Gillian Anderson biography 2022
Gillian Anderson biography
Gillian Anderson was born on August 9, 1968, in Chicago, IL, and is one of 3 children. She lived in Puerto Rico and then in London so her father could attend a film school there. At 11, she moved to Michigan, where she attended elementary and high school.
She then moved to Chicago, where she went to college, and after obtaining her BFA, Gillian then moved to New York, N.Y., where she did several theater shows, and then to Los Angeles in about '91/'92. After landing the role of Dana Scully, Gillian moved to North Vancouver, Canada, where she now lives with her husband and daughter.
Gillian attended Fountain Elementary and then City High in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating in 1986, she moved to Chicago and attended the Goodman Theater School at DePaul University in Chicago, IL, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While attending DePaul Uni, she also studied in the National Theater of Great Britain summer program at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
After wanting to be a marine biologist, around age 17, Gillian Anderson was in ''a couple of auditions'' at the Grand Rapids Community Theater, where she was ''cast in a few things'' and from then on, it was as if she had ''never thought about marine biology.''While studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts at DePaul University, Gillian spent some time at the National Theater of Great Britain.
During this time, she also played in a film called ''The Turning'' in 1988. After receiving her degree, she moved to New York and began a severe theater career - including an off-Broadway production of Alan Ayckbourn's ''Absent Friends,'' for which she won a Theater World award in 1991.
Also, ''The Philanthropist'' at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven. Gillian then moved to Los Angeles and spent a year auditioning for various things.
During that time, she did ''Home Fires Burning'' for a cable station and the audiocassette version of ''Exit to Eden,'' Although she had once vowed Gillian would ''never do T.V.''.
She seemed set on a career in film or theater when she was out of work for a year, or around that time, she changed her mind.
She had a part in an episode of ''Class of '96'' and was impressed enough by the role of Dana Scully that she auditioned for the part. "The chance to play FBI Special Agent Dana Scully was the main attraction of the series; I read something that for the first time in a long time involved a strong, independent, intelligent woman as the main character"-G.A.
The audition went well, and it seems that Chris Carter had decided to cast Gillian in the role. The network (FOX) ''freaked out'' at the possibility of launching someone with as little T.V. experience as Gillian.
So they flew in several actresses from New York, but Chris was adamant, casting Gillian as Special Agent Dana Scully. Gillian, who was also somewhat surprised to be released, said ''I was convinced they were looking for someone thicker and with a bigger chest.'' - Gillian is enjoying working on the show, even if it was a little stressful at first, and see it. The recognition she has received is a big step that will open many doors for her as her goal is to do more theater and feature films and independent films eventually.
But it wasn't until she got the role of ''Dana Scully'' in ''The X-Files'' that she became famous. Gillian Anderson has become a '90s icon through her role in the wildly popular X-Files T.V. show, game, and now a movie. Gillian Anderson came out of nowhere into the national spotlight as a scientist/FBI agent, but few know that she was first a movie actress - after starring in The Turning.
As for her take on the X-files and her character, she conveniently has. Summed it up. ''The more I get to know the character, the more she's becoming like me in some of her mannerisms. I'm *not* much of a skeptic. I believe in UFOs; I believe in certain paranormal phenomena, like ESP and psychokinesis and all that. I've always been fascinated by it, and I think I just knew or assumed it was the reality on some level. In that respect, we are very different. I think I tend to get as focused and obsessed with my work as Dana does but differently. She's a doctor and an FBI agent, and I'm an actress.''
As for her love life, Gillian Anderson is currently married after an engagement that lasted ''shorter than a month but longer than a week,'' with, well, she wants it kept quiet... They met at least on the set of The X-Files, where he worked in several of the early episodes, and the pair tied the knot on New Year's Day ('94) on a golf course in Hawaii.' '"We kept it very, very small. In fact, it was just the two of us and a Buddhist priest on the 17th hole of this golf course in Hawaii"'' Gillian also had a baby due on 9/13 and gave birth on the 25 /09 Baby's name is Piper Anderson, a little girl, 8 lb. 10 oz.
last updated October 2022
