Gillian Anderson says she wants ‘psychopath’ roles as there’s more pressure playing real women

Gillian Anderson has said she wants to play more ‘psychopaths’ after having played mainly trailblazing women in her career so far.

Having taken on roles as Dana Scully in The X Files, Margaret Thatcher in The Crown and Jean Milburn in Sex Education, the storied actress has said she is keen for a change.

‘Women interest me. I enjoy it [playing real life women]. But the pressure and expectation is greater.’ she told the Mirror.

‘I might take a break for a while and play some psychopaths.’

It comes after Gillian was touted for a villainous role in Doctor Who by the new Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa.

Ncuti starred alongside Gillian in Sex Education as Eric Effiong and told reporters that he would love to do battle on the long-running sci-fi series with his co-star.

She is currently starring in Channel 4’s The Great – a drama about Catherine the Great led by Nicholas Hoult and Ellie Fanning.

Gillian accredited her success in her career to taking risks.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in my lane, figuratively and literally,’ the 53-year-old admitted.

‘I remember being in a therapy session with my mum, working through some stuff.

She recounted that her mother told a therapist: ‘No one is ever telling Gillian what she could and couldn’t do. She’s going to do what she wants’. That was true then and now.’

Gillian added: ‘If I’d listened to other people I wouldn’t have ended up in the UK, wouldn’t have ended up doing theatre, The X-Files… sometimes you can succeed if you don’t toe the party line.’