Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the daughter of Rosemary Anderson, a computer analyst, and Edward Anderson, who owned a film post-production company. Soon after her birth, her family moved to Puerto Rico for 15 months and then to...
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Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the daughter of Rosemary Anderson, a computer analyst, and Edward Anderson, who owned a film post-production company. Soon after her birth, her family moved to Puerto Rico for 15 months and then to Crouch End and finally Harringay in London, so that her father could attend the London Film 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.

With her English accent and background, Anderson was mocked and felt out of place in the American Midwest and soon adopted a Midwest accent. In addition, she had her nose pierced in the early 1980s and dyed her hair various colors. Her high school classmates voted her as "Most Bizarre," "Class Clown", "Most Likely to go Bald" and "Most Likely to be Arrested." She was caught trying to jam the high school doors by filling their locks with glue on the eve of her graduation.

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. 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 moved to New York when she was 22 years old. To support herself when she started her career, Anderson worked as a waitress. She began her career in Alan Ayckbourn's play, Absent Friends at the Manhattan Theatre Club alongside Brenda Blethyn; she won the 1990-91 Theatre World "Newcomer" Award for her role. Her next theatrical role was in Christopher Hampton's The Philanthropist at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut.

Anderson moved to Los Angeles in 1992, spending a year auditioning. Although she had once vowed she would never do TV, being out of work for a year changed her mind. Anderson did Home Fires Burning for a cable station, as well as the audio book version of Exit to Eden. She broke into mainstream television in 1993, with a guest appearance on the collegiate drama, Class of '96, on the fledgling Fox Network.

As a result of her guest appearance in Class of 96, Anderson was sent the script for The X Files at the age of 24. She decided to audition because "for the first time in a long time, the script involved a strong, independent, intelligent woman as a lead character." Producer Chris Carter wanted to employ her, but Fox wanted someone with previous TV exposure and greater sex appeal.[4] Fox sent in more actresses, but Carter stood by Anderson, and she was eventually cast as Special Agent Dana Scully. Anderson got the part assuming it would run for 13 episodes, the standard minimum order for American TV networks. Filmed in Vancouver and then in Los Angeles, the series would run for nine seasons, and included two films, released in 1998 and 2008. During her time on The X Files, Anderson won several awards for her portrayal of Special Agent Scully, including an Emmy Award, Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for "Best Actress in a Drama Series." While filming, Anderson met assistant art director Clyde Klotz, whom she would eventually marry.

Anderson had roles in a handful of films during the run of The X-Files and starred in The House of Mirth, an adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel of the same name.

In 1999, Anderson had a supporting role in the English-language release of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, where she voiced the character of Moro. Anderson is a proclaimed lover of Miyazaki's work. She also took part in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues.

When The X-Files ended, Anderson performed in several stage productions and worked on various film projects. She has participated in narrative work for documentaries on scientific topics. In 2005, she appeared as Lady Dedlock in the BBC television adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House, had a starring role in the Irish film The Mighty Celt (for which she won an IFTA award for Best International Actress) and performed in A Cock and Bull Story, a film version of the novel Tristram Shandy.

In 2006, Anderson was nominated for a British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress and won the Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Award for Best Actress for her role in Bleak House. Anderson also received an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie" for her performance as Lady Dedlock. Furthermore, she was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Bleak House and came in second place in the Best Actress category of the 2005 BBC Drama website poll for her performance as Lady Dedlock (Billie Piper came in first and Anna Maxwell Martin came in third).

During 2006 and 2007, Anderson appeared in two British films: The Last King of Scotland (2006) and Straightheads (2007).

In December 2007, it was announced that Anderson will host PBS' Masterpiece Theatre during the Jane Austen series.

On December 10, 2007, Anderson began filming for The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Filming concluded on March 11, 2008. The movie was released on July 25, 2008, with a DVD release to follow on December 2, 2008.

