Editing Gillian Anderson (section)

===1990s===
[[File:Gillian anderson lk.jpg|thumb|upright|Anderson at the stage door for the play ''The Sweetest Swing in Baseball'' at the [[Royal Court Theatre]], 2004]]
Anderson moved to [[New York City]] at the age of 22 and worked as a waitress to support herself.<ref name="Bio1">{{cite web|title=About Gillian – Biography (page 1)|work=gilliananderson.ws|url=http://www.gilliananderson.ws/about/bio1.shtml}}</ref> She began her career in [[Alan Ayckbourn]]'s play ''[[Absent Friends (play)|Absent Friends]]'' at the [[Manhattan Theatre Club]] alongside [[Brenda Blethyn]];<ref name=AbsentFriends>{{Cite news|last=Witchel|first=Alex|title=Two Newcomers Make Waves in Ayckbourn Play|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/20/theater/two-newcomers-make-waves-in-ayckbourn-play.html|access-date=February 10, 2016|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 20, 1991}}</ref> for her role she won the 1990–91 [[Theatre World Award]] for "Best Newcomer".<ref>{{cite web|title=Past Recipients – Theatre World Awards|url=http://www.theatreworldawards.org/past-recipients.html|website=theatreworldawards.org|access-date=October 16, 2015|archive-date=October 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004022514/http://www.theatreworldawards.org/past-recipients.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her next theatrical role was in [[Christopher Hampton]]'s ''[[The Philanthropist (play)|The Philanthropist]]'' at the [[Long Wharf Theatre]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref name=Philanthropist>{{Cite news|last=Klein|first=Alvin|title=THEATER; 'The Philanthropist'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/02/nyregion/theater-the-philanthropist.html|access-date=September 24, 2012|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 2, 1992}}</ref>

Anderson moved to Los Angeles in 1992 and spent a year auditioning. The same year, she appeared in her first feature-length film, ''[[The Turning (1992 film)|The Turning]]'', starring [[Karen Allen]] and [[Tess Harper]]. The film drama is an adaptation of the play ''Home Fires Burning''.<ref name="Bio1"/>

Although she had once vowed she would never do television work, being out of work for a year changed her mindset. Anderson recalled: "First of all, I swore I'd never move to Los Angeles, and once I did, I swore I'd never do television. It was only after being out of work for almost a year that I began going in [to auditions] on some stuff that I would pray that I wouldn't get because I didn't want to be involved in it."<ref name="Bio1"/> She broke into mainstream television in 1993 with a guest appearance on the collegiate drama, ''[[Class of '96]]'', on the fledgling [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Network]].<ref name="BioYahoo"/>

As a result of this guest appearance, Anderson was sent the script for ''[[The X-Files]]''. She was 24 when she decided to audition because, "for the first time in a long time, the script involved a strong, independent, intelligent woman as a lead character."<ref>{{Cite news|last= Walker|first= Alix|title= People should know that I laugh|url= http://www.stylist.co.uk/from-the-app/gillian-anderson-people-should-know-that-i-laugh|access-date= September 21, 2015|newspaper= Stylist Magazine|date= November 4, 2014|archive-date= September 14, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150914163833/http://www.stylist.co.uk/from-the-app/gillian-anderson-people-should-know-that-i-laugh|url-status= dead}}</ref> Producer [[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Chris Carter]] wanted to hire her, but Fox wanted someone with previous television exposure and greater sex appeal.<ref name="Bio1"/> Fox sent in more actresses, but Carter stood by Anderson, and she was eventually cast as [[Dana Scully|FBI Special Agent Dana Scully]]. Filmed for the first five seasons in Vancouver, British Columbia, before moving to Los Angeles, the series ran for nine seasons. Two related films were also produced, released in 1998 and 2008. During her time on ''The X-Files'', Anderson won numerous awards for her portrayal of Special Agent [[Dana Scully|Scully]], including an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series#1990s|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/gillian-anderson |title=Gillian Anderson Emmy Nominated |publisher=Emmys.com |access-date=June 8, 2013 |archive-date=June 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622110823/http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/gillian-anderson |url-status=dead }}</ref> a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama#1990s|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama]], two [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series#1990s|Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series]] and a [[Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television]]. Anderson is the first actress to win an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award in the same year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/tv-radio/still-nursing-bad-habits-1.1862939|title=Still nursing bad habits|date=May 25, 2015|first=Debashine|last=Thangevelo|work=Independent Online|access-date=August 21, 2015}}</ref> For the role, she received a total of four Emmy nominations, four Golden Globe nominations and nine SAG nominations.<ref name="BioLT"/>

