differed from most actors