Gillian will portray Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House at the Donmar Warehouse in London's West End for a limited engagement running from May 14, 2009 until July 18, 2009.

Anderson has a sister, Zoe, who appeared uncredited as 14-year-old Dana Scully on The X-Files episode Christmas Carol.

Anderson has been married twice. She married her first husband, Clyde Klotz, The X-Files series assistant art director, on New Years Day, 1994, on the 17th hole of a golf course in Hawaii in a Buddhist ceremony. They divorced in 1997. In December 2004, Anderson married Julian Ozanne, a documentary filmmaker, in the village of Shella on Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya. Anderson and Ozanne announced their separation on April 21, 2006, after 16 months of marriage. After separating from Ozanne in 2006, Gillian became involved with her current partner/bodyguard, Mark Griffiths. Anderson has three children. She has a daughter with ex-husband Klotz, Piper Maru (for whom The X-Files episode, "Piper Maru," was named). Piper was born on September 25, 1994, in Vancouver, Canada. During Anderson's pregnancy, The X-Files creator, Chris Carter, created an alien abduction storyline that kept Anderson off-camera long enough for labor, delivery and a 10-day maternity leave. Carter was named Piper's godfather. In the year of 2000, Piper had a small (and uncredited) appearance in her mother's movie The House of Mirth. She has two sons, Oscar (born November 1, 2006) and Felix (born October 15, 2008).

In 1996, Anderson was voted the "Sexiest Woman in the World" for FHM's 100 Sexiest Women poll.

Anderson provides philanthropic and charitable assistance in the support of finding a cure for neurofibromatosis. She serves as NF, Inc.'s Honorary Spokesperson and is a Patron of the Neurofibromatosis Association (based in the UK). Her support stems from her brother being diagnosed with NF-1. She is also a member of the board of directors for Artists for a New South Africa and a campaigner for ACTSA: Action for Southern Africa. Furthermore, Anderson is an active member of PETA, supporting animal rights.

Gillian Anderson is a beautiful woman with a big heart.Gillian recently auctioned off tons of Scully original merchandise.She donates them to her charity.Gillian burst onto the screen making her name known as Dana Scully on the X-Files.Her...
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Gillian Anderson is a beautiful woman with a big heart.Gillian recently auctioned off tons of Scully original merchandise.She donates them to her charity.Gillian burst onto the screen making her name known as Dana Scully on the X-Files.Her onscreen relationship between her and David Duchovny was the ideal tv courtship.During the filming of the X-Files she gave birth to her first childShe then burst on to the silver screen as her infamous role in,X-Files:Fight the Future..After 9 years on the infamous cult classic,Gillian moved back to London,England,her home town.There she starred in a England tv series,Bleack House as Lady Dedlock.In 2006 she played Sarah,wife of Dr.Merrit in,The Last King of Scotland.Then in 2008 she reprised her role as Special Agent Dana Scully in the X-Files sequal,X-Files:I Want To Believe.Gillian is currently working on three movies:Boogie Woogie,o One Gets Off In This Town,and The Smell Of Apples.

I think Gillian is a wonderful actress and the fact that she is moving on from tv to the Theather makes her even more admiring to me. Going from one type of acting to another is not easy especially if your type casted as something and after...
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I think Gillian is a wonderful actress and the fact that she is moving on from tv to the Theather makes her even more admiring to me. Going from one type of acting to another is not easy especially if your type casted as something and after playing Dana Scully all these years I could understand why she would want to move on.

I was thrilled when the new X Files movie finally came out and I love that she and David still work well with each other especially after all these years.

Gillian you are cool Girl ! :)

Gillian Anderson, is one of the most talented actresses I haveseen in years. She has it all, the looks the talent and the know-how. She came to fame as Special Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files 15 years ago. She has now become one of the most well...
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Gillian Anderson, is one of the most talented actresses I haveseen in years. She has it all, the looks the talent and the know-how. She came to fame as Special Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files 15 years ago. She has now become one of the most well known and well loved actresses of our time. After The X-Files finished its last season run on mainstream telivision in 2002 she shunned TV starting to work on stage and eventually in films. She has produced an episode of The X-Files and directed too. Anderson knows what she is doing when it comes to showbusiness. As far as we X-Philes are concerned, she is a gift that shoud never be forgotten!

