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GILLIAN ANDERSON BIOGRAPHY |
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Gillian, pronounced Jill'-ee-un,was born on August 9, 1968 in
Chicago, IL, to Ed and Rosemary Anderson and is one of 3
children. She lived in Puerto Rico, and then in London, so her
father could attend a film school there (Her family still owns a
flat there).At age 11 she moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where
she attended elementary and then high school. She then moved to
Chicago where she went to college and once she had gained her
BFA she then moved to New York, N.Y. where she made several
theater performances and then to Los Angeles in about '91/'92.
Upon gaining the role of Dana Scully, Gillian then relocated to
Nth Vancouver, Canada where she now resides with her husband and
daughter.Gillian attended Fountain Elementary and then City High
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating in 1986 she 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. While attending
DePaul Uni, she also studied at the summer program at the
National Theater of Great Britain at Cornell Universityin Ithaca,
N.Y.
After initially wanting to be a marine biologist, at about age
17, she was in ''a couple of auditions'' in the Grand Rapids
Community Theater, where she was ''cast in a couple of things,''
and from then it was as if she ''had never thought about marine
biology.''While studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts at DePaul
University, Gillian spent some time in the National Theater of
Great Britain. During this time, she also had a role in a film
named ''The Turning'' in 1988. After receiving her degree, she
moved to New York and embarked on a serious career in theater -
including an off-Broadway production of Alan Ayckbourne's ''Absent
Friends,'' for which she won a Theater World award in 1991. Also
''The Philanthropist ''at the Long Wharf Theater in New
HavenGillian then moved to Los Angeles and spent a year
auditioning for various things, during which time she did ''Home
Fires Burning'' for a cable station as well as the audiocassette
version of ''Exit to Eden''Although she had once vowed she would
''never do TV'', and seemed set on a career in film or theater,
being out of work for a year or so changed her mind and she had
a role in an episode of ''Class of '96'' and then was impressed
enough by the role of Dana Scully that she auditioned for the
role.''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''-GAThe 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
biggerchest.'' - GAGillian is enjoying working on the show, even
if it was a little stressful at first and sees the recognition
she has been getting as a great step which will open many doors
for her, as her goal is to do some more theater as well as
feature and independent films eventually.But it was first when
she got the role as ''Dana Scully'' in the ''X-Files'' she
became real famous.Gillian has become somewhat of a '90's icon
through her role on the incredibly popular X-Files TV show, game
and now movie. She seemingly strode out of nowhere into the
national limelight as the scientist/FBI agent, but few know that
she was a movie actress first - having starred in The Turning.As
for her views about the X-files and her character she has
conveniently summed it up. ''The more I get comfortable with the
character, the more she's becoming like me in some of her
mannerisms. I'm *not* that much of a skeptic. I do believe in
UFO's, I do believe in certain paranormal phenomena, like ESP
and psycho kinesis and all that. I've always been fascinated
with it and I think, on a certain level, I've just known or
assumed it to be reality. In that respect we're very different.
I think that I have a tendency to get as single-minded and
obsessed with my work as Dana does, but in a different way.
She's a medical doctor and an FBI agent and I'm an actress.''
As for her love life Gillian is presently married after an
engagement that lasted ''shorter than a month but longer then a
week,'' with, well she wants it kept quiet .... Anyway they met
on the set of the X-Files where he worked for several of the
early episodes and the couple tied the knot on New Years Day('94)
on a golf course in Hawaii.''”We kept it very, very small. In
fact, it was just the two of us and a Buddhist priest on the
17th hole of thisgolf course in Hawaii”''Gillian has also had a
baby and was due on the 09/13 and gave birth on the 09/25. The
baby'sname is Piper Anderson a baby girl, 8 lb. 10 oz. |
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