{{quote box|align=left|width=30em|quote=We got a lot of letters all the time, and I was told quite frequently by girls who were going into the medical world or the science world or the FBI world or other worlds that I reigned, that they were pursuing those pursuits because of the character of Scully. And I said, 'Yay!'|source=—Anderson on "[[Dana Scully#"The Scully Effect"|The Scully Effect]]"<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.vulture.com/2013/10/david-duchovny-gillian-anderson-nycc-paley-center-quotes.html|title= Nearly Everything The X-Files' David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson Said This Weekend |date=October 14, 2013|first= Jennifer|last= Vineyard|work=Vulture|access-date= October 21, 2015}}</ref>}}

Anderson was the first woman to write and direct an episode of ''The X-Files'' ("[[all things]]"). During its run – between the fifth and sixth seasons – Anderson co-starred in ''[[The X-Files: Fight the Future]]'', a 1998 film that continued ''The X-Files'' storyline. Anderson also provided the voice for a parody of her Scully character in "[[The Springfield Files]]", an episode of the animated comedy television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. While filming ''The X-Files'', she met assistant art director [[Clyde Klotz]], who became her first husband.<ref name="BioLT"/> Anderson's character on ''The X-Files'' initiated a phenomenon referred to as "[[Dana Scully#"The Scully Effect"|The Scully Effect]]"; as the [[medical doctor]] and the [[FBI Special Agent]] inspired many young women to pursue careers in science, medicine, and [[law enforcement]]. It contributed to the increase in the number of women in those fields.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/less-big-bang-theory-more-dana-scully |title= Less "Big Bang Theory," More Dana Scully: What It's Going to Take to Lead More Girls Into Science |date=December 24, 2013|last=Finke|first=Christopher Zumski|work=Yes! Magazine|access-date= October 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://all-that-is-interesting.com/scully-effect|title= The Scully Effect: How "X-Files" Helped Mainstream Women In STEM Careers |date=January 31, 2015|first= Abby|last= Norman|author-link=Abby Norman (writer)|work=All That Is Interesting|access-date= October 21, 2015}}</ref> "The Scully Effect" remains a subject of academic inquiry.<ref>{{cite book|chapter= Entertainment Media Portrayals and Their Effects on the Public Understanding of Science|date=September 3, 2013|publisher=ACS Publications|doi=10.1021/bk-2013-1139.ch020|title=Hollywood Chemistry|volume=1139|pages=241–249|series=ACS Symposium Series|last1=Nisbet|first1=Matthew C.|last2=Dudo|first2=Anthony|isbn=978-0-8412-2824-5}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

In 1996, Anderson narrated the [[television documentaries]] ''Spies Above'' and ''Why Planes Go Down''. While hosting the [[BBC]] documentary series ''[[Future Fantastic]]'', she became impressed by the theme music of the show, by the electronic duo Hal and initiated a collaboration with them. In 1997, Anderson provided spoken word vocals and starred in the music video for their single "Extremis", which was frequently aired on [[MTV]]. She also helped to assemble an album of [[electronic music]], ''Future: A Journey Through The Electronic Underground'', for [[Virgin Records]], which won praise from European music critics.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-featuring-gillian-anderson-mn0001263427/biography |title= Hal Featuring Gillian Anderson – Biography & History|access-date=October 21, 2015|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= Kwan|first=Wilhelmina|url= http://www.gilliananderson.ws/transcripts/98/98changi.shtml|title=GAGA over Gillian|work=Changi|access-date=October 21, 2015}}</ref>

In 1997, Anderson appeared in the independent film ''[[Chicago Cab]]''. In 1998, she starred in the film ''[[Playing by Heart]]''.<ref name="BioYahoo"/> Anderson also had a supporting role in the film ''[[The Mighty]]''.<ref name="BioYahoo"/> In 1999, Anderson had a supporting role in the English-language release of [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'', where she voiced the character of Moro. Anderson is a fan of [[Studio Ghibli]] and Miyazaki's work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://5x5media.com/eye/inte/ganderson-2.php|title=The Critical Eye – Gillian Anderson|date=November 11, 1999|work=The Critical Eye|access-date=August 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603201147/http://5x5media.com/eye/inte/ganderson-2.php|archive-date=June 3, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also took part in [[Eve Ensler]]'s ''[[The Vagina Monologues]]''.<ref name="VagMon">{{cite news|last=Kellaway|first=Kate|title=Talking 'bout our genitalia|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/apr/22/features.review27|access-date=October 7, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=April 22, 2001}}</ref>