Her role as Agent Dana Katherine Scully is beyond praise, she is magnificent. She is smart, sexy, hot, intelectual, passionate, cute, pretty, funny, sizzling, strong, independent, sweet, fragile, beautiful... Everything a female specimen should...
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Her role as Agent Dana Katherine Scully is beyond praise, she is magnificent. She is smart, sexy, hot, intelectual, passionate, cute, pretty, funny, sizzling, strong, independent, sweet, fragile, beautiful... Everything a female specimen should be! If i where Mulder i would have taken her straight to bed the moment i met her. Jesus man! just sleep with her, cant you see she is asking(begging) you to do so! Sleep with Scully or else the aliens are gonna abduct her and rape her!!! LOL!

Well, back to Gillian she is a very talented actress. She is very underrated, desrves allot more critical recognition.

She's an amazing actress with many talents. I've loved her for a long time now. She's a great person, and a funny one at that. Her work on the X-Files was just amazing. She can play any character, any role, and still be amazing at it. She is what...
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She's an amazing actress with many talents. I've loved her for a long time now. She's a great person, and a funny one at that. Her work on the X-Files was just amazing. She can play any character, any role, and still be amazing at it. She is what i look for in a good actress. Gillian is definately the definition of a great actress. I am proud she one a golden globe and an emmy a while back. She so deserves any award that she gets nominated for. She plays tricky roles, and does her own thing and puts her own unique style into the character. That's what makes me fall in love with each and every character she portrays.

I first saw Gillian in The X-Files (of course;)) and I found her absolutely stunning there. As a big XF fan, I simply adores Scully`s character and such differnce between the character and the actress herself. Later, When I saw "House of Mirth",...
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I first saw Gillian in The X-Files (of course;)) and I found her absolutely stunning there. As a big XF fan, I simply adores Scully`s character and such differnce between the character and the actress herself. Later, When I saw "House of Mirth", "Playing by heart", "Chicago cab", "The Mighty", "Last king of Scotland" and "Bleak House", I came to conclusion that she is a very talented actress who can play any imaginable character. I aprecciate her choices of roles because she doesn`t choose them to make sure she will be famous, but from her own desire to play various and complexed characters. I also like her private devotion to family and charity, I like her humour and nostly, I consider her as one of the most brilliant actresses that exist in this very moment.

Like I said she is great actress, one of my best. I really liked her in The X files, as Dana Scully, and it is so great that she is going to be in the new movie of X files. Can't wait. The way she acts and look, and her attitude is example for all...
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Like I said she is great actress, one of my best. I really liked her in The X files, as Dana Scully, and it is so great that she is going to be in the new movie of X files. Can't wait. The way she acts and look, and her attitude is example for all those actors who are coming. Gillian is very funny person and I just enjoy watching her in all kinds of TV shows, because she makes me laugh with her great sense of humor every time.
And, I think that her blond hair is better then red! Really great actress :))

I love Gillian's work mainly one the X Files. I think she protrayed Agent Dana Scully fantasticly and truly brought the charactor to life. She acted so good over the nine years of the X File's. Gillian also wrote on the X Files for one episode and...
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I love Gillian's work mainly one the X Files. I think she protrayed Agent Dana Scully fantasticly and truly brought the charactor to life. She acted so good over the nine years of the X File's. Gillian also wrote on the X Files for one episode and even directed it. I think that Gillian put a lot of work into the X Files and she should be remembered for it. Even her work on Bleak House was amazing. She probably is my favourite TV actress of all time. Its a shame she does not want to do mroe work on TV but none years on one show is fasntastic.