Gillian Anderson

If you're talking positive female protagonists of the 90s, Dana Scully was the don. A scientist first, FBI agent second, and master wearer of glasses third. Her red bob forever the object of sci-fi affection; Gillian Anderson was 24 when she landed the role of Scully, and these days she's embarrassing everyone else who dares call themselves an actor as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Young Vic. She's taken on one of my favourite literary characters - Miss Haversham in Great Expectations, and is intensely brilliant as Stella Gibson on The Fall. Anderson is a lady who knows how to pick 'em. She may look back scathingly at Scully's oversized suits, but I champion them. Girl knew her way around a classic studious get up. Our Lady of Cynicism from '93 onwards.

Here are some film and TV style highlights in the work of Gillian Anderson (the X-Files segment will come later, and rest assured it will be as extensive as the shoulder pads.)

The Mighty (1998)

Okay full disclosure straight out the gate, I did not watch this film. The best I can tell from combining the beginning scenes with Anderson's scenes is that two bullied kids come together and fight evil via a King Arthur motif. Anderson plays a trashy Southern belle though, which naturally results in a few style triumphs.

And obviously plastic jewellery and lace is involved.

But most importantly, there's a red kimono.

Incase you were wondering if she got dressed in the dark, she's drunk. Big hair, smudged eye, snarly kind of drunk.

Knock knock. Who's there? Gillian Anderson and cold pizza. What more could you want.

A red dress & fur can be both classy and trashy, it's such an intriguing combo.

And if in doubt, accessorise with tinsel, apparently.

Style highlight time: black boots, tight jeans that are baggy at the knees, multi-coloured suede handbag, a fur coat belted at the waist and a red scrunchie.

Oh and a neck brace.

I love this face.

I love this shot. 

Playing By Heart (1998)

So this is something weird - Gillian Anderson and JON STEWART being all rom-com-y together. It's so fucking strange that it's coincidentally funny in a way that it couldn't possibly have been funny when it was first released because now of course Stewart is an established social justice comedy crusader and Anderson is an established no-bullshit-misogyny-roles-allowed worldclass thespian. But yes, they were once a will-they-won't-they, I've-known-you-five-minutes-but-I-love-you pairing. It's horrible but it's glorious. As you may be able to tell I can't quite articulate my feelings about it other than telling you that it's jarring. Oh it's jarring AF. And it's so nineties.

Anderson wears black almost exclusively. She wears dark, drab clothing because she's a bland wallflower. I mean, she's a successful theatre director, but she doesn't have a man, so she's a bland wallflower.

We open on Anderson as said theatre director. She stays up late, is consumed by her work and wears large shirts, so, pretty Scully-esque.

Also present are an oversized coat and an attitude. An attitude that isn't actually directed towards this woman's choice of coat, even though it undeniably should be. Still pretty Scully-esque, right?

Wrong. This is not Scully. This is ROM COM, and all of it's associated faux philosophising.

So little miss I-don't-need-a-relationship wanders into her friend's bookshop giving great backpack.

When lo and behold she gets flattened by a bookshelf. But never fear! Because who is there to help her up? Why it's charming architect Jon Stewart of course!

He asks her out. She's like "bitch, please!" and then she's like "yeah, go on then."

Look at these two babies at dinner! Stewart is wearing a red shirt coupled with a red tie and Anderson has a godamn BOW clipped in her hair.

And she's too shy to attempt eye contact. I mean, hold the phone Deschanel, this is downright adorkable.

They go for a walk at the pier. THE PIER! And she tells him all about how she doesn't trust men and doesn't know how to date.

And Stewart's all "I can be your hero baby!"

But can he kiss away the pain??? Evidently not because just when we think she might be "rom com blossoming" aka in this case wearing a colour other than black (Bluey Grey! Fancy!) she throws him out of their second date and says it's over and she can't do this™

Soz Stewart. But it wouldn't be a nineties romcom without a girl telling a boy to go away and then the boy swooping back in unannounced....

So when Anderson is celebrating her opening night looking like a Golden Globe nominee

Stewart pops up to say "Hey, remember me? You're coming over to my place for another date."

Anderson's smokey eye says okay.

And this is his place. Because he's an architect remember? This Is A Message From Your Official Sponsor of The RomCom: Get It, Girl.

Anderson meanders poolside in a full length grey skirt with a square heel. Did I mention this was the nineties?

Look, we're in black again. Oh, it's a funeral this time. Okay, sorry my bad.

The style highlight of this film (of Anderson, just you bloody wait til we get to Angelina Jolie) is an old favourite of mine:

Tailored PJs.

