Gillian Anderson Steps Out of Sci-Fi And Into a Streetcar

Gillian Anderson is most well-known for her role as Agent Dana Scully in the Fox science fiction series The X-Files, co-starring David Duchovny. The long-running and fan-favorite show cemented her stardom in the U.S. but also meant she found difficulty landing roles in Hollywood outside of the genre. The beautiful and versatile actor, however, has done well in Europe, often in films depicting a period far removed from her twenty-first century FBI stint. Gillian Anderson has most often played roles set in the 19th and early 20th century instead.

Anderson is now stepping away from both sci-fi and Victorian-era costume to play a lead role in the London production of A Streetcar Named Desire, reports the Hattiesburg American. Ben Foster will play Stanley Kowalski opposite Gillian’s Blanche DuBois. The production began its run in July at the Young Vic and will enter movie theaters around the globe next week as part of the National Theatre Live series. Rumors are that the London production could also come to Broadway, according to an interview the LA Times conducted with Gillian Anderson.

“We’re hoping to take this to New York. We’re in negotiations for that.”

The production is in the round, which means that the stage is surrounded by the audience on all sides (in this case by revolving). That creates a new dynamic for the actors, of course, but Gillian Anderson says that is an integral part of the production and critics have pointed out that it creates the visual of the characters descending into madness as the play commences.

“A good deal of people who see it say the revolve disappears for them and, if they notice it, it’s to notice the benefits of it and the benefits of the perspective that it gives.”

Anderson says that she has always wanted to play the role of Blanche as it’s one of her favorite characters, and she has long been fascinated by the Tennessee Williams play. Now at age 47, she admits that she would have soon been too old to take on the role, but has finally had the chance. Gillian told Hattiesburg that she’s thrilled she finally can do so.

Meanwhile, Gillian Anderson keeps a public profile by occasionally posting comments to X-Files fans on Reddit, entering Hollywood scandal sheets as the latest possible love of former co-star Duchovney and being active in the American and European theater scene.

[Image Via 20th century fox and officiallondontheatre.co.uk]