Name: Gillian Leigh Anderson
Date of Birth: 9 August 1968
Hospital of Birth: St. Mary of Nazareth, Cook County
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Character on the X Files: Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully
Height: 5'2"
Hair: Ash blonde originally, now auburn. It has been black, purple, spiked, mohawked and, by her own confession, not even combed for a year once.
Eyes: Blue. It changes often, mainly due to the X-files lighting. Sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes gray, but mostly blue.
Complexion: Fair, somewhat freckled
Shoe Size: probably 7 USA
Parents: Edward & Rosemary Anderson. Rosemary runs a support group for those suffering from Neurofibromatosis in West Michigan
Siblings: Two; Younger brother Aaron was born with the genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis. Sister's name is Zoe.
Pets: A dog -- Neapolitan Mastiff whose name is Cleo.
Facts: She lived in Puerto Rico, and then in London for nine years, (her family still owns a flat there). At age eleven she moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she graduated from City High in Grand Rapids in 1986. Gillian then moved to Chicago and attended the Goodman Theater School at DePaul University (a major theater conservatory), in Chicago, IL where she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1990.
Rick Murphy, one of her teachers at Goodman, said in a People magazine cover story that Anderson "had an eight-line part in a French farce but turned it into a star role just by the attitude she brought to it."
Gillian also attended a summer program at the National Theater of Great Britain at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She then moved to Chicago where she went to college. Once she gained her BFA, she moved to New York, New York, where she made several theater performances and then to Los Angeles in about '91/'92.
The New York-based talent agency William Morris offered to represent her after seeing her perform at an actors' showcase.
Anderson had gained recognition as an actress for her off-Broadway performance in Alan Ayckborne's Absent Friends at the Manhattan Theater Club, for which she won a Theater World Award. She also appeared in Christopher Hampton's The Philanthropist at the Long Wharf Theater. Her love of theater began in high school, when she participated in community theater productions. Gillian Anderson's first big break came when she was cast in a starring role in The X-Files in September of 1993.
Upon gaining the role of Dana Scully, Gillian then relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where she resided with her daughter, Piper. She now shuttles between Vancouver and Los Angeles where the show has moved.
Marital Status: Married and separated from Errol Clyde Klotz, a former X-Files crewmember. They were married on New Years Day 1994 in Hawaii after an engagement that lasted "shorter than a month but longer then a week," . Says Gillian, "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." They separated in October 1996.
Children: Gillian has a daughter with Clyde, Piper Maru Anderson - born September 25, 1994. Piper was born by Cesarean. She was at work each day up until two days before her daughter's birth.
Dating History: Dated actor Rodney Rowland (from Space: Above and Beyond) who appeared in the X Files episode Never Again. (1997-98)
Favourite film: The Wrong Trousers (1993)
Favorite Food: Salmon Sushi
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Favorite Drink: Decaf nonfat foamy mocha and something about skim milk
Trivia:
- She does charity work for the non-profit organization NF,Inc. which deals with genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis.
- She has a tattoo done in 1996 while Gillian toured the South Pacific. It is on her right ankle and is a symbol from a native group on the island where Gillian got the tattoo - it is of two turtles. She had a nose ring and recently Gillian added a pierced naval ring.
- In 1997 she was chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
- She is a natural blonde. Her hair was dyed and styled into the famous bob by Malcom Marsden who was immortalised as the British MP in the episode "Fire".
X Files trivia: Gillian Anderson was interested in playing Dana Scully because: "The chance to play FBI Special Agent Dana Scully was the series key attraction, I was reading something that for the first time in a long time involved a strong, independent intelligent woman as a lead character." The auditioning went well and it seems Chris Carter had decided on casting Gillian for the role. The network (FOX) "freaked" at the possibility of casting someone with as little TV experience as Gillian and also appeared to be looking for someone more "bimboish". So they flew in more actresses from New York, but Chris stood his ground and they cast Gillian as Special Agent Dana Scully. Gillian, who was also somewhat surprised at being cast said, "I was convinced they were looking for someone leggier, and with a bigger chest."
Due to Gillian's pregnancy the producers of the X-Files took a huge risk and had Gillian's character, Scully, abducted by aliens. This later turned out to be a pivotal turning point in the show's history and major part of the on going mythological episodes. Gillian missed only one episode of the X Files (3) while pregnant with Piper.
She was paid $3,000,000 for the X Files movie.
Hardcore fan group: Gillian Anderson Testosterone Brigade
Address:
Ms. Gillian Anderson
c/o The X-Files 20th Century Fox
10201 Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035Ms. Gillian Anderson
1122 South Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035Ms. Gillian Anderson
c/o The X-Files
10201 West Pico Blvd., Bldg. 75
Los Angeles, CA 90036Ms. Gillian Anderson
c/o The X-Files
1201 Fox Farm
Big Bear Lake, CA 92135Awards:
Filmography: Gillian has appeared in movies like Playing by Heart, The Mighty and The Turning. She has done voice-over work for the animated movie Princess Mononoke. In 2000, she will appear in the movie House of Mirth.
Her television credits besides the X Files include voice-over work for Harsh Realm (another Chris Carter series, now cancelled), the Simpsons and Frasier.
She hosted the TV series Future Fantastic for the BBC.
For a more detailed filmography visit: