- Actress, 55, to play Emily Maitlis in upcoming Netflix drama Scoop
She made her name as fiercely intelligent FBI agent Dr Dana Scully in The X Files.
And Gillian Anderson believes she’s been cast as a string of brainy women ever since because her ‘resting face’ is ‘intellectual’.
Speaking about her new role playing former BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis, Anderson, 55, told the Observer magazine: ‘I have a tendency to be cast as those types of women who have unbelievable brains because my resting face is intellectual, as if I’m thinking about Proust or the world order. In fact, it’s usually, actually, dinner.’
The actress, who was Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, will play Maitlis in Netflix’s Scoop on April 5. The film portrays the behind-the-scenes drama of the presenter’s infamous Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew about his links to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Anderson was named sexiest woman in the world in 1996 by lad’s mag FHM. When Maitlis was previously asked about Anderson playing her, she told GQ: ‘I have teenage sons, so that was hormonally complicated.’
She made her name as fiercely intelligent FBI agent Dr Dana Scully in The X Files. And Gillian Anderson (pictured, at the 2023 Fashion Awards in December) believes she’s been cast as a string of brainy women ever since because her ‘resting face’ is ‘intellectual’
The actress was speaking about her new role playing former BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis (pictured: Anderson as Maitlis in Scoop)
The actress was Margaret Thatcher in The Crown (pictured) and was named sexiest woman in the world in 1996 by lad’s mag FHM
Maitlis is working on a rival three-part drama about the interview.
The rival Amazon version will star Luther’s Ruth Wilson as Maitlis and Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew.
Anderson’s version has Rufus Sewell as the prince, and Billie Piper as former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who helped secure the royal interview and was on set.