Gillian Anderson Instagram – Gillian Anderson has not only become known as an actor of startling depth, but also as a woman unafraid to hold space – on screen, on stage, and in life.
For the Autumn issue, the Chicago-born, multi-hyphenate sat down with Glass to reflect on her career spanning over three decades, during which she has moved with chameleonic brilliance between projects. She inhabited roles as complex and contradictory as the many women who watch her, from Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, Emily Maitlis in Scoop, to, of course, Stella Gibson in The Fall and Jean Milburn in Sex Education.
Anderson’s stance on empowering the female lens was something that was born from landing her breakout role of Dana Scully in The X-Files. At just 24, the imposter syndrome was unavoidable. “I’ve been hired as this character and I need to get over the fact that the person inside of me doesn’t feel worthy. I had no experience before this show and it very quickly became a No.1 hit, and I had to perpetually pretend that I had her confidence”. 11 seasons later and a handful of acting’s most prestigious awards, Anderson was not only a household name but a woman in control of steering her own narrative.
Now, making her long-awaited return to the sci-fi genre, she stars in Tron: Ares, the third instalment of the famed Tron series alongside Jared Leto, Evan Peters, and Greta Lee. The blockbuster follows the consequences of AI as it crosses into the physical world. “We are beyond the precipice now,” reflects Anderson, pointing out the similarities between fact and fiction.
With Netflix’s The Abandons and Channel 4’s Trespasses also scheduled for Autumn releases, she proves that for all the formidable women she’s played, she remains the most compelling.
The Autumn issue will be available to purchase from mid-October, and available to download on our app on 13 October.
Photographer: @jasonhetheringtonstudio
Stylist: @marthaward
Hair: @sandrahahnel
Makeup: @amanda.grossman
Manicurist: @chiara.ballisai
Photography assistant: @alfie_bungay
Styling assistant: @jesss_milller
Interview: @imogenclark_
Talent: @gilliana
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Jacket: @louisvuitton
Trousers: @alexandermcqueen | Posted on 08/Oct/2025 14:30:23
