Main content

Gillian Anderson

Sue Lawley's castaway is actress Gillian Anderson.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Gillian Anderson, best known for her role as Dana Scully in The X Files. Gillian was born in Chicago, Illinois. When she was two, she moved with her parents to London. At 11, the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan which she found deathly dull in comparison to the big city life of London. Gillian began acting in community theatre productions while in high school and decided to study drama at the Goodman Theater School at Chicago's DePaul University. After she finished her degree, she moved to New York City to find work. She performed in a couple of plays, but then was cast as the female lead in a new science fiction TV series.

The X Files turned out to be a massive success and in September 1993, Gillian began a nine-year stint in the FOX TV series. For her role she received two Screen Actors Guild awards, an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series. In 1999 Gillian wrote and directed her own episode. In 2000, Gillian played Lily Bart in the Terence Davies' feature The House of Mirth and won the British Independent Film Award for Best Actress. This year she debuts on the West End in Michael Weller's What the Night is For.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Luxury: Recordings of her daughter and "her love" reading self-written stories and poetry

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 17 Jan 2003 09:00
麻豆社 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

George Foreman

Next

Professor Baruch Blumberg

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • The Rolling Stones

    You Can't Always Get What You Want

    • Hot Rocks 2.
    • London.

  • Joan Armatrading

    Save Me

    • Joan Armatrading.
    • A & M.

  • Radiohead

    Exit Music (For A Film)

    • Ok Computer.
    • Parlophone.

  • Nina Simone

    Strange Fruit

    • Feeling Good - The Very Best of Nina Simone.
    • Verve.

  • Franz Schubert

    String Quartet No. 14 in D minor 'Death and the Maiden'

    Orchestra: Amadeus Quartet

    • Death and the Maiden/Hunt Quartet.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Jane Siberry

    Love is Everything

    • When I Was A Boy.
    • Reprise.

  • Roberta Flack

    Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye

    • First Take.
    • Atlantic.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Jeff Buckley

      Hallelujah

      • Grace.
      • Columbia.

  • Book Choice

    • The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

  • Luxury Choice

    • Recordings of her daughter and "her love" reading self-written stories and poetry

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Gillian Anderson

Broadcasts

  • Sun 12 Jan 2003 11:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 17 Jan 2003 09:00
    麻豆社 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast