Gillian Anderson has starred in some of the more provocative TV shows of the past few decades: she discovered extra-terrestrial life on
The X-Files, she probed people’s deepest hidden longings in
Sex-Ed, and now
she’s playing the Iron Lady herself, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in season four of
The Crown. It only stands to reason that, for nostalgia’s sake, she would try to keep at least one prop or item from each show (they’re worth a lot on eBay, ya know). Turns out she’s secretly got a whole stash of items.“I actually have a storage locker in Los Angeles that has a lot of things that I have kept over the early years,” she told BBC Radio 1's film critic Ali Plumb, “including you know heads of aliens and my own characters tombstone.” Those are primo
X-Files grabs; we are impressed.
But when it comes to
The Crown, security is a little tighter, noting that the iconic Thatcher handbags were too noticeable and original to nick. “I think I might have walked away from set with some letterhead that said Margaret Thatcher on it. I think that's the extent of it. I should have stuffed a wig in my bag or something!” You’d need a really big bag for that, Gillian.Sometimes having starred in mega hits like
Sex-Ed can lead to a few embarrassing moments, especially when people on the street (pre-face-mask pandemic) recognize her, but as she tells it, sometimes fans even appear in her bedroom (it’s not what you think).“I remember the first time that somebody vocalized that they recognized me from
Sex Ed. I was standing in my bedroom with the builder and I hadn't even thought about that because the show had launched or something, and he was literally like a foot away from me pre-lock down, and he turned around and goes, ‘Are you that lady from
Sex Ed?’”Awk-warrrrd[video_embed id='2076083']MORE TV NEWS: Why 'Grey's Anatomy' star Jake Borelli is excited for Season 17 [/video_embed]“It really took me by surprise,” she added. “I can probably clock if it's going to be a
Sex Ed fan. I’m often surprised when somebody opens their mouth and I expect them to say
Sex Ed and they say
X-Files and I think, ‘What? Like how old are you?’ I'm still surprised by that!”Gillian, who is bi-dialectic (she grew up in both the UK and the States and can switch between accents at will), also provided some pretty good tips for those of us who long to lure
The Crown’s Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham-Carter into our inner circle.“Run a really good karaoke bar,” she quipped, “and I guarantee when lockdown is over Olivia Colman will come and visit. Helena, she likes a nap. She does, I’ve actually heard her talk about it publicly. She really values her sleep so if you maybe sent her a really comfy mattress or a really good pillow or something I guarantee she'd be your friend for life.”Sounds a bit creepy Gillian, but we’ll give it a shot!The fourth season of
The Crown will premiere on Netflix on November 15
th.[video_embed id='2030335']BEFORE YOU GO: Cat attempts daily hilarious attack on mail carrier [/video_embed]