Not only that, but Anderson in tailored PJs, on a landline and throwing shade. *Jackpot sound effect*

Another thing to note about this film: Sean Connery plays her dad. Sean Connery!

And what a nice flower display in the background. I mean, oh, that's a woman.

So Anderson gets her man and her spaghetti straps. The End.

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (2008)

I can't really remember what this film is about. Something about a Brit heading over to New York to work at a fancy celebrity lifestyle magazine. Simon Pegg is an arsehole but then he's not an arsehole because we've got to like him in order to root for him. Or something like that. Anyway, Anderson plays a snarky publicist with some wonderful wardrobe choices. Particularly on Halloween.

First up it's a red lip. Classic Anderson.

This dress is an Egyptian blue dream and fits like a glove aka this character has money to spend on high quality garments.

Look at this suit! This suit is fantastic.

I like the cut. I like the monochrome. I like the accompanied snark.

Another day, another amazing suit. This time it's some sort of silk houndstooth blazer and cloudbusting blouse. And the brooch - is it a bird? is it a bug? is it an adult male flying in a cape? IDK but I dig it. She looks as though she could be Lauren Bacall's sister in To Have And Have Not.



Okay this is getting ridiculous now. I have a theory that Gillian Anderson has impressive suits written into all of her contracts. Because this one's a beauty as well:

And this one:

*STYLE HIGHLIGHT KLAXON*

And it's for a Halloween costume. Of course it is.

Deep purple, embellished arms, black fascinator, gothic jewellery, shoulder pads, tight curls.

Straight off The Addams Family set. Living the dream.

And she's so cruel. It's delicious. She literally laughs in the face of neediness.

Also Simon Pegg as Dracula is just Michael Sheen, no?

Great Expectations (2011)

In the 2011/12 Pop Culture Season, two of my favourite actors, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter, played one of my favourite literary characters, Miss Havisham. It was a treat.  Fifteen years too soon in terms of age, if we're gonna be picky. But excellent choices nonetheless.

I was excited the second I saw this spooky silhouette on the stairwell.

ICE. QUEEN.

Chapped lips as a costume choice? I don't know how but I'm completely down with it.

And there's just something so Little Bo Peep about the hair.

The ghouly off-white lace is obviously a solid direction.

And this ghastly fur coat really adds to whole 'heartbroken creep' persona.

The entire wedding getup is so important. And it looks amazing. The veil is exquisite. 

Everything is pale and withered and fantastic and...

flammable.

Love you Miss H.

 L'enfant d'en haut (2012)


This is an understated beauty. It's a painful and nuanced close look at a relationship, that the French are just so much better at than everyone else. Like all of my favourite films which examine a relationship intently, there is not much of a plot. Simon, a twelve year boy who provides for both himself and his older sister by daily heading up the Alps and stealing expensive ski gear, has been forced to become self sufficient and therefore has a warped sense of family and providing. Starring Léa Seydoux from Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Sister (the English title) dissects in a subtle and strange way what a maternal role can mean.

Enter Goddess of Maternity, Gillian Anderson.

Applying sun lotion to her kids face.

Look at the size of that rock!

Simon naturally gravitates towards her because she is present in her kid's lives and engages with their needs.

She also looks really awesome in ski wear, which is kind of infuriating. As I always thought it was impossible to look like anything other than Abominable Snowman Meets Saved By The Bell in ski gear.

But no, this is a nice jacket.

It has a faux fur hood and an orange lining. And it fits, miraculously. I didn't think that could happen either.

And her brown ear muffs match the jacket. Killing it. Stylish yet understated. She's so West London.

Off the slopes, she cuts a classic 'wealthy Englishwoman at her ski home'. Look at all those matching luggage pieces. Complimenting her well tailored camel trench, naturally.

A* for the costume dept. Mission Yummy Mummy successfully completed.

I really like this film and Seydoux is fantastic in it. It's uncomfortable and heartbreaking, and it's emotionally intelligent.

Mr Morgan's Last Love (2013)

This film is about two hours long and Anderson is only in it for about 20 minutes collectively, but she's really funny and looks amazing, so it's being included, okay!

Michael Caine plays an American (ish) living in Paris who has just lost his wife. His children come over from the States after he makes a suicide attempt.

Enter: Anderson lighting up in a hospital. Why? Because, duh, it's Europe.



Those trousers are what bootcut dreams are made of. What a silhouette.

She also speaks French. And uses it to make jokes about her brother with the hotel staff that he doesn't understand. Glorious.

