On a typically windy day in Chicago Illinois, Rosemary and Edward Anderson awaited the birth of their first child. Gillian Leigh Anderson was born on August 9th, 1968. Two years into her young life her family relocated to Puerto Rico for a job Gillian's father landed there, living there for 15 months before moving again to England . For the next Nine years of her life London's North End would be the place of her childhood experiences. First in Stamford Hill and then on to Crouch End. Gillian's Father Edward would then spend two of those years studying at the London School of Film Technique, while living in Covent Gardens. After his completion of his training, the family decided to move back to the states in order for Edward to best use his skills at a film post-production company, and her mother as a computer analyst.

Gillian on the other had was not too keen on the move, leaving behind a life she enjoyed and her friends. In her new home of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gillian found the kids there much different than those she grew up with. Teased for her accent, Gillian began to withdraw and become a little bullish. As the years went by, Gillian found the "Punk Scene" as her stance in life. Dress, and hair styles to be her own. Changing color, even sporting a mohawk at one point of time. "I fainted when it was inserted. My father was furious about it." Gillian tells of her and her father's reaction of her getting a nose ring.

But the love of acting found it's mark when Gillian first auditioned for a community play while still in City High School. "Somehow, I have no idea how the transformation was made from wanting to be a Marine Biologist, or an Archeologist, to wanting to be an actress, but it just kind of happened," says Gillian. As a child Gillian showed a flair for drama but was more of a tomboy that harbored dreams of becoming a Marine Biologist than the dream of acting stardom. "I loved digging up worms and cutting them up into little pieces. In the interests of science, of course!"

With the difficulties she was facing in a new town and having to make new friends, Gillian's behavior changes and mode of dress helped her realize in the coming years that she had an individuality and she enjoyed displaying that; in her own words, "it was only when I started to shave my head and dress differently that I realized I had a voice as to who I was and what I stood for". Then her strange accent meant that whenever there was an English role up for grabs in the school drama productions, Gillian would get the role.

Her mother remembers seeing something in the rebellious child even at this early stage, as she later told Sunday Magazine: "From the start Gillian had a real flair for the dramatic. That has simply been her personality. The first time I knew something was really up with her and acting was when she was fourteen and a teacher assigned her the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene. Gillian had no background in Shakespeare, acting or anything remotely like it. Nobody on either side of our family had any experience with acting. Her father was interested in film production, but that had mostly been connected with industrial training films and commercials. But she studied that scene and mastered it with no effort whatever. when she performed it my jaw just dropped. I was incredibly impressed and knew then that she was going to be an actress. Then the acting bug hit and, "My outlook changed, my grades went up and I was voted "most improved student"," Gillian says.

After Graduating from City High School in 1986, Gillian went on to study acting at the prestigious DePaul University's Goodman Theater, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. While attending DePaul, Gillian was selected to attend a three-week workshop run by the National Theatre of Great Britain at Cornell, in Ithaca, NY, during the summer after her Freshman year. After receiving her degree, Gillian decided to head for New York at the age of 22, to pursue a career in acting in the Theater. Her first big break came when she landed a role in a production written by Alan Ackbourne, an off Broadway production called "Absent Friends." her work in this performance earned her the Theatre World Award in 1991. Soon after she performed at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven Connecticut in a play titled, "The Philanthropist", and then a low budget film called "The Turning" staring Tess Harper and Karen Allen, before packing up her VW Rabbit and headed off to LA with her at that time boyfriend.

The LA scene didn't vary much from New York except for the Theater world. Gillian landed a guest appearance in the short lived TV show "Class of 96", episode 8 titled "The Accused". Soon came along the voice-over for an audio tape of Anne Rice's Novel "Exit to Eden". She was paid much needed cash to read the first half of the book, after which a male colleague would take over for the remainder.

Then something for Gillian changed. The day was nearing that her last unemployment check would arrive that the call came in for yet another audition. The cover note said it was a new paranormal show based around the activities of two special agents in a rogue branch of the FBI. As always Gillian would attend, but would it come to anything?

Gillian auditioned for a TV pilot on the newly formed Fox Network, called "The X-Files" - in which she auditioned for the role of Special Agent Dana Scully. "I couldn't put the script down," Gillian remembers. During the auditions though, there was a bit of behind the scene's action. The executives at Fox wanted someone with less radiance and more sex-appeal cast in the role of Scully, but Chris Carter insisted that Gillian had the no-nonsense integrity the role required. As luck would have it the day her last check arrived she found out that she had won the role of Agent Scully and flew straight out to Vancouver and begun shooting the pilot.

Just as the show was taking off, Gillian met Clyde Klotz, the series assistant art director at the time. After a three month affair, and admitting that it wasn't quite love at first sight. Clyde's smile attracted her. "He was quiet, rugged and cool, but I soon realized he had a lot to say and that he was very intelligent man." On New Year's Day, 1994 Gillian and Clyde flew to Hawaii, getting married by a Buddhist Monk on the 17th hole of a golf course while vacationing. "We sent a letter to my parents with strict instructions not to open until New Year's Day."

Two days later she was back on the set of the X-Files, and shocking news came a few months later. Gillian found out she was pregnant. Rather than go to the executives immediately, she first approached David Duchovny, her co-star on the set, to see how he reacted and how he felt the situation would best be played. His reaction was not encouraging - he was stunned. After a while, he composed himself and said that if she wanted a child then he was right behind her. That was a relief, but she still had to tell the boss, and ease his fears about her pregnancy affecting the show's chances.

Historically it was not a good sign. The once popular show Beauty and the Beast - starring the stunning Linda Hamilton - fell apart after the lead actress had a baby.  The series creator, Chris Carter, was either furious or understanding, depending on whose view you believe. "He went ballistic, he wanted to get rid of her." Anderson herself heard rumors to that effect. However, Carter now denies he reacted like this, and says that he was prepared to stand by his woman all the way, as he recalled: "I never, ever, considered replacing her. It's a lie. If anything, I was the loudest voice saying "We have to protect this show and this person." Scully and Mulder are two characters that the audience has invested in, they are the secret to the success of the show, and we have to find a way to make this work."

Chris Carter then created an alien abduction that kept Gillian off-camera long enough for labor, delivery and a 10-day maternity leave. 6 of those days Gillian spent in the Hospital after the Cesarean section and 4 at home before returning to the set to shoot the scene sfor the episode "One Breath."  

"I can't imagine not having Piper, " Gillian says, who chose Chris Carter to be the baby's godfather. Five years later, one husband who she is now separated from, a daughter, Gillian is still playing the enigmatic Special Agent Dana Scully on the Fox Networks biggest hit to date.

Disclaimer and Thanks: This Bio is not an official BIO on the life of Gillian Anderson and this BIO was compiled from various sources. Many Thanks to Cynthia Schmidt owner of GAWS (The Gillian Anderson Website) and articles from Special Agent Dana Scully - The Gillian Anderson Files, written by Malcom Butt.