# What's up with Gillian Anderson's acting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441 "2015-06-13T16:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/1 "2015-06-13T16:39:24Z")
We’re watching _The Fall_ (and like the story line and tension), and she has that same blank look on her face throughout that she had in the few eps of _The X-Files_ that I saw. Is this how she is in all her work? Is there a lot of demand for actors with no facial expression? She reminds me of Mireille Enos in _The Killing_, another cop drama with an actress who had all the personality of a stump. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/2 "2015-06-13T17:00:49Z")
I thought she was quite good in The Fall. She certainly gave off the vibe of a powerful woman with a stick lodged uncomfortably up her ass that other actresses fail to give off in the same type of role. She gave off just the right amount of masculinity and femininty imo. I can’t remember watching her closely in much else I have to admit. I don’t know if she is usually like that in her other acting roles. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/3 "2015-06-13T17:33:26Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > I thought she was quite good in The Fall. Yeah, I did too. She’s playing quite a reserved, undemonstrative yet powerful character for the most part. How else do you act steely reserve? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/4 "2015-06-13T18:05:23Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Yeah, I did too. She’s playing quite a reserved, undemonstrative yet powerful character for the most part. How else do you act steely reserve? Yeah, I get that: woman running things in a man’s world. But she’s just as cold during her off-duty hours. Unless she’s a sociopath, it doesn’t ring real. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/5 "2015-06-13T18:35:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, I get that: woman running things in a man’s world. But she’s just as cold during her off-duty hours. Unless she’s a sociopath, it doesn’t ring real. I’m not sure where this is going. Gillian Anderson is an actor. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/6 "2015-06-13T19:01:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, I get that: woman running things in a man’s world. But she’s just as cold during her off-duty hours. Unless she’s a sociopath, it doesn’t ring real. I thought one of the very clear subtexts of this series was that she was just as broken as the killer. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/7 "2015-06-13T19:29:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, I get that: woman running things in a man’s world. But she’s just as cold during her off-duty hours. Unless she’s a sociopath, it doesn’t ring real. Get to the end of the second season. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/8 "2015-06-14T00:02:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Is this how she is in all her work? Is there a lot of demand for actors with no facial expression? She’s been getting very high reviews for her performance as Blanche DuBois in a current London run of _A Streetcar Named Desire_. I haven’t seen the whole play but I’ve seen parts of her performance and she certainly isn’t blank in the role. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/9 "2015-06-14T00:15:09Z")
I liked Gillian in The Fall, but I agree with you about Mireille Enos. I loved the show, but not her acting. But I’ve never actually seen Gillian in anything else, so that may be why I was ok with her. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/10 "2015-06-14T00:25:30Z")
I hadn’t heard of the show (The Fall), so I’m just now on episode 2, having picked it up on iTunes based on this thread. I’d definitely say that Gillian’s character doesn’t seem like poor nor flat acting. It seems to be a conscious choice to make the character “peculiar”. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/11 "2015-06-14T04:09:59Z")
Anderson is very good in _The Fall_. I’m looking forward to season 3. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/12 "2015-06-14T04:41:26Z")
I thought she was terrific in _The Fall_. I guess the fact that she has won a Golden Globe, 22 other acting awards and had a further 60 nominations means that some other people think that she can act at least a tiny, little bit. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/13 "2015-06-14T08:30:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, I get that: woman running things in a man’s world. But she’s just as cold during her off-duty hours. Unless she’s a sociopath, it doesn’t ring real. Isn’t that the point; she’s the counterpoint to the murderer. They have so much in common. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/14 "2015-06-14T08:55:52Z")
Anderson was fantastic in The Fall. She’s not an overly demonstrative actor, but she managed some really subtle work in that show, and was helped out by some very good writing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/15 "2015-06-14T18:09:55Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Anderson was fantastic in The Fall. She’s not an overly demonstrative actor, but she managed some really subtle work in that show, and was helped out by some very good writing. Like I said, we’re enjoying it a lot. However, the only two things I’ve seen her in have her using the same deadpan method. I’m just wondering if that’s the only face she presents. According to **Little Nemo** , it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/16 "2015-06-14T20:57:29Z")
On the whole, I’ve been happy that you can get every show you ever wanted online via iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon if you’re patient. Distributors have finally accepted the business model, for the internet, of _exchanging money for goods_ (strange, I know). But they’re still crap at announcing when things will be released. If a DVD is coming out, they announce it 6 months in advance and you can remember to check back in 6 months or click the pre-order button so that you don’t even need to remember. When The Fall, series 2, will come out on iTunes or Amazon as a digital download - who knows! Maybe tomorrow! Maybe 2 years from now! You’ll just know when they release it for purchase and not a moment sooner. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/17 "2015-06-15T02:41:58Z")
She plays more than one note. Did you see her in **The Last King of Scotland**? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/18 "2015-06-15T03:51:07Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > She plays more than one note. Did you see her in **The Last King of Scotland**? Well, no, because of, you know, posts #1 and #15. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/19 "2015-06-16T12:22:14Z")
I personally don’t care for her and agree she has the range of a GI Joe doll’s walkie talkie. Couldn’t stand her in \*The X Files \*and I don’t even remember her on _Last King of Scotland_. I know I’ve seen her in other things but I can’t recall what because she doesn’t really leave a lasting impression. Open your mouth, woman, and get your deviated septum fixed already. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441/20 "2015-06-16T13:06:08Z")
I though she was great in The Fall- yes, cold and distant at first but when things start crumble …for example… Her reluctant witness is kidnapped by the killer and … The killer breaks in to her hotel room and reads her dream diary You can see the cracks appear for her emotionally- I thought one of the last episodes of season 2, when She finally has a face to face conversation with the killer was particularly well done by both actors. (Spoilers are not that spoiler-y - just for those who really don’t want any hint of where the story is going) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-gillian-andersons-acting/722441.md?page=2)