Blue eyes, blue blouse, can't lose.

Here's the style highlight. And it's a killer. Posing provocatively in leopard print. Hot In Hotel Hallway starring Champagne Bottle and Kitten Heel.

But who is she luring you might ask? A husband? A lover? A stranger? A bell boy???

Nope her brother. As a... joke. Yeah, the relationship dynamics in this script really needed a few more drafts.

Luckily for viewer comfortability levels, things soon become normal again.

Red boots and a relaxed stance are featured.

As are red nails and soft ringlets.

This whole thing is a winner. This whole character aesthetic screams "stylish American revelling in unexpected Parisian backdrop" and it's artfully done.

And just as a bonus round: smoking with shopping bags on quaint street. Let's just take that in.

What a babe.

The Fall (2013)

The Fall. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Spoiler alert: Stella Gibson is, in my opinion, the most important feminist icon currently on our screens. Or maybe Virginia Johnson of Masters of Sex. WELL ANYWAY GIBSON IS IMPORTANT

Warning: you will start grinning like a giddy little kid practically every time she speaks. I even air punched at one point. How often do you get to air punch during serial killer drama?? Exactly. Gibson is gospel. And obviously Anderson plays her to perfection. And don't even get me started on the suits. Well I will have to get started on the suits, or this is going nowhere.

We open with Gibson at her London home looking over accounts of some recent murders. She works for the Met btw, it's not a worrying extra-curricular activity. This comfy sleep attire may lead you to believe that Gibson couldn't possibly be a superhero by day.

Guess what though, she is. Here she is arriving in Belfast, ready to get to work on aforementioned cases. Rapturous applause for whoever is in charge of all hair and makeup decisions. It's a soft wave, but it's not a Generic American Sitcom Standardised Soft Wave. It's a beaut.

Superintendent Gibson brings intelligence and leadership. And she also brings style.

She wears crisp whites with aplomb.

And educates the world about music.

Yes that's her telling a bunch of guys from Belfast that U2 suck. Of all that is holy, give this girl a medal. I hope she has a a crack about this recent Apple blunder in a future episode.

She gives icy stares to latecomers in grey cashmere:

And she tells wanky journalists who interrupt her at dinner to fuck off:

Literally, fuck off:

And then proceeds to swiftly gulp down a fishbowl of red.

There should really be a Marvel movie based on this shit.

I've also come to realise that Gillian Anderson taking charge at a (fictional) murder scene is my happy place. See also: the X Files.

I mean still looking good in a forensics michelin man suit should be a crime, amiright?

And now that she's in Belfast and scanning the surrounding area for hunky Irishmen, she ditches the comfy pjs in lieu of bringing out the snazzy undies:

Style highlight time. A suede camel pencil skirt (with pockets! always down for pockets) paired with a wrapped white shirt that just looks so comfortable and soft. I want it.

Don't get me wrong, I love talking about the clothes, but I love talking about how much of a badass Stella is more. So I'm going to do that again.

She's cool af at press conferences:

And I need to talk about how refreshing it is to see a professional woman on screen regard other successful women as instant confidants. She reacts as though there's an unspoken oath that doesn't need to be addressed. No rivalry - just respect, sharing, opportunity and whiskey chats in bars.

I really enjoy that Gibson's tone as a character is very soothing and articulate and that when she's in her head, the set is wide and open, neutral and blank. As if it's giving her space.

Like when she's questioning implications after a press meeting.

Or second guessing a serial killer while she's swimming.

Or collecting her thoughts before communicating a subliminal message to a dangerous criminal.

Everything about her is eloquent and considered, and the still space reinforces this. She's the calm and the murders are the storm.

Basically I really appreciate that every cog in the Fall machine is working to reinforce her character portrayal. I dig it.

I mean Gibson even fires a gun while wearing cool blue, because she's cool. And fair. And logical. She probably wouldn't use that thing to kill an unarmed black teenager for instance. Or give it to a nine year old girl.

Maybe I spoke too soon about my style highlight because I do truly love this one below, because it's so understated. I've never been a wearer of cool blue. Maybe I'll reconsider. This is the true extent of the power of Gibson.

And full points awarded when it's paired with a "are you really pulling this misogynistic crap with me right now?" look. There should be a whole Seth and Amy "Really?!" segment delivered solely with Stella Gibson sexism retorts. This dialogue is heaven sent. JUST WATCH THIS SHOW ALREADY. Don't walk, run.

And that's it! I'm off now to go and binge Hannibal, because I heard that guess what, Gillian Anderson is amazing